More Lakes Under Attack

Add three more popular trout lakes to the long list of those planted with spiny-rayed and other fish species by furtive bucket biologists.

They are Williams, one of the most popular winter fishing lakes in the Colville area; Big Meadow, long a producer of brook trout; and Cedar, an excellent rainbow lake.

Williams, 16 miles north of Colville, is filling up fast with carp and bass. Big Meadow, a few miles west of Ione, is full of stunted perch and a fastgrowing bass population. Cedar, a mile north of Leadpoint, has an expanding bass population.

The three long have been managed as trout lakes. Until recently, they hadn’t been targets of the sneaky characters who, for one reason or another, dump their favorite fish and even carp and goldfish into the lakes, ending good trout fishing.

Nearly all anglers, including spiny-rayed fishermen, consider bucket biologists as lower on the social scale than pet poisoners and child molesters. To them, the sneaky law breakers spoil good trout fishing and even create problems at lakes managed for spiny-rayed species. In addition, they make necessary the spending of thousands of dollars to rehabilitate the lakes.

A few days ago a foul-mouthed fisherman showed up at Big Meadow and arrogantly informed incredulous anglers and campers he was there to see how “my” bass were doing.

He didn’t come right out and say he had planted the bass, but he inferred it.

People at the lake were disgusted with the man because he used profane language near small children. They were especially disturbed when they realized he apparently was the one who released the spiny-rayed fish into the lake.

They took the license number of his vehicle and reported it to the Fish and Wildlife Department.

Big Meadow is popular with many Eastern Washington anglers. It’s long been a place where they could spend a few days in the excellent Forest Service campground, fish for brook trout and occasionally see moose, elk, deer, ospreys and other wildlife.

Perch mysteriously appeared in the lake three years ago. Bass have joined them. Growth rate of the trout has dropped significantly. Brook trout are skinny.

The state didn’t operate the aerator at the lake last winter, hoping the oxygen level would drop so low all fish would die.

The winter was a relatively mild one and most fish survived. The aerator won’t be turned on next winter. Maybe nature will eliminate the perch and bass.

Nearly all bucket biologists plant fish they prefer to catch in trout-only waters, selfishly ignoring other anglers’ preferences. A few, perhaps because they’ve been convicted of fish and game violations, hate the fish and wildlife department and take their anger out on the agency by spoiling trout fishing. Others are vandals.

Spokane regional fishery biologist Ray Duff described as “wanton vandalism” the releasing of carp into Williams, the most productive winter fishing trout lake in northeastern Washington.

“They had no valid reason for releasing carp into the lake,” he said.

Eventually, Steven County’s Williams, like Williams and Badger lakes in Spokane County, will have to be treated with rotenone to eliminate the bass and carp. The two Spokane County lakes, scheduled for rehabilitation Oct. 4 and 5, were deliberately planted with bass. The state will rehab them at a cost of $145,000.

Cedar, a 51-acre lake, has been a consistent producer of rainbows up to 18 inches. The trout fishing, as the result of the planting of bass in the lake, will deteriorate.

Despite the fact that for several years the fish and wildlife department has cooperated with clubs that promote bass and walleye fishing, there are still a few furtive fishermen and some vandals who either plant spiny-rayed fish or trash fish in trout-only lakes.

But Washington isn’t the only state where sneaky fish planters operate. Mackinaw trout are multiplying in Yellowstone Lake and perch are thriving in Lake Mary Ronan in Montana. Officials believe bucket biologists are responsible for jeopardizing good fishing in the lakes.

Federal biologists are fearful that the macks in Yellowstone eventually will decimate the huge cutthroat trout population. Montana biologists suspect that perch will cause a decline in the kokanee population in popular Mary Ronan.

Unfortunately, there will always be selfish, sneaky fishermen who will spoil fishing for others. It’s a fact of life, fish biologists ruefully admit.

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