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Volume 20 Study G-I-P STATE OF ALASKA Jay S. Hammond, Govermr Annual Performance Report for INVENTORY AND CATALOGING OF SPORT FISH AND SPORT FISH WATERS OF WESTERN ALASKA ALASKA DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND GAME Ronald 0. Skoog, Commissioner SPORT FISH DIVISION Rupert E. Andrews, Director Job No. G-I-P Inventory and Cataloging of Sport Fish and Sport Fish Waters of Western Alaska By: Kenneth T. Alt Abstract Background Recommendations Management Research Ob j ectives Techniques Used Findings Nome Area Angler Utilization Nome River Other Seward Peninsula Streams Comparisons of Sport Fishing in Nome Area Waters 1977 and 1978 Job No. G-I-P (cont.) Nome River Study Physical and Chemical Characteristics Biological Aspects of Nome River Fish Movements and Abundance Arctic Char Salmon Whitefish Grayling Other Species Age and Growth Salmon Arctic Char Grayling Least Cisco Round Whitefish Bering Cisco Kotzebue Sound - Hotham Inlet Survey Species Accounts Least Cisco Humpback Whitefish Broad Whitefish Northern Pike Other Species Sheefish Herring Literature Cited LIST OF TABLES Table 1. List of species captured in Colville River drainage in 1977-1978. Table 2. Species composition of streams surveyed within the North Slope Study Area, 1977-1978. Table 3. Physical characteristics of under-ice net sites in the Colville River near Umiat. Table 4. Numbers of principal fish species captured in the Colville River during fall and spring of 1977 and 1978. LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Map of Alaska showing the North Slope Study Area. Figure 2. Preliminary data on migration and spawning times of the principal salmonid species in the Colville River. Figure 3. Distribution of fish species throughout the main stem of the Colville River. Figure 4. Section I1 of the Colville River. Figure 5. Anaktuvuk River drainage. Figure 6. Shainin Lake, depths are shown in feet. Figure 7. Sitchiak Lake, depths are shown in feet. Figure 8. Ahalioriak Lake, depths are shown in feet. Figure 9. Chandler River drainage. Figure 10. Chandler Lake, depths are shown in feet. Figure 11. Killik River drainage. Figure 12. Udrivik Lake, depths are shown in feet. Figure 13. Imiak~iikpakLake, depths are shown in feet. Figure 14. Unnamed Lake, Killik River drainage. Depths are shown in feet. Latitude 68°25'N, Longitude 154°04'W. Figure 15. Kaniksrak Lake, depths are shown in feet. Figure 16. Tululik Lake, depths are shown in feet. Figure 17. Section I11 of the Colville River. Figure 18. Kurupa River drainage. Figure 19. Kurupa Lake, depths are shown in feet. Figure 20. Cascade Lake, depths are shown in feet. Figure 21. Awuna River drainage. Figure 22. Etivluk River drainage. Figure 23. Tukuto Lake, depths are shown in feet. Figure 24. Unnamed Lake in Etivluk River drainage. Depths are show11 in feet. Latitude 68O28'~, Longitude 1S6°30'W. Figure 25. Betty Lake, depths are shown in feet. Figure 26. Akuliak Lake, depths are shown in feet. Figure 27. Unnamed Lake in Etivluk River drainage. Depths are shown ill feet. Latitude 68'1ZtN, Longitude 156'25'W. Figure 28. Etivluk Lake, depths are shown in feet. Figure 29. Ipnavik River drainage. Figure 30. Section IV of the Colvi.lle River. Figure 31. West Smith Mt. Lake, depths are shown in feet. Figure 32. Kuna River drainage. Figure 33. Swayback Lake, depth is in feet. Figure 34. Liberator Lake, depths are shown in feet. Figure 35. Kiligwa River drainage. Figure 36. Nuka River drainage. Figure 37. Noluck Lake, depths are shown in feet. Figure 38. Utukok River drainage. Figure 39. Kokolik River drainage. Figure 40. Kukpowruk River drainage. Figure 41. Teshekpuk Lake. Depths shown in feet are taken from Mohr (1961). Figure 42. Potential overwirltering areas in the lower Colville River. Figure 43. Locations of under-ice net sets in the Colville River during October 1977, and March and April of 1978. Volume 20 Study No. G-I RESEARCH PROJECT SEGMENT State: ALASKA Name : Sport Fish Investigations of Alaska Project No.: F-9-11 Study No. : G- I Study Title: INVENTORY AND CATALOGING Job No.: G-I-P Job Title: Period Covered: July 1, 1978 to June 30, 1979 ABSTRACT Studies in Seward Peninsula area and Kotzebue Sound area waters were designed to collect baseline information on fishes. More intense surveys and angler use studies were conducted in the more heavily utilized Nome area sport fisheries in 1977 and 1978. Angler utilization studies in the Nome River indicated an estimated 1,210 fishermen. Limited information on catch is presented and the 1977 and 1978 seasons are compared. Survey information on the Nome River is presented. Pink salmon, Oncorhynchus gorbuscha (Walbaun), and chum salmon, 0. keta (Walbaum), are the most abundant species, and 1978 had the largest pink salmon run ever recorded. Biological information is presented for salmon, least cisco, Coregonus sardineZZa Valenciennes, and round whitefish, Prosopiwn cyZindracewn (Pallas). Least cisco and round whitefish from the Nome River grew slower than the same species from Interior Alaska