Kenai Peninsula Lake Trout

[akwchil]

Not sure how many people here have seen the current Board of Fish proposal for Upper Cook Inlet, but wanted to share Proposal 194.

PROPOSAL 194 - 5 AAC 57.122. Special provisions for the seasons, bag, possession, and size
limits, and methods and means for the Middle Section of the Kenai River Drainage Area.
Create a size limit for lake trout in Hidden Lake, as follows:
In Hidden Lake, the bag and possession limit for lake trout is one fish under 16 inches of length
[with no size limit}
What is the issue you would like the board to address and why? Lake Trout are an extremely
slow growing fish with a long life span that need a substantial amount of time to naturally grow.
201
These fish are easily susceptible to population declines through changes in the environment and
over-fishing. Hidden Lake was a top destination on the Kenai Peninsula for Lake Trout fishing
that is in a steady decline in fishing quality, especially with fish in the 24 to 30-inch classes during
the last couple of decades.
There has been little biological data available to manage the Lake Trout population within Hidden
Lake. It would be more prudent to manage this fishery conservatively until further research and
studies can be done to more accurately measure the overall population and sustainability of this
fishery.
With the continued harvest of the largest fish within Hidden Lake the breeding stock will continue
to be heavily diminished. This hardship on the overall Lake Trout population has resulted in a
lower sustainable yield for recreational sport fishing purposes.
By allowing current regulations to continue the Lake Trout population will have very unfavorable
conditions for older fish to properly grow and propagate. Without changes to the current
regulations there is almost no chance to have a positive outcome in future Lake Trout populations
within Hidden Lake.

[Drifter_016]

Good idea. It's not exactly a big lake and is fished hard, especially in the winter.

[RipLipp]

That fishery is a shadow of what it once was. In the early 80's some VERY large lakers inhabited that lake. After decades of bonking big fish and poaching, this fishery is in a downward spiral. The poaching is still continuing at night with idiots running 5-10 setlines in the dark. Should be 100% C&R for at least a decade and more enforcement at night IF you want to give this lake a chance.

[akdube]

^^^^ I'm with this guy. Or hate to say it shut it down for a few years.

[wesak81]

All lakes in alaska that have lake trout should have the same rules to protect lake trout.

[jiggenfrogs]

I think very little effort and time is put into lake trout management in the state.  More focus is put on salmon runs because they are what people travel from all over to fish.  A trap net surveys in the fall spawning months over the years would be a great way to establish populations and overall size/health of fish.  I don't see the state putting money into lake trout fishery.....

[akwchil]

your right Jigginfroggs not a lot goes into lake trout, though they have done a good amount of research in the interior part of Alaska since that is where they have a majority of the lake trout pressure in the state.  With that said I was told that a study on Hidden Lake wouldn't actually take that much money, just a matter of finding the money now.

Also as a side note the Kenai Soldotna Fish & Game Advisory Committee voted to support Proposal 194 with an amendment from 16 inches to 20 inches with a an effective date between October 1 thru May 31st

[ITO]

It really is a shame that there are so few destinations nationwide that protect these magnificent and slow to grow and slower to replace trophy's. We have one lake here in CO that they have a protected slot or any size limit for that matter. How has there not been an organization like TU, or B.A.S.S to help educate fisherman,  state managing agencies to better protect the larger lake trout? 

We have lakes that suffered the same demise as the one you guys are speaking up about, I cant tell you how many fish over 30" are on peoples walls from the late 80's and 90's, this lake is now overrun with fish under 20". That means that in my lifetime, I wont see many fish over the 30" mark at this lake. People just dont understand the lifecycle of the fish, and it seems that most big fish that are killed are due to being naive to their lifespan. There will always be the meat hunter mentality, and poachin no matter the education efforts, but hell something has to give.

[RipLipp]

USFW did a study in 2011

https://www.fws.gov/alaska/fisheries/fish/Data_Series/d_2012_1.pdf

[DannerAK]

The hidden lake proposal passed as follows:

*Hidden Lake lake trout restricted to one per day, less than 16" in total length*