8099

• UCREFRP Catalog Number: 8099
• Author: American Fisheries Society.
• Title: Proceedings of the 21st Annual Meeting, Colorado - Wyoming Chapter, American Fisheries Society.
• USFW Year: 1986.
• USFW - Doc Type: March 5-6, 1986.
• Copyright Material: NO

Of the 600 tags implanted in the fish, only 177 (29%) were returned. Considering Green et a!.'s
(1983) results, questionable tag retention during 1982 and mortality of tagged fish after release, the
estimates of exploitation rates for lake trout from Flaming Gorge Reservoir have to be considered
minimum estimates. Certainly the rate of angler exploitation determined by the 1982 study was of no
immediate concern. However, an exploitation rate of 13.3% with 2.5 months left in the return period
is a concern to fisheries managers in both Wyoming and Utah.

The basic management objectives for the lake trout fishery in Flaming Gorge Reservoir are to
sustain the fishery through natural reproduction and to maintain the quality of the trophy fishery. If
these objectives are to be met, the lake trout fishery must be closely monitored for signs of
overharvest. The need to continue the exploitation study is evident. More restrictive harvest .
regulations, such as slot limits and/or the imposition of a yearly bag limit for trophy lake trout, need
to be studied closely and readied for implementation.

LITERATURE CITED

Green, A. W., G.C. Matlock and J.E. Weaver. 1983. A method for directly estimating the
tag-reporting rate of anglers. Trans. of the Am. Fish. Soc. 112:412-415.

McAfee, W.R. 1966. Lake trout. Pages 260-271 in A. Calhoun, ed. Inland Fisheries
Management. California Department of Fish and Game.

ADDmONAL REFERENCES

Schmidt, B.R. and S. Brayton. 1982b. Flaming Gorge Reservoir fisheries investigations, 1981
annual report. Dingell-Johnson Project Number F28-R-I0. Salt Lake City, Utah. Division;
of Wildlife Resources, Pub!. No. 82-12. 53pp.

Schmidt, B.R. and S. Brayton. 1983. Flaming Gorge Reservoir fisheries investigations, 1982
annual report. Dingell-Johnson Project Number F28-R-l1. Salt Lake City, Utah. Division
of Wildlife Resources, Pub!. No. 83-14. 73pp.

Wengert, M.W. 1985. Flaming Gorge Reservoir fisheries management investigations six year
completion report (1977-1983). Completion Report, Wyoming Game and Fish Department,
Cheyenne, Wyoming. 143pp.

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