Introduction
Mechanical suppression of Northern Pike (NP) in Box Canyon Reservoir occurred between March 19 and April 18 with crews deploying 306 nets and removing 427 Northern Pike. The final catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE) was 1.40 NP/net-night for the 2019 suppression effort. The Kalispel Natural Resources Department and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife collected 19 Northern Pike during the 2019 Spring Pike Index Netting (SPIN) Survey conducted April 29 through May 2. The resulting CPUE of 0.36 NP/net-night (95% CI: ± 0.25), 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. No Northern Pike were captured in mainstem river north of Riverbend, which met the target of ≤ 0.50 NP/net-night.
In total, 17,891 Northern Pike have been removed since the suppression project in Box Canyon Reservoir began in 2012.