The retention of Arctic char and Dolly Varden in Nikiski’s Stormy Lake is prohibited as of Friday, November 14, through April 30, 2015.
In 2012 the lake was treated with rotenone to eradicate the invasive and carnivorous northern pike which had contributed to a decline in Arctic char in the lake.
Robert Begich spoke about how well the rotenone worked in 2012.
Begich: “We had 12 radio tagged pike we were tracking before treatment, those fish are now all dead and have been recovered.”
Before the treatment Arctic char eggs were taken and reared in the William Jack Hernandez Sport Fish Hatchery.
Those fingerlings were released back into Stormy Lake in the summer of 2013 but the species has a slow growth rate, ergo taking many years to reestablish themselves.
Department surveys in 2014 indicate that the restoration will be a success but to become a self-sustaining population again the Alaska Department of Fish and Game has issued an emergency order prohibiting retention of the fish for this winter in order to manage them conservatively.
