Summary of 2017 Northern Pike Suppression Results on Box Canyon Reservoir, Pend Oreille River, WA

During this year of mechanical suppression of Northern Pike (NP) in Box Canyon Reservoir, crews deployed 220 nets and removed 34 northern pike between March 6 and April 20, with a final catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE) of 0.15 NP/net-night. The Kalispel Natural Resources Department and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife collected 4 Northern Pike during the 2017 Spring Pike Index Netting (SPIN) Survey conducted May 1 through May 3. The resulting CPUE of 0.06 NP/ net-night (95% CI: ± 0.09), in sloughs and mainstem river between Riverbend and Pioneer Park Campground met the abundance target of ≤ 1.73 NP/net-night for these sections of the reservoir. The CPUE north of Riverbend was 0.10 NP/net-night and was below the target of ≤ 0.50 NP/net-night. There was no Phase 2 (post SPIN) mechanical suppression effort implemented in 2017.

In total, 17,193 NP were removed during the ongoing suppression effort in Box Canyon Reservoir which began in 2012.