Status of Burbot in Montana

1 STATUS OF BURBOT IN MONTANA Melissa R. Jones-Wuellner and Christopher S. Guy U.S. Geological Survey Montana Cooperative Fishery Research Unit Montana State University Department of Ecology Bozeman, Montana 59717 December 2004 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Tables .......................................................................................................................3 List of Figures......................................................................................................................5 Executive Summary.............................................................................................................7 Acknowledgments................................................................................................................8 Introduction..........................................................................................................................9 Review of Burbot Life History ..........................................................................................10 Description.............................................................................................................10 Habitat....................................................................................................................10 Spawning, Rearing, Growth...................................................................................10 Feeding and Food Habits .......................................................................................11 Economic and Conservation Importance...............................................................12 Sampling ............................................................................................................................12 Status of Burbot in Montana..............................................................................................13 Kootenai River.......................................................................................................13 Clark Fork..............................................................................................................14 Elk Lake, Twin Lakes, and Clark Canyon Reservoir ............................................14 Big Hole River Subbasin ......................................................................................15 Gallatin, Madison, Jefferson Rivers.......................................................................15 Hauser, Helena Valley, and Holter Reservoirs .....................................................15 Mainstem Missouri River Upstream of Great Falls ..............................................16 North Fork Smith River Reservoir ........................................................................16 Newlan Creek Reservoir, Sun River, and Wadsworth Pond ................................16 Smith River ...........................................................................................................17 Lake Frances and Tiber Reservoir ........................................................................17 Middle Missouri Downstream of Great Falls. .......................................................17 Lower Missouri River ...........................................................................................17 Upper to Middle Yellowstone ...............................................................................18 Middle to Lower Yellowstone ..............................................................................18 Historical and Current Status of Burbot in Montana .........................................................19 Survey Results ...................................................................................................................19 Status of Burbot in Surrounding States and Provinces ......................................................20 Nebraska ................................................................................................................20 South Dakota..........................................................................................................20 North Dakota..........................................................................................................20 Wyoming................................................................................................................20 Idaho and British Columbia, Canada.....................................................................21 Alberta....................................................................................................................21 Management and Research Needs .....................................................................................22 References..........................................................................................................................23 3 LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Summary of burbot captured within the Big Hole subbasin, 2003......................28 Table 2. Relative weight (Wr) of burbot by length category sampled by vertical gill nets in Hauser Reservoir during the winter from 1992 to 2002. Length categories are: stock to quality (S-Q; 200-379 mm), quality to preferred (Q-P; 380-529 mm), and preferred to memorable (P-M; 530-669 mm) ......................................................29 Table 3. Mean relative weight values (Wr) by length category for burbot sampled by horizontal gill nets Hauser Reservoir during spring (May) and autumn (October). Length categories are: stock to quality (S-Q; 200-379 mm), quality to preferred (Q-P; 380-529 mm), and preferred to memorable (P-M; 530-669 mm)..............30 Table 4. Catch per unit effort of burbot sampled in Helena Valley Regulating Reservoir using horizontal gill nets from 1997 to 2002.......................................................31 Table 5. Catch per unit effort for burbot sampled in the spring and autumn using sinking gill nets in Holter Reservoir from 1986 to 2002..................................................32 Table 6. Number of burbot per electrofishing pass and mean Wr values for burbot sampled in the Missouri River at Holter from 1983 to 1993 .............................................33 Table 7. Number of burbot sampled per electrofishing pass and mean Wr values for burbot sampled in the Missouri River at Hardy from 1981 to 2000 ...............................34 Table 8. Number of burbot sampled in the North Fork Smith River Reservoir using floating and sinking gill nets from 1977 to 2002.................................................35 Table 9. Number of burbot sampled in Newlan Creek Reservoir using floating gill nets, sinking gill nets, and trap nets from 1992 to 2003...............................................36 Table 10. Number of burbot sampled per electrofishing pass on the Smith River at Eagle Creek from 1984 to 2002 .....................................................................................37 Table 11. Number of burbot sampled per electrofishing pass on the Smith River at Deep Creek from 1986 to 2002 .....................................................................................38 Table 12. Number of burbot sampled per electrofishing pass on the Smith River at the Mid- Canyon reach from 1986 to 1992.........................................................................39 Table 13. Number sampled, effort, and catch per effort for burbot sampled in Lake Frances from 1972 to 1998................................................................................................40 Table 14. Sample size and number per trap net of burbot sampled in Devon and Willow Creek Arm of Tiber Reservoir from 1973 to 2000 ..............................................41 4 Table 15. Number per hour of boat electrofishing for burbot sampled in the middle Missouri River from 1999 to 2000 (adapted from Gardner 2000)......................................42 Table 16. Mean length of burbot sampled in the middle Missouri River from 1999 to 2000 (adapted from Gardner 2000)...............................................................................43 Table 17. Size-structure indices of burbot in the upper to middle Yellowstone River drainage. Length categories are: stock to quality (S-Q; 200-379 mm), quality to preferred (Q-P; 380-529 mm), and preferred to memorable (P-M; 530-669 mm) .............................................................................................44 Table 18. Relative weight of burbot in the upper to middle Yellowstone River drainage according to size structure categories. Length categories are: stock to quality (S- Q; 200-379 mm), quality to preferred (Q-P; 380-529 mm), and preferred to memorable (P-M; 530-669 mm) ..........................................................................45 Table 19. Burbot sampled from the Yellowstone River by location from 1984 to 2002.....46 Table 20. Size structure indices for burbot in the Yellowstone River from 1985 to 2002. Length categories are: stock to quality (S-Q; 200-379 mm), quality to preferred (Q-P; 380-529 mm), and preferred to memorable (P-M; 530-669 mm)..............47 Table 21. List of where burbot are sampled to obtain population status by region.............48 5 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Native distribution of burbot in Montana (only major rivers are highlighted designating the drainages)....................................................................................49 Figure 2. Comparison of burbot RI values for burbot less than or greater than 500 mm TL. Abbreviations are as follows: CRC = Columbia River chub (Mylocheilus lateralis); CSU = largescale sucker (C.

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