Results of April gillnetting in Flathead Lake

A total of 5,232 lake trout were caught by the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes during the initial phase of gill netting on Flathead Lake.

The netting, which took place in the last two weeks of April, is part of a larger effort to suppress lake trout numbers for the benefit of bull trout and other native species.

In addition to the 5,232 lake trout that were netted, there was a by-catch of 2,487 lake whitefish. One bull trout was inadvertently captured and immediately released.

The netting was conducted within the constraints of a permit issued by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, limiting the “incidental take” or capture of bull trout.

An environmental analysis approved by the tribes set an annual harvest target of 90,000 to 100,000 lake trout, or about a 30 percent increase over harvest estimates for the last few years.

Wade Fredenberg, the FWS bull trout recovery coordinator, reviewed the netting effort and monitored it for compliance with the permit.

“The tribes did what they were permitted to do under the Endangered Species Act, and because they followed the best available science, the results were exactly what we expected — high lake trout catch with virtually no bull trout by-catch,” Fredenberg said. “As a result, we continue to give our full support to this adaptive effort to incrementally reduce lake trout numbers.”

Other suppression methods include random recreational angling and the Mack Days fishing events sponsored by the tribes. This spring’s Mack Days event, which concludes on Saturday, is expected to result in the removal of more than 30,000 lake trout. There will be a fall Mack Days event and more netting if necessary to achieve the target of 90,000 to 100,000 lake trout.

Gill netting for lake trout suppression has been controversial since it was first proposed. Critics contend it will decimate Flathead Lake’s lake trout population, the main sport fishery on the lake, with economic consequences for the region.

They have also raised concerns about unintended consequences that could result from a diminished lake trout population, such as unexpected changes in the lake’s food web that could result in water quality degradation.