Contents Download 30sec AVI file of salmon swimming through the Ballard Locks [3.4MB] Sockeye Salmon Home Life History Identifying Sockeye Salmon Sockeye Ecosystems Lake Washington Sockeye   Introduction Sockeye Counts Background Viewing Sport Fishery Fishing Articles Review of the 2004 Lake Washington Season Review of the 2000 Lake Washington Season Lake Washington Sockeye Fact Sheet Science Brief: Improving salmon passage at the Ballard Locks Baker River Columbia River & Lake Wenatchee Puget Sound River Sockeye Ozette Lake Sockeye Glossary

A Review of the 2000 Lake Washington Sockeye Salmon Season The following is a brief summary of the fishery management process as it unfolded during the 2000 Lake Washington sockeye salmon season. The management of these fish is implemented through frequent consultations between WDFW and the Tribal co-managers (the Muckleshoot, Tulalip and Suquamish tribes), to determine if the sockeye return is large enough to support harvest, and to schedule seasons. Runsize Forecast Fishery managers from the state and tribes began the process of managing the 2000 Lake Washington sockeye salmon season with a preseason forecast of 285,000 sockeye. The forecast was based on average lake and ocean survival rates applied to the estimated numbers of juvenile sockeye entering Lake Washington in 1996,1997, and 1998. The managers recognized that because of the high variability in past survival rates, there was a chance of a sockeye return substantially larger than the preseason forecast if conditions in the lake and the ocean proved favorable for the sockeye returning in 2000. Counts at the Ballard Locks The Muckleshoot tribal technical staff (with assistance of WDFW) conducted sockeye counts at the Ballard Locks beginning June 12, 2000. Very large counts were recorded early in the season, and by June 22nd, the daily cumulative counts were the highest in the 29 years of counting at the locks. Large counts early in the season can be an indicator of either early run timing or large total runsizes, or both. The counts remained high until the first week of July, and then began to decline (see table). The total sockeye through the locks at the end of the formal counting period (July 31), was 414,976 fish (see the section below titled Runsize at the Locks). Sockeye Salmon Counts at the Ballard Locks For 2000 Catch Summary: 7/4/2000 - 7/16/2000 Total sport catch: 62237 Total # fishers: 77425 Avg. catch/angler: .80   Date Daily Count Total Count Date Daily Count Total Count June 12 1,361 1,361 July 7 12,182 298,000 June 13 3,044 4,405 July 8 10,415 308,415 June 14 3,705 8,110 July 9 13,862 322,277 June 15 3,380 11,490 July 10 6,164 328,441 June 16 4,676 16,166 July 11 4,564 333,005 June 17 2,076 18,242 July 12 7,004 340,009 June 18 3,639 21,881 July 13 6,670 346,679 June 19 4,277 26,158 July 14 8,777 355,456 June 20 18,160 44,318 July 15 5,068 360,524 June 21 11,788 56,106 July 16 7,360 367,884 June 22 12,404 68,510 July 17 7,479 375,363 June 23 18,840 87,350 July 18 5,780 381,143 June 24 17,568 104,918 July 19 5,314 386,457 June 25 16,779 121,697 July 20 3,812 390,269 June 26 14,223 135,920 July 21 2,823 393,092 June 27 16,078 151,998 July 22 3,888 396,980 June 28 15,174 167,172 July 23 1,908 398,888 June 29 10,007 177,179 July 24 3,540 402,428 June 30 20,253 197,432 July 25 2,879 405,307 July 1 7,838 205,270 July 26 2,602 407,909 July 2 20,507 225,777 July 27 2,162 410,071 July 3 23,752 249,529 July 28 2,058 412,129 July 4 11,827 261,356 July 29 691 412,820 July 5 19,312 280,668 July 30 1,057 413,877 July 6 5,150 285,818 July 31 1,099 414,976 Inseason Updates The state and tribal co-managers developed the first total runsize update on June 29, 2000. This update was for a minimum expected runsize of 460,000 sockeye salmon, based on the 167,172 sockeye counted through the locks as of June 28, 2000. The sockeye salmon escapement objective for the Lake Washington system as a whole is for 350,000 spawners. Because of the high probability that the run would substantially exceed the number of sockeye needed for spawning, a sport season on Lake Washington was opened on July 4, 2000. The first Tribal fishing began two days later, on July 6th. The final number of sockeye available for harvest was to be determined by later runsize up-dates, made after additional fish had been counted through the locks. The final management update of expected total runsize was produced on July 11th (based on the cumulative count of 328,441 sockeye on July 10). It was assumed that more than 50% of the run had entered the lake. State and Tribal managers agreed to a projected runsize of 475,000 sockeye. Fishing opportunities for tribal and non-tribal fishers were based on 125,000 harvestable sockeye that were in excess of the 350,000 fish spawner escapement goal. This resulted in fishery allocations of 62,500 fish each to the tribal and non-tribal fisheries. Sport Opening - Season and Limits Opened July 4, 2000 (daytime fishing only). Closed 12 noon July 16, 2000 when the harvestable numbers of sockeye had been taken. Two 24 hour closures were provided for tribal fishing opportunity. Daily limit was 2 sockeye at least 15 inches or longer. The release of all chinook salmon was required. Open fishing area was south of the 520 bridge, with area closures along the bridges and at the mouth of the Cedar River. Projected Catch In the 1996 sport sockeye fishery, catches ranged from 2,500 to 5,300 fish per day (with a runsize at the locks of 508,300 sockeye). Bag limits in 1996 started at one fish per day and were adjusted to two fish per day during the second week of fishing. For the 2000 season, with the probability of a similar runsize and a two fish bag limit, it was estimated that catches could be as high as 8,000 to 10,000 fish per day. Catch rates of this magnitude were not expected to cause the non-tribal fishery to exceed its harvest share before the continuing counts at the locks provided the final estimate of the harvestable surplus. Coordination with National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and Tribal Co-managers NMFS - On June 29, 2000 WDFW provided NMFS with the specifications for the sport sockeye season including: 1) history of the fishery, 2) open periods, 3) species run timing, 4) area to be opened, 5) gear restrictions, 6) chinook salmon protection measures, 7) monitoring, 8) anticipated chinook impacts, and 9) adaptive management intent. The primary concern was the protection of the ESA threatened listed wild Cedar River chinook salmon in Lake Washington. WDFW estimated that the impact on wild chinook would be a mortality of less than one fish. If chinook impacts deviated substantially from expectations, adjustments to the fishery would occur. NMFS verbally responded that the anticipated chinook salmon impacts should fall within acceptable limits. Tribal co-managers - WDFW was in constant consultation with tribal co-managers; the Muckleshoot, Tulalip, and Suquamish tribes to: 1) up-date runsize estimates, 2) determine if sockeye were available for harvest, and 3) to schedule seasons. The state and tribal co-managers developed the first runsize update on June 29, 2000. At that time, WDFW informed the tribes of the intent to open sportfishing on the 4th of July. Fishing opportunities for tribal and non-tribal fishers were subsequently adjusted based on the final July 11, 2000 up-date of a 475,000 sockeye runsize. Estimation of Effort and Harvest in the 2000 Lake Washington Recreational Sockeye Fishery The estimate of recreational harvest in the 2000 Lake Washington sockeye salmon fishery was based on a creel survey methodology; where catch was estimated as effort times catch per unit of effort. The unit of effort was boat-hours, and this was estimated from aerial and ground counts of numbers of boats fishing. Catch per unit effort (equals catch per boat hour) was estimated from angler interviews conducted at boat ramps.   Lake Washington sockeye sport fishery in the 2000 season; openings, effort, and catch. Fishing Opening Anglers Sockeye July 4, 2000 10,558 15,115 July 5 to 7, 2000 15,894 14,298 July 8, 2000 11,435 7,690 July 9, 2000 10,774 6,698 July 10 to 13, 2000 12,422 8,490 July 14, 2000 3,715 2,713 July 15, 2000 7,614 3,900 July 16, 2000 5,010 3,333 Total Effort and Catch 77,422 62,237 Effort Effort was estimated as the number of boat hours. The average number of boats engaged in fishing on the lake during any hour was expanded by the number of hours of possible fishing in a day. Counts that are made several times during the fishing day were used to estimate numbers of boats per hour. A boat was counted every time it was present on the lake during a count. Catch Catch per boat hour was estimated from ramp interviews by dividing sockeye catch by the number of boat hours expended to obtain that catch. Dock-side interviews accounted for boats not participating in the fishery. Catch was computed by multiplying the number of boat/hours by the catch per boat hour. The above table shows the estimated numbers of anglers and estimated sockeye catch for various periods of the 2000 season. Some Statistics from the 2000 Lake Washington Recreational Sockeye Fishery Number of sockeye inspected by WDFW samplers 6,319 Number of boat interviews conducted 3,650 Number of hours sampled at boat ramps 246 Number of boat counts (from ground) 52 Number of boat counts (from plane) 13 Days sampled July 4, 6, 8, 9, 10, 13, 14, 15, 16 Days not sampled July 5, 7, 11, 12 Number of boat launches sampled per day 2 Top three boat counts (from aerial surveys) 7 AM on July 15 2,365 boats 6 AM on July 4 1,793 boats 9 AM on July 16 1,754 boats Highest daily number of boats July 8 4,738 Highest daily number of anglers July 8 11,435 Top three sockeye catch per angler rates July 4 AM period 1.5 sockeye/angler July 4 PM period 1.2 sockeye/angler July 5 AM period 1.0 sockeye/angler Highest daily number of sockeye caught July 4 15,116 Season total angler days 77,422 Season average sockeye catch per angler 0.8 Season total sockeye caught 62,237 State and Tribal Harvests The total non-treaty harvest estimate of 62,237 and the treaty harvest estimate of 60,671 were both very close to the 62,500 sockeye allocation target for each fishing group. Runsize at the Locks As of August 20 an estimated 422,372 sockeye had been counted into the lake through the locks. There were an additional 21,728 fish harvested by Suquamish and Tulalip Tribal fishers in marine waters, and approximately 20,000 more fish that were estimated to have passed upstream uncounted due to de-watering of the fish ladder on July 6th and other problems occurring on the 11th, 18th and 23rd. The addition of these sockeye expanded the total run size estimate to 464,100 sockeye, which was only 2.3% below the agreed to management run size of 475,000.