F&G Plans Porcupine Lake Rehabilitation

Brook trout can be fun to catch and are excellent on the dinner table. But in some places this non-native species poses a significant threat to the future of native trout. Brook trout can out-complete native bull trout and westslope cutthroat trout when the areas they occupy overlap. Porcupine Creek in the Lightning Creek drainage is one place where brook trout overlap with native fish. Brook trout in the Porcupine Creek drainage largely come from an upstream source population in Porcupine Lake. These fish not only create problems in Porcupine Creek, but also act as a source for distribution of brook trout to other locations in the Lightning Creek drainage. To help conserve native fish in the Lightning Creek drainage, the Idaho Department of Fish and Game is planning to remove brook trout in the upper Porcupine Creek drainage and Porcupine Lake. The lake is about five miles north of Clark Fork. Forest Road #419 followed by Forest Trail #642 reach the area from Hwy 200. The project is entirely within Panhandle National Forest. Brook trout removal would be accomplished by applying rotenone, a naturally derived chemical commonly used to kill undesired fish. Rotenone affects only gill-breathing animals, so the effects on the ecosystem are minimal. This treatment is planned for August. Porcupine Lake has a long history as a recreational fishery. To restore fishing opportunities after brook trout are removed Fish and Game plans to stock the lake with westslope cutthroat trout. Fish and Game welcomes comments on this proposed project. Comments should be received no later than June 30th, 2010. Please direct your comments to: Idaho Department of Fish and Game, Panhandle Regional Office Attn: Rob Ryan, 2885 W. Kathleen Ave., Coeur d'Alene, Idaho 83815, 208-769-1414.