Fisheries, Subsistence, and Habitat
Publications Searchable Database
Search Again| Division: | Sport Fish |
| Title: | Control efforts for invasive northern pike Esox lucius on the Kenai Peninsula, 2007 |
| Author: | Massengill, R. L |
| Year: | 2011 |
| Report ID: | Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Fishery Data Series No. 11-10 Anchorage. |
| Abstract: | In 2007, 549 northern pike (Esox lucius) were removed from Derks Lake and 10 northern pike were removed from Sevena Lake using gillnets. Northern pike gillnet catch per unit effort (CPUE) did not decrease in Derks Lake between 2006 (0.051) and 2007 (0.052). Large numbers of bycatch of native fish species in Sevena Lake in both 2006 and 2007 halted gillnetting efforts earlier than planned and prevented a CPUE comparison. Spring and fall abundance estimates of northern pike using removal methodology were calculated from gillnet harvest data for 2005 through 2007 for Derks and Sevena lakes. The most recent estimate for Derks Lake (fall 2007) was 978 northern pike (SE = 466) and the most recent estimate for Sevena Lake (spring 2007) was 10 northern pike (SE = 1). Fourteen lakes believed highly vulnerable to invasion by northern pike were inventoried with gillnets in 2007 but no northern pike were caught. Light traps were assessed for their efficacy of capturing larval and juvenile northern pike but capture success was poor as only four larval pike were captured after hundreds of hours of combined trapping effort at various lakes. Water quality was sampled monthly from seven area lakes with northern pike populations and stream discharge measurements were also recorded monthly from six locations within the Soldotna Creek drainage in order to provide data that would help assess pike control options. |
| Keywords: | Kenai Peninsula, Derks Lake, Sevena Lake, northern pike, Esox lucius, CPUE, invasive species, abundance estimate, removal method |