Sport fishing on three Soldotna Lakes will change beginning Tuesday after the Alaska Department of Fish and Game’s efforts to eradicate non-native northern pike, an invasive species, were successful.
An emergency order will decrease the number of fishing lines allowed to be used and eliminate retention of all fish in East/West Mackey, Union, and Derk’s lakes as of Tuesday, December 22.
In September 2014, the Mackey Lakes, Derk’s Lake, and Union Lake were successfully treated with rotenone to rid them of northern pike.
When pike were in those lakes prior to the treatment, anglers were allowed to target pike by using up to five fishing lines at a time.
This year, department staff worked to aid in the restoration of native fish in those lakes by capturing and transporting approximately 30,000 native fish from Soldotna Creek.
By ending fish retention and decreasing fishing lines from five to two at a time, the department hopes to protect the native fish until they can propagate naturally.
Anglers may still use up to five lines while sport fishing through the ice for northern pike on Sevena Lake and the unnamed lakes in the Tote and Stubblefield Road areas because they have not been treated.