Granite & Willow Lakes

[Jay K]

Is there a fishery in these two "alkaline" lakes? Anybody icefish these? I'm assuming if lakes aren't mentioned in the reg's as having closed seasons, they're open year-round?

[mav186]

I've never fished a lake that was deemed a 'alkaline' lake...the very word (alkaline) would make me believe it could not sustain life...good question though.

[G-Man]

Alkaline lakes can sustain fish, these would include Grimes, Lenore and Omak. The Lahontan cutthroat trout has adapted itself to these water conditions and were introduced from it's native California waters. Soap lake is an alkaline lake as well but is so far up the PH scale that fish can't survive in it.

It doesn't hurt to check out the lakes. If they aren't listed under the special rules section then they fall under the general rules for seasons and catch limits. Alkaline lakes tend to support a great amount of microorganisms so fish that adapt to their waters can grow to large size.

Bring some water back from the lakes and have a local pet shop test it for PH value. If it is below 9.0 it has "fish" potential.

[mav186]

Alkaline lakes can sustain fish, these would include Grimes, Lenore and Omak. The Lahontan cutthroat trout has adapted itself to these water conditions and were introduced from it's native California waters. Soap lake is an alkaline lake as well but is so far up the PH scale that fish can't survive in it.

It doesn't hurt to check out the lakes. If they aren't listed under the special rules section then they fall under the general rules for seasons and catch limits. Alkaline lakes tend to support a great amount of microorganisms so fish that adapt to their waters can grow to large size.

Bring some water back from the lakes and have a local pet shop test it for PH value. If it is below 9.0 it has "fish" potential.

See there...you ask and you shall receive...thanks G!!! :geek:

[Jay K]

G-man- Thanks for the reply. I'd read the small paragraph description for Willow Lake here on the site and it mentioned Lahontan cutthroat as a possible future fishery to be established at Willow Lake. I wasn't certain how old the info was for Willow Lake, so didn't know if said fishery had already been established or whether there was even access to the Lake or other amenities as mentioned.

I'm going stir-crazy waiting for some good ice to return (probably won't happen) or some open water. Might take a drive through the area to scout out Granite and Willow when I return to scout out Silver.

I don't understand why Idaho's got ice and we don't. Is the weather really all that different just across the border and slightly south?

[G-Man]

I know elevation has a great deal to do with it as does being in the line of fire of the Arctic air from the North. It's a bit of a drive but Roosevelt and Rufus Woods are an option. Please share the joy if you find out Willow has been planted with Lahontans. Hang in there, spring is just around the corner.

[YellowBear]

Both Granite and Willow have access problems.
Granite has been stocked with Lahotians but it has been quite a few years ago.
It was one of WDFW's quiet experiments. There were also rumors that they had tried Bass in there as well.
I have never heard of any Bass being caught out of Granite but I and a few other guys that I know have taken some of the Trout. Unless you get access from one of the land owners there is no legal access to either lake.
If you are in West Spokane, my guess for the closest open water would be Rock lk.
Hang in there, you will have open water soon.

[Aaron]

The aquatic community of granite Lake, Spokane, County Washington was studied before (1987) and after (1988) the introduction of lahontan cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarki henshawi). Granite Lake contained no fish before the introduction of lahontan cutthroat trout. Granite Lake is an alkaline-saline lake characterized by low phytoplankton and zooplankton productivity. The low productivity is likely due to the shallow euphotic zone (Secchi disk depth of 1.7 meters), a product of the high light absorption from dissolved organics (brown color) in the water. A single factor repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to assess changes in water quality, phytoplankton, zooplankton and benthic invertebrates between 1987 and 1988. Lahontan cutthroat trout preyed size-selectively on the larger fourth instar Chaoborus larvae. The color of Granite lake water made visual detection of the smaller Daphnia pulicaria difficult increasing predation pressure on the larger, more visible Chaoborus larvae. The result was a significant decrease in Chaoborus larvae (ANOVA) and no change in Daphnia pulicaria density and biomass. Diet overlap between Lahontan cutthroat trout and neotenic tiger salamander (Ambystoma tigrinum) was moderate due to spatial separation, the trout feeding in the limnetic zone while tiger salamander fed on the substrate evidenced by the importance of benthic invertebrates (Corixidae and Chironomidae), in tiger salamander diet. However, in the fall months lahontan cutthroat trout showed signs of switching to benthic invertebrates (Chironomidae, and Baetidae species), likely increasing competition between Lahontan cutthroat trout and tiger salamander. This change in lahontan cutthroat trout feeding habits was likely due to the low Chaoborus density. It was recommended that Granite Lake not be stocked with lahontan cutthroat trout in the future to provide a sport fishery. This was recommended because of the low phytoplankton, zooplankton and benthic invertebrate productivity and low growth, condition factors (C.F. 0.92) of lahontan cutthroat trout found in this study.

https://books.google.com/books/about/Th ... rDuAAACAAJ