In 1996, the Colville Tribes, working with Columbia River Fish Farms (an aquaculture facility on Rufus Woods Reservoir) began a fish release program using Tribal funds in order to supplement the Rufus Woods rainbow trout fishery.  This project was a huge success but grew beyond the capabilities of Tribal funding.  The current Washington State record rainbow trout was caught in Rufus Woods.  In 2007 and 2008 there were more than 40,000 angler days spent fishing in Rufus Woods each year, making Rufus Woods the most popular fishing destination on the Colville Reservation.  The current bag limit is two fish per day.  In 2007 and 2008 boat anglers averaged approximately 1.6 fish per angler per day.  During some months the average fish caught exceeded two kilograms.

The FY2008 creel study indicated that angling pressure has nearly doubled while catch rates and average size have substantially declined.  FY2009 data indicate that catch rates and average fish size are continuing to decline.  A primary goal of the 2010 study was to determine how to manage the fishery so that catch rates return to 2007 levels.

In order to ensure the continued success of this fishery the Colville Tribes continued a detailed creel study in order to determine: (1) Angler effort; (2) Angler success rates; (3) In reservoir fish movements; (4) the source of fish (entrainment through Grand Coulee Dam, net pen escapement or releases, State or Tribal fish plants or natural reproduction) caught by anglers and (5) determine if Rufus Woods Reservoir has sufficient secondary production potential to allow fishery managers to supplement the fishery with smaller (and therefore less costly) fish and allow sufficient numbers of these fish to reach a desirable size.  If sufficient secondary production potential is present an attempt will be made to determine what size fish can most efficiently (in terms of cost and growth potential) be planted.  In addition the fishery was supplemented by the release of 40,000 lbs fish purchased from one of the local aquaculture facilities.  Although targeted weight of released fish was 3-4 lbs., most released fish exceeded 5 lbs.    All released fish were Floy tagged.

In 2011, less money was available for fish purchase but because of high dissolved gas levels in Rufus Woods fewer fish were available.  Therefore, in order to increase the number of fish released smaller fish were purchased and the total number supplemented by releases from the Rufus Woods Net Pen Project.   Preliminary results of the 2010 studies indicated that there maybe significant potential for fish growth, therefore a long term plan for the release of small fish acquired from other projects.  In 2010/2011 entrainment through (or over) Chief Joseph Dam and fish movements were measured and quantified and reservoir morphometrics and reservoir food webs were studied by EcoAnalysts.  Both of these studies suggested Tribal fishery goals might be achieved by the release of smaller fish.  Ongoing studies by tribal biologist are attempting further analyze the food web study.  In 2012 an attempt will be made to integrate the EASy model developed in this study with other food web models such as EcoSim.