Management | Native Fish Keepers, INC.

Managing to Benefit Native Trout

The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes have conducted a long process to determine how to best restore native trout in Flathead Lake, and conducted formal analyses, including an Environmental Impact Statement. We concluded that the only way to restore native fish numbers, ecological integrity, and our critical natural heritage, was to reduce the damaging effect of lake trout, an introduced predator.

The product of this work was to set a goal to reduce adult lake trout abundance by 75%, and to maintain that population level indefinitely. We expect native trout to rebound in response to reduced predation.

The Tribes are currently using a two-pronged approach to harvest that includes angling, via Mack Days contests, and tribal netting. The two methods complement one another as anglers tend to catch smaller fish, while netting targets larger fish.

The program to reduce lake trout abundance is very expensive as it requires multiple boats, extensive fishing gear, numerous personnel, and most importantly, it must go on perpetually to maintain a suppressed population.

The Tribes have chosen to put the financial burden of reducing lake trout on lake trout themselves. To that end, we have established this not-for-profit native corporation (Native Fish Keepers, Inc.) to market lake trout throughout the Pacific Northwest. While proceeds from the sale of fish will likely never completely offset costs, they should be sufficient to sustain the program indefinitely over the long term.

The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes have conducted a long process to determine how to best restore native trout in Flathead Lake, and conducted formal analyses, including an Environmental Impact Statement. We concluded that the only way to restore native fish numbers, ecological integrity, and our critical natural heritage, was to reduce the damaging effect of lake trout, an introduced predator.

The product of this work was to set a goal to reduce adult lake trout abundance by 75%, and to maintain that population level indefinitely. We expect native trout to rebound in response to reduced predation.

The Tribes are currently using a two-pronged approach to harvest that includes angling, via Mack Days contests, and tribal netting. The two methods complement one another as anglers tend to catch smaller fish, while netting targets larger fish.

The program to reduce lake trout abundance is very expensive as it requires multiple boats, extensive fishing gear, numerous personnel, and most importantly, it must go on perpetually to maintain a suppressed population.

The Tribes have chosen to put the financial burden of reducing lake trout on lake trout themselves. To that end, we have established this not-for-profit native corporation (Native Fish Keepers, Inc.) to market lake trout throughout the Pacific Northwest. While proceeds from the sale of fish will likely never completely offset costs, they should be sufficient to sustain the program indefinitely over the long term.

The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes have conducted a long process to determine how to best restore native trout in Flathead Lake, and conducted formal analyses, including an Environmental Impact Statement. We concluded that the only way to restore native fish numbers, ecological integrity, and our critical natural heritage, was to reduce the damaging effect of lake trout, an introduced predator.

The product of this work was to set a goal to reduce adult lake trout abundance by 75%, and to maintain that population level indefinitely. We expect native trout to rebound in response to reduced predation.

The Tribes are currently using a two-pronged approach to harvest that includes angling, via Mack Days contests, and tribal netting. The two methods complement one another as anglers tend to catch smaller fish, while netting targets larger fish.

The program to reduce lake trout abundance is very expensive as it requires multiple boats, extensive fishing gear, numerous personnel, and most importantly, it must go on perpetually to maintain a suppressed population.

The Tribes have chosen to put the financial burden of reducing lake trout on lake trout themselves. To that end, we have established this not-for-profit native corporation (Native Fish Keepers, Inc.) to market lake trout throughout the Pacific Northwest. While proceeds from the sale of fish will likely never completely offset costs, they should be sufficient to sustain the program indefinitely over the long term.