Fisheries Division chief Greg Power was joined by section leader Scott Gangl, Missouri River system supervisor Dave Fryda and Northwest Fisheries District supervisor Fred Ryckman in presenting information regarding Lake Sakakawea, the Missouri and Yellowstone rivers and area lakes.
The 20-plus anglers attending the gathering started their questioning by talking about the current level of Lake Sakakawea and what the department can do to manipulate that level to improve the overall fishery there. Fryda said last March, they were looking at the lowest projection for a summer high ever. Rains in late May and throughout June, however, combined with downstream flooding, allowed the lake to increase by nearly 20 feet.
Currently sitting at just over 1823 mean sea level, the only thing the department can do about Lake Sakakawea is ask to be the favored river system reservoir during the spring rise, Fryda said.
"And that is over the critical time," he said of the spring spawn. "As long as states agree, they'll favor the reservoir." Lake Sakakawea is again the system reservoir to be favored this spring, just like last year. Unlike last year, there is snow in North Dakota to melt and run into the lake, although the snow on the eastern Montana plains is considerably less, if not almost nonexistent. Fryda said the lake is expected to peak at 1831 in July. Fisheries staff is more concerned, however, about an adequate rise this spring to facilitate a good spawn for rainbow smelt, a primary forage fish, and game fish.
Meanwhile, a question regarded the cause behind parasites on walleyes that were caught last fall in the White Earth Bay area.
"The water temps in that upper portion are a lot higher than they ever were," Fryda said.
The higher water temperatures lead to more health issues, which could explain the disease problem, he added.
Fishing access for senior citizen is another question department staff addressed Monday, as some in attendance felt there isn't enough access for this age group.
"Now that the drought has carried into the district lakes as well, you see a lot more people on the river," Ryckman said.
Everyone agreed, however, there is very limited access along the river for shore fishing. The pumphouse is a favored area on the river
"The pumphouse, if we had another 10 spots like that, that would be great," Ryckman said.
He added the boat launch area along U.S. Highway 85 also sees a number of shore anglers, but primarily because that is a launching point.
As for stocking plans on Lake Sakakawea, Fryda said they have backed off that practice in recent years due to the extremely low smelt population in the lake.
During the recent drought, about 95 percent of the smelt population has been lost, which means there is considerably less food to support fish in the lake.
"We need to keep the stress off of that," he said of the forage base. "You really need to build that fishery from the foundation up."
When asked if Cisco could become a primary forage base for the lake, Fryda said that species typically spawns in November and early December when the lake level is falling.
"In my mind, they are not the answer to get Lake Sakakawea back to what everyone knew in the 90s," Fryda said.
He was later asked if there isn't something else that could be introduced into Lake Sakakawea to supplement the forage supply.
"It gets back to the fundamental problem - plankton supply," he said of what forage species feed upon.
"We have a wide variety of forage species out there. You'll never stock enough forage to feed the fish," Fryda said.
Meanwhile, Ryckman was pleasantly surprised the last week of January when he dug through the snow to check oxygen levels in area lakes.
"I was almost shocked at how good things looked in likes that still had water in them," he said.
The good condition of the lakes is a bit of an anomaly, he said, despite the heavy snow that's covered the lakes since this past November.
"I still think we're going to get by a little bit better than expected," Ryckman said.
During his presentation, Ryckman said he is expecting another short season for paddlefish this year. He is predicting the season is going to go much like that past several years, where low water levels allowed about 200 fish a day to be caught, bringing an end to the fishing in about five days.
He thinks the river will rise some due to the runoff from the North Dakota snow.
"If you go to Sidney or anywhere upstream, there isn't going to be a lot of snowmelt," he said about the extremely limited snow to be found in those areas.
Instead, any water to come from the West is to come from the mountains.
"It looks like ti will be like last year, it will be late," he said of added water from the West. "The regulations will be the same as last year."
When asked if the department is looking at possible length limits for Lake Sakakawea due to slowed growth and lower populations, Fryda said staff re-evaluate that aspect every year.
"It has to have the potential to benefit a population," Gangl said of why length limits are employed.
Fryda said staff age fish just like you age a tree, as fish also have rings that show growth. The good news is walleye in Lake Sakakawea live upwards of 17-19 years in many instances.
"We routinely see fish that age in our system," he said.
Also questioned was the poor number of perch to be found in area waters, which prompted Ryckman to state they really are a tough fish to raise.
"They respond very well to new vegetation, high water levels and flooding," he said.
But after four or five years, they then struggle, he added.
"They are short lived. Perch populations are really cyclic," Ryckman said. "They are not as hearty as northern pike, for instance."
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