Panguitch lake comments

[hedgesd]

The DWR is asking for comments about Panguitch lake. Check this post for more info.

[url "http://168.179.220.25/forums/viewtopic.php?t=359"]http://168.179.220.25/forums/viewtopic.php?t=359[/url]
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[MrLipripper]

Wow, that's ! It sounds like history repeating itself; Panguitch Lake may become Utah Lake South with the wide variance in water temperature![]
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[hedgesd]

Panguitch is a mid-elevation lake at about 8500 ft. Were still in a drought down south so the low water conditions are expected. Heck you think fish lake has a huge weed line. The entire east side and south ends have weeds out to 150 yards, some less but most a lot more.
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[hedgesd]

Here is the entire article.

[size 2]Fellow fisherman,

I am Doug Messerly, Southern Region Supervisor for the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources based in Cedar City. I have read the previous posts about Panguitch Lake and appreciate your thoughts.

The letter below was recently signed by the Director, Kevin Conway and distributed to local governments and lodge owners around Panguitch Lake for information and we are posting it here to provide you with that same information.

If you would like to send written comments to the UDWR, please follow the instructions at the end of the letter. We need your support and advice to make the right decisions.

SUBJECT: PANGUITCH LAKE
Informational Update
May 2004

May 20, 2004

Dear Sportsmen:

Recent gill-net surveys at Panguitch Lake showed cause for concern over status of the sport fishery. We want to take this opportunity to address some important issues and provide accurate information to those of you who have close ties with Panguitch Lake. The objective of this letter is to describe present circumstances, let you know what we plan to do in the immediate future, give you some background on what we have been trying to do, and discuss possibilities over the next few years.

Numbers of trout collected in gill net samples this May were extremely low. Declines have been apparent over the past few years but we did not expect such a sudden drop off. Although a number of different groups of trout are stocked each year, the basic annual stocking program consists of 200,000 5-inch rainbow trout each spring. It is apparent that last year=s stocking of this basic allotment failed and are missing this year.

To compensate, we are readjusting our current stocking plans. Over 36,000 catchable-size rainbow trout (9-10 inches) will be stocked this spring and early summer. The exact number is uncertain at this time, as we are trying to locate and schedule as many fish as reasonable. Of the normal 200,000 5-inch fish usually stocked, 150,000 of these have already been put into the lake. To make up the remainder, 50,000 8-inch fish were stocked. The 8-inch fish should grow to catchable-size by mid-summer. In addition, we plan to stock a sizeable allotment of 7-inch rainbow trout this fall, which should bolster fishing prospects for summer 2005. We hope the changes in stocking will provide good fishing this summer and that fishermen will continue to use the lake as normal. We do not want to promote any negative publicity about Panguitch Lake and want to see the excess fish stocked this year put to good use.

Although chubs are again a problem, the drought, lower than normal water levels, and higher than normal water temperatures have likely contributed to the declining trout fishery. Increasing nutrient levels in the lake, expanding weed beds, and possible exotic weeds might be adding to the problem. Aside from possible new problems, we have always believed that Pangutich Lake is such an outstanding fishery that the trout population is never completely lost simply because of chubs.

Over the past few years, a management plan was implemented in attempt to better deal with the chub problem. It was hoped that the basic rainbow trout fishery could be maintained to at least provide pan-sized fish even if few larger rainbow trout could be produced. To supplement the rainbow trout fishery, substantial numbers of Bear Lake cutthroat trout were stocked that we hoped would provide larger trout and a trophy aspect to the fishery. Bear Lake cutthroat were documented to eat chubs and grow to large sizes after they were first introduced into Panguitch Lake in 1993. In 2002, cutthroat trout were also given added protection with special fishing rules of a one fish limit and size restrictions allowing no harvest under 22 inches. Along this same line of thinking, we scheduled 20,000 tiger trout (a hybrid brown and brook trout cross) to be stocked into Panguitch Lake this summer. Tiger trout have been shown to be a highly aggressive and popular sport fish in other Utah waters, but it is uncertain how they might compete with Utah chubs. Even with the current problem, we still plan to stock the tiger trout. It is uncertain, however, if Bear Lake cutthroat trout and tiger trout will contribute to the sport fishery as hoped in light of the current problems.

We are frequently asked about treating Panguitch Lake again with rotenone. The last two treatments were conducted in 1973 and 1991. We expect this will become an even greater issue if current actions fail to provide a fishery consistent with common expectations for Panguitch Lake. In answer to this question, the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources is not anxious to conduct another rotenone treatment or make an agency decision to do this without public recommendations, review, and substantial support. We do not want to conduct a treatment if other good management options are available and until fishermen, local businesses, and the local community recognize and recommend this as the best option available. If a future treatment were to be conducted, it would likely cost in excess of $120,000 (about $90,000 just for rotenone) and would likely take 1 or 2 years to budget and plan. It would also be wise to plan a treatment in a way to get better results than the last time and make long-term plans to deal with chubs should they again return. This would include taking a hard look at fish species for re-introduction and fishing regulations.

We would be most interested in written comments concerning Panguitch Lake and observations on the sport fishery as it progresses this summer. Please provides comments to:

Southern Regional Office
Utah Division of Wildlife Resources
P. O. Box 606
Cedar City, Utah 84720

or

E-mail: [/size][url "mailto:chuckchamberlain@utah.gov"][#0000ff][size 2]chuckchamberlain@utah.gov[/size][/#0000ff][/url][size 2]

Thank you for your interest.

Sincerely,



Kevin Conway, Director
Utah Division of Wildlife Resources[/size]
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