7375

• UCREFRP Catalog Number: 7375
• Author: Wengert, M. W.
• Title: Flaming Gorge Reservoir Fisