The overall objective is to restore the kokanee fishery in Banks Lake.  In 2002 we implemented an evaluation study to determine the success of hatchery releases of Kokanee into Banks Lake.  Evaluating the survival and harvest contribution rates of three different release strategies, spring fry, fall fingerling and yearling net pen releases indicated that fall fry survived the best followed closely by net pen yearlings.  Spring fry survival was poor.  Therefore, we will work to discontinue spring fry stocking and, if feasible, expand on the WDFW fall fry and net pen program.  In addition, we will test night and day, open water stocking of fall fry and compare survival to the adult life stage.  However, to legitimately evaluate these strategies we need to continue to sample the kokanee population over the next several years to quantify how many age 2 to 4 yr-old Kokanee are produced by each release option.  Adult kokanee will be collected during all fish surveys, creel, and during focused kokanee sampling (with boat electrofishing) to collect otoliths to determine stock specific survival.

Ford State Fish Hatchery will receive eggs from the Lake Whatcom Fish hatchery and raise those eggs to fry with funds from the BPA.  Fish food is supplied through ALEA grants.  Kokanee will then be planted into net pens by the Ford State Fish Hatchery and raised from October 2018 through their release in May or June 2019 by WDFW staff.

Walleye predation on Kokanee was determined to be the primary top down limiting factor to Kokanee survival in Banks Lake.  Piscivory by Smallmouth Bass occurs but was found to be less prevalent.  The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife liberalized the Walleye regulations in Banks Lake to remove more of the smaller walleye that have the highest consumption rates on Kokanee.  Fall Walleye Index Netting (FWIN) will be used to monitoring the walleye population over time.  An annual creel survey will be used to monitor Walleye harvest and size of fish harvested.

Lake Whitefish are the primary competitors with kokanee for zooplankton prey.  Lake Whitefish removal efforts will continue in the summer and winter months.  Reducing Lake Whitefish biomass will reduce their predatory impact on zooplankton.  A summer hydroacoustic surveys (July) will be used to monitor abundance and distribution of limnetic fish species including Kokanee and Lake Whitefish (target verification with limnetic gill netting survey).

Water quality and zooplankton monitoring will continue to identify if sub-optimal conditions occur for kokanee during survival-based studies and monitor Daphnia density and body size.

A BOG Request was submitted for review. This budget request will ensure that a sustainable level of effort (i.e., 2013-2016) is made to address factors limiting kokanee survival, not to increase scope and tasks of the project.  If this request is not granted then the following actions will need to be implemented:

1. Reduce staff time, boat operation and travel to conduct Lake Whitefish Removal; 50% compared to past years.
2. Use existing Lake Whitefish gill nets and not purchase new ones; current ones are in bad shape and paying for repairs is not cost effective thereby reducing effectiveness of actions.
3. Reduce frequency of field visits for zooplankton collection and water quality readings (from 16 to 8 days a month); this will not allow us to detect short term changes in zooplankton density which can occur in the late spring through fall.  This may impede annual comparisons and inferences as to effectiveness of Whitefish removal on Kokanee survival.  
4. Reduce creel from 14 days a month to 10 days a month.  Reducing the sample size of angler checked, Kokanee sampled, and increasing uncertainty in survival estimates.  

In summary, a sustained reduction in the effect size of our treatment (i.e., Whitefish removal), like occurred in 2017, would minimize or more importantly negate past efforts to reduce the standing crop of Lake Whitefish in Banks Lake and ultimately increase Kokanee survival.  Increased post-release survival of Kokanee is critical if a historically important fishery is ever to be present in Banks Lake and above the blocked area again.