IDAHO DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND GAME FISHERY MANAGEMENT ANNUAL REPORT Steven M. Huffaker, Director SALMON REGION 2005 Bob Esselman Regional Fishery Biologist Marsha White Regional Fishery Technician Tom Curet Regional Fishery Manager Arnie Brimmer Regional Fishery Biologist IDFG 06-39 January 2007 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page SALMON REGION – 2005 MOUNTAIN LAKE ACTIVITIES ABSTRACT ......................................................................................................... 1 INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................... 2 OBJECTIVES ......................................................................................................... 2 Mountain Lake Stocking.......................................................................................... 2 Mountain Lake Surveys........................................................................................... 2 METHODS ......................................................................................................... 2 Mountain Lake Stocking.......................................................................................... 2 Mountain Lake Surveys........................................................................................... 3 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION ........................................................................................... 3 Mountain Lake Stocking.......................................................................................... 3 Mountain Lake Surveys........................................................................................... 7 RECOMMENDATIONS....................................................................................................... 17 LITERATURE CITED ......................................................................................................... 18 LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Bahls Total Campsite Impact Rating for Lakes ........................................... 3 Table 2. Salmon Region high mountain lakes stocked during the summer of 2005 by Sawtooth Fish Hatchery personnel................................................ 4 Table 3. Salmon Region high mountain lakes not stocked during the summer of 2005 by Sawtooth Fish Hatchery personnel due to the Valley Road wildfire’s airplane flight restriction zone....................................................... 5 Table 4. Salmon Region high mountain lakes stocked by Salmon Region fishery staff in 2005..................................................................................... 5 Table 5. Salmon Region high mountain lakes not stocked in 2005 by Sawtooth Fish Hatchery due to unavailability of fry..................................................... 6 Table 6. Salmon Region high mountain lakes stocked during the summer of 2005 by McCall Fish Hatchery personnel.................................................... 6 Table 7. Alpine lake survey of Allan Lake.................................................................. 8 i TABLE OF CONTENTS (Continued) Page Table 8. Alpine lake survey of Allan Lake A .............................................................. 9 Table 9. Alpine lake survey of Allan Lake B .............................................................. 10 Table 10. Alpine lake survey of Little Eightmile Lake .................................................. 11 Table 11. Alpine lake survey of Little Eightmile Lake A............................................... 12 Table 12. Alpine lake survey of Little Eightmile Lake B............................................... 13 Table 13. Alpine lake survey of Nez Perce Lake......................................................... 14 Table 14. Alpine lake survey of Merriam Lake ............................................................ 15 Table 14. Alpine lake survey of Spruce Gulch Lake.................................................... 16 APPENDIX Appendix A. Age classes of brook trout otolith samples take from Merriam and Spruce Gulch lakes, 2005 .......................................................................... ` `20 SALMON REGION – Rivers and Stream Investigations – Wild Trout Redd Counts and Stream Surveys ABSTRACT ......................................................................................................... 21 INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................... 23 Wild Trout Population Surveys................................................................................ 23 Fluvial Trout Monitoring .......................................................................................... 23 Big Springs Creek and Lemhi River ............................................................ 23 Bear Valley Creek....................................................................................... 23 East Fork of Hayden Creek ......................................................................... 23 Hayden Creek ............................................................................................. 23 Alpine and Fishhook Creeks........................................................................ 24 Fourth of July Creek .................................................................................... 24 Resident Trout Monitoring....................................................................................... 24 OBJECTIVES ......................................................................................................... 24 STUDY AREA AND METHODS ......................................................................................... 24 Wild Trout Population Studies................................................................................. 24 Fluvial Trout Monitoring........................................................................................... 25 Big Springs Creek and Lemhi River ............................................................ 25 Bear Valley Creek....................................................................................... 25 East Fork of Hayden Creek ......................................................................... 25 ii TABLE OF CONTENTS (Continued) Page Hayden Creek ............................................................................................. 26 Alpine and Fishhook Creeks........................................................................ 26 Fourth of July Creek .................................................................................... 26 Resident Trout Monitoring....................................................................................... 26 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION ........................................................................................... 26 Wild Trout Population Studies................................................................................. 26 Fluvial Trout Monitoring........................................................................................... 38 Big Springs Creek....................................................................................... 38 Bear Valley Creek....................................................................................... 38 East Fork of Hayden Creek ......................................................................... 38 Hayden Creek ............................................................................................. 38 Alpine and Fishhook Creeks........................................................................ 43 Fourth of July Creek .................................................................................... 43 Resident Trout Monitoring....................................................................................... 44 LITERATURE CITED ......................................................................................................... 47 LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Combined salmonid population estimates including fry, 95% confidence intervals (CI), and species composition for selected streams in the upper Salmon River basin, 2005 ................................................................. 28 Table 2. Salmonid species, number of fish observed, mean total lengths (mm) and size range (total length mm) for selected streams in the upper ` Salmon River basin, 2005 ........................................................................... 33 Table 3. Combined non-target fish population densities and species composition for selected streams surveyed in the upper Salmon River basin, 2005 ...... 36 Table 4. Number of resident rainbow trout redds counted in Big Springs Creek (BSC) and Lemhi River, 1994 to 2006......................................................... 39 Table 5. Bull trout redd counts observed in trend survey sections of Alpine Creek, 1998 to 2005.................................................................................... 43 Table 6. Bull trout redd counts observed in trend survey sections of Fishhook Creek, 1998 to 2005.................................................................................... 44 Table 7. Resident rainbow trout trapping summary at the Pahsimeroi Fish Hatchery, 1990 to 2005 ............................................................................... 46 iii TABLE OF CONTENTS (Continued) Page LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Resident rainbow trout spawning redds counted during ground surveys in the upper Lemhi River (Beyeler Ranch) and Big Springs Creek (Neibaur and Tyler ranches), 1994 to 2006................................................. 40 Figure