More Info About New Muskie Lake(s)

[Don Wittenberger]

First of all, we may get more than one. WDFW is actively thinking about stocking possibly two Region 4 lakes north of Seattle. As of right now, it looks like Samish will be our next tiger muskie lake. Stevens Lake might follow later.

Bruce Bolding says adding another lake is "firing on all cylinders," i.e., going smoothly so far. After lake surveys, the next step is public meetings next winter, followed by SEPA review (which usually is no big deal), then hopefully stocking in June 2014. These fish would not come out of the current fingerling production; upon adding one or more new lakes, WDFW would get more eggs and raise more fingerlings to maintain its preferred stocking ratios of 1 fish per acre in the first year and thereafter 1 fish per 2 acres.

A forum reader asked about Mason Lake, and I asked Bruce about it. His answer is Mason may be biologically feasible but isn't politically feasible so it ain't gonna happen. IMO political factors can change with time, so this doesn't necessarily mean Mason will never be considered again, but it won't in the foreseeable future.

[Amx]

Why Stevens? Squawfish in it?

[Don Wittenberger]

Stevens is being looked at because of its size, depth, structure, public access, and proximity to urban areas. I think the latter is a pretty big factor in WDFW's decision making. WDFW won't stock a lake that doesn't have an adequate forage base; that determination is made when the lake survey is completed. I can't answer your specific question at this time, but WDFW generally puts tigers in lakes with sucker and/or northern pikeminnow populations.

[Amx]

I'd not heard that there were squawfish there. Didn't think of suckers tho.

[Mike Carey]

I'd not heard that there were squawfish there. Didn't think of suckers tho.

caught two of the buggers last time we were there, and no koks.