Mechanical suppression of Northern Pike (NP) in Box Canyon Reservoir occurred between March 02 and March 18 with crews deploying 155 nets and removing 115 Northern Pike. The 2020 suppression effort was expected to run through April 30 but was suspended for the season due to the COVID19 pandemic. The final catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE) was 0.74 NP/net-night for the 2020 suppression effort. The Kalispel Natural Resources Department collected 28 Northern Pike during the 2020 Spring Pike Index Netting (SPIN) Survey conducted May 11 through May 14. The resulting CPUE of 0.54 NP/net-night (95% CI: ± 0.42), in sloughs and the mainstem river between the Riverbend (RM 60-61) and Pioneer Park Campground (RM 86-87) areas, met the abundance target of ≤ 1.73 NP/net-night for these sections of the reservoir (see BCR Target Abundance document for specifics on the target development). No Northern Pike were captured in mainstem river section north of Riverbend, which met the target of ≤ 0.50 NP/net-night.
In total, 18,006 Northern Pike have been removed through the suppression project in Box Canyon Reservoir, which began in 2012.