2020 Arrow Rock Reservoir Kokanee Report

[sawtooth]

May the road up to the lake be smooth and limits plentiful this year. Good luck to all.

[Pauli]

The wife and I took the pups up to Arrowrock to check out the reservoir, and the infamous road leading up to the boat launch. The good news is that the water level on the reservoir is pretty full. I'd say about 10 to 15 feet from the high water mark. They obviously are not letting water flow out of Arrowrock into Lucky Peak ..... you can literally wade across the "stream" at the base of the dam (on the Lucky Peak side) without getting your knees wet. Lucky Peak, by the way, is very very low. I saw only one boat on the reservoir, near the dam, (nice aluminum boat about 18 feet long with a black top).... and there were a few "Bankies" fishing from Turner's Gulch.

The bad news is the road...... it's just a smidgen better than HORRIBLE. While there were pretty bad stretches of potholes along the entire road, the section as you pass by Arrowrock dam is probably the worst part. Lots and lots of potholes. And as a bonus, there are rocks and gravel sliding off the rock face on the north side of the road. Because it's only one lane there you are forced to drive right through the ruts and potholes. In a few places, you have to drive closer to the guardrail to avoid the rocks piled up from the slides. I'm not even thinking of dragging my boat through there until a grader goes through and fills in the potholes. I was quite surprised to see that there was a Bankie over near the boat launch who somehow pulled his travel trailer through that mess and parked it on the beach. Nice setup for bank fishing.....but damn.... !!! Also, there were a dozen or more of trucks parked along the side of the road. Most of them had trailers behind them....like they were puling 4 wheelers into the hills. I didn't see any 4 wheelers around..... is there hunting open up there??? Maybe a late Bow season???

Anyone know who usually maintains the road? Anyone we can call??? I'm getting the itch. Oh, by the way, I saw ice on the Morris Creek section of Lucky Peak, and maybe a some out in front of Spring Shores....but it was kind of hard to tell if it was ice or wind action on the top of the water. I didn't see any ice at all on Arrowrock.

Pauli

[joshjohnson12389]

fished out on arrowrock for about 3 hours on the third, debris everywhere on the water, caught a few trout, but no kokes.
i will agree with the road being miserable, but as long as you take it slow... on second thought, not worth it.
but i will say, if we can just leave the road like that, imagine all the people it will keep from going there no completely apposed to that idea... haha
tight lines!

[DEALMKR]

fished out on arrowrock for about 3 hours on the third, debris everywhere on the water, caught a few trout, but no kokes.
i will agree with the road being miserable, but as long as you take it slow... on second thought, not worth it.
but i will say, if we can just leave the road like that, imagine all the people it will keep from going there no completely apposed to that idea... haha
tight lines!

And are the docks in the water at other launches yet?

[joshjohnson12389]

The last time I was out there, they were not. Have not been up there for a few weeks.

[terek]

And are the docks in the water at other launches yet?

arrowrock has never had a dock at the launch

[Pauli]

Any news on the road.....any Kokes showing yet?

Pauli

[MaGoo]

I just read on another fishing forum opposing the F&G gill netting and removing Lake Trout in Payette Lake. The F&G reason is to bring back the Kokanee fishery. Idaho Kokanee fisherman is growing every year. I would think Idaho has ten kokanee fisherman to one trophy lake trout fisherman. Deadwood can only give up so many eggs per year. What happens if something go wrong at Deadwood. At one time Payette was self supporting of Kokanee. F&G has as I can see has not planted any Kokanee since 2014 in Payette. The Lake Trout more in numbers and are getting smaller. They can live up to 40 years. But they have eaten all the Kokanee. The old rule more fish the smaller, the less fish the larger. So Lake Trout are getting smaller and no kokanee to eat. I think any lake in the state that can support the spawning of Kokanee should be protected. The fires a few years ago destroyed spawning in Anderson tributaries. As I understand it is coming back now.

https://idfg.idaho.gov/press/payette...20young%20fish.

Lake Trout make good cat food.

[pollackoke]

Well MaGoo, this is a great topic and something we, as a group, should get involved in. My problem is ignorance, a common affliction these days. Even after reading the linked article by Roger Phillips there, I didn't get a sense of a clear path forward. As I said, my issue is ignorance. Does anyone else on the Forum have experience or insight as to how we Kokaholics should weigh in? I mean has anyone seen this problem worked out before in other states, or read about this elsewhere? One issue hinted at by Phillips is stocking more Kokanee into Payette at the expense of stocking amounts for other Kokanee waters. This sounds a little ominous - we know we have had lower than desirable stock out of Deadwood for the statewide Kokanee program recently. It would be great if we in the Forum could kick this around intelligently and come up with our arguments to push F&G on. I mean it is easy to say, "kill the lake trout because I like Kokanee more"; but it would be great to come up with some scientifically (environmentally) sound basis to our arguments. THANKS.

[pollackoke]

MaGoo - I forgot to ask: What forum did you read about opposition to the gill netting? THANKS

[MaGoo]

MaGoo - I forgot to ask: What forum did you read about opposition to the gill netting? THANKS

It was on BigFish site. It sounds like the F&G have the lake trout under control in PendOrelle, along having a good Kokanee fishing. But I think Priest lake is also having big issues with lake trout and koks. I don't know if they are using the poor late run Koks up north. Just hope they never plant late run in the southern part of the state. In my option I would like to see the lake trout reduced to a point that Payette koks could support a good fishery. The way it was 20 years ago. Taking fish that come from Deadwood, is not the answer. However I think the ones F&G put in CJ would have been better placed in the Stanley basin, Warm lake, or even Payette to feed the lake trout. I will be surprised if 1000 koks are caught in CJ.

[Spit the Hook]

Just wondering, why don't you think more than 1000 kokes will be caught in CJ? Is there something different there than Arrowrock or Lucky Peak?