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By Bryce Nielson, DWR Bear Lake Project Leader
On January 1, 1998, a new fishing regulation will become effective at Bear Lake. It will state than any cutthroat trout caught that does not exhibit a healed fin clip must be returned unharmed to the lake. It is not specific as to which fin so any healed fin that shows signs of being removed allows an angler to keep that fish. Any lake trout may be harvested. This article describes the background and reasoning for this regulation change.
When the DWR initiated a research project at Bear Lake in 1974, the assumption was made that due to irrigation diversions and stream alterations, natural reproduction by Bear Lake cutthroat trout would be extremely limited in the future. This was the basis to develop an egg collection and rearing program to provide significant recruitment of Bear Lake cutthroat trout to support a sport fishery. That management program has continued to the present and is still a requirement to maintain cutthroat trout fishing opportunities at Bear Lake.
Over the past five years a concerted effort has been made by DWR and Idaho Fish and Game to improve the habitat for cutthroat trout natural reproduction. The largest natural tributary to Bear Lake is St. Charles Creek. Cutthroat eggs have been collected historically on this stream but in 1990 an extended drought started at Bear Lake and no eggs were collected for the next three years. During that time Idaho Fish and Game started an aggressive program to fence the riparian area along the Little St. Charles Creek where the trapping operation had been located. Presently the lower one and a half miles of this stream has been fenced. During the drought period which persisted until 1996, only a few cutthroat spawners were able to negotiate the dewatered lake area into the stream to spawn, so egg collection on the Little St. Charles Creek was not resumed. With the lake returning to normal elevations the decision was made to promote natural reproduction in St. Charles Creek and discontinue egg collection. A large rotating fish screen was also installed in one of the major irrigation diversions on this fork.
In 1993 a water diversion causeway failed at the north end of the lake. Its subsequent repair by PacifiCorp required that the company complete some mitigation work on Bear Lake to enhance the fisheries. Historically, Big St. Charles Creek emptied into Bear Lake at the north end but road construction at the turn of the century blocked the stream and diverted it into the Dingle Marsh. In order to fulfill the mitigation requirements, PacifiCorp, in conjunction with Idaho Fish and Game and DWR, constructed a fish ladder that allows cutthroat to once again utilize Big St. Charles Creek for spawning. An additional, smaller, fish ladder was also constructed at an upstream irrigational diversion to move spawning cutthroat past that area into previously unused premium spawning habitat. Future work will focus on screening the remaining irrigation diversions on the entire stream. The hundreds of thousands of dollars expended to date on St. Charles Creek now provides opportunity for cutthroat trout natural reproduction that has not existed for 75 years.
Another project funded by DWR Habitat License dollars is presently being implemented on Big Spring Creek at the south end of the lake. This stream has historically had good runs of spawning cutthroat trout but frequently irrigational diversions dewater the lower reaches of the stream killing fish and eggs. Through cooperation with the landowner, a water bypass is being installed that will allow persistent flows in the stream throughout the year. Additional habitat work will also be done in cooperation with Utah Division of Parks and Recreation to improve spawning sites that are located in the Rendezvous Beach State Park campground. These efforts should result in improved natural reproduction. Similar efforts will be pursued on Swan and Fish Haven creeks.
With the increased emphasis on natural reproduction it is necessary to protect naturally reared fish so they can return to their natal streams to reproduce. That is why the regulation was established. The impacts on the Bear Lake angler should be minimal. All of the cutthroat stocked in Bear Lake since 1991 have been fin clipped and all future stocked fish will be marked. A creel survey was conducted in 1996 and 90% of the cutthroat observed were fin clipped. Cutthroat as large as seven pounds have exhibited fin clips. The most common clip is an adipose or left pelvic. Anglers considering keeping cutthroat should examine the fins carefully since some clipped fins do grow back. It is also possible to catch cutthroat where the pectoral fins have been reduced by bumps. Although these fins are not clipped by biologists, wearing does occur in the concrete raceways in the hatchery and these fish should be considered fin clipped and may be kept. If there is a question, release the fish unharmed.
Although this regulation is new to Utah, it has been used in Idaho and other areas where the wild stock fish need to be protected. Marked hatchery reared fish will continue to make up the majority of the cutthroat harvest and the overall fishery in Bear Lake should continue to improve.