waters. ?'cst netting in the Kotzebue Sound, Hotham Inlet, and Kobuk River delta areas indicated presence of immature sheefish, Stenodus Zeucichthys (Guldenstadt), humpback whitefish, C. pidschian (Gmelin), and least cisco in brackish water environments, while mature individuals of the three species were more abundant in fresh water. Pike, Esox Zucius Linnaeus, were the most abundant species encountered in fresh water. Ilerring, CZupea harengus paZZasi Valenciennes, in spawnirig condition were taken in Kotzebue Lagoon, Hotham Inlet, and Selawik Lake. BACKGROUND A two-year Nome area angler utilization study was begun in 1977. Emphasis was switched to the Nome River when it was determined that most fishing pressure occurred there. In 1978, the Nome River census con- tinued but with less intensity than in 1977. The results of the two seasons' work gives a general idea of fishing pressure during varying weather conditions and differing run timing and availability of fish runs, especially Arctic char and salmon. Data from the first: year's study appeared in Study G-I-P, Volume 19, Federal Aid in Fish Restoration Study, Inventory and Cataloging of Western Alaska waters. Along with the angler utilization study a two-year study of the Nome River was begun. Most of the results are in the present report although biological data on grayling and Arctic char were included in the 1978 - report. Data were collected and observations made of the Pilgrim River during 1977 and 1978. The grayling data was published in 1978, but other information is still fragmentary. Since grayling are an important sport fish in the Pilgrim River, and subject to heavy fishing pressure, further research will be conducted on the stream if manpower is available in 1979. The Kotzebue Sound survey was designed to provide information on distri- bution and abundance of fish in the estuarine and freshwater environ- ments of Kotzebue Sound, Hotham Inlet, and the Kobuk River delta and to locate rearing areas of sheefish. A secondary objective was to determine dates of Arctic char spring out- migration and fall inmigration. Few char were captured, thus that objective was not fulfilled. More detailed information on sheefish is included in the 1980 Federal Aid in Fish Restoration, Annual Report R-11, Volume 20, Sheefish and Whitefish Life History Studies in Alaska. The limited previous netting conducted in the Kotzebue Sound-Hotham Inlet areas related to studies on chum salmon and sheefish. A list of species encountered in this study is included (Table 1). A map of the Seward Peninsula study area is included in the 1978 report, page 39, and a map of the Kotzebue study area is included with this report (Fig. 1). RECOMMENDATIONS Management Angler use studies of the Nome River should be conducted at irregular intervals. Research I. 'The Pilgrim River study with emphasis on Arctic grayling should be completed. 'Table 1. Fish species of Seward Peninsula and Kotzebue Sound - Northern Inlet area. - Species Scientific Name 6 Author Abbreviation Pink salmon Oncorhynchus gorbuscha (W albaum) PS Chum salmon Oncorhynchus keta (Walbaum) CS Coho salmon Onc~rhynchuskisutch (Walbaum) Red salmon Oncorhynchus nerka (Wa 1baum) King salmon Oncorhynchus tshawy tscha (Walbaum) KS Arctic char Salve linus alpinus (Linnaeus) AC Sheefish Stenodus Zeucichthys Guldens tadt SF Least cisco Coregonus smdineZZa Valenciennes LC I Bering cisco Coregonus Zaurettae Bean BC I Humpback whitefish Coregonus pidschian (Gmelin) HWF Broad whitefish Coregonus nasus (Gmelin) BWF Round whitefish Prosopiwn cy Zindracewn (Pal las) RWF Gray 1ing Thyma ZZus arctieus (Pal las) GR Ninespine stickleback Pungitius pungitius (Linnaeus) NSB Northern pike ESOX ZUC~US Linnaeus N P Slimy sculpin Cottus cognutus Richardson SSC Paci fic herring CZupea harengus paZZasi Valenciennes PH Fourhorn sculpin MyoxocephaZus quadricorn<s (Linnaeu!;) FHS Saffron cod EZeg5nus gracizis (Tilesius) SC Arctic flounder Liopsetta gZaciaZis (Pallas) AF - 2. Catalog and inventory studies should begin in the lower Yukon River. 3. Survey of waters of Kuskokwim River under the study should continue. OBJECTIVES 1. To determine angler utilization in the Nome and Seward Peninsula areas. 2. To complete a physical-biological study of the Nome River. 3. To survey other waters of Western Alaska as time permits with emphasis on the Seward Peninsula, Norton Sound, and St. Lawrence Island. TECHNIQUES USED The Nome River creel census was not statistically designed. During each trip the biologist counted anglers and at the end of the day estimated the percentage of anglers counted for the day. These figures were then expanded to give total estimated angler days during the season from June 2 to August 31 on the Nome River. On days when the biol.ogist was on other duty the average number of anglers the previous day and the following day was used to estimate the number of fishermen. Fishing pressure on other streams in the study area was never as heavy as on the Nome River, thus only instantaneous spot counts were made.

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