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ALASKA DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND GAME
Sam Cotten, Commissioner

DIVISION OF SPORT FISH
Tom Brookover, Director

Contact:
Brian Marston
Area Management Biologist
Phone: (907) 262-9368

December 28, 2016

2017 ICE FISHING RESTRICTIONS IN EAST AND WEST MACKEY, UNION, AND DERKS LAKES

Sport fishing through the ice at East and West Mackey, Union and Derk’s lakes will be limited to two closely attended lines again for 2017. In addition, no retention of any species of fish, except northern pike, is allowed from these lakes.

These restrictions will be in effect through December 31, 2017.

In September 2014, the Mackey Lakes, Derk’s Lake, and Union Lake were successfully treated with rotenone to eradicate nonnative northern pike. Prior to the treatment, when northern pike were present in these lakes, anglers could have used up to five lines to target northern pike while sport fishing through the ice.

During 2015–2016, department staff captured and transported approximately 80,000 native fish from Soldotna Creek to these lakes to aid the reestablishment of native fish assemblages. These restrictions are needed to protect native fish until they can propagate naturally.

“The sport fish transported to these lakes are still primarily small juveniles and younger fish. There are many other locations on the Kenai Peninsula where anglers can target various species through the ice,” Jason Pawluk, the Assistant Area Management Biologist in Soldotna said.

Pawluk added that anglers may still use up to five lines while sport fishing through the ice on Sevena Lake, and the unnamed northern pike lakes in the Tote Road and Stubblefield Road area. The Tote Road lakes have yet to be treated with rotenone and northern pike are still present, although Sevena Lake has been treated with its first application of rotenone and has had intense netting harvest over the past couple of years, so northern pike fishing success is expected to be unproductive. Ice fishing with up to five lines is a special regulation and is only allowed on the Kenai Peninsula lakes listed here.

There is no bag or possession limit on northern pike in Southcentral. Anglers are encouraged to retain all northern pike they catch and not to release live northern pike back to the water. Sport fishing for northern pike through the ice using five lines is allowed provided that standard ice fishing gear is used, the lines are closely attended, and all other nontarget species are released immediately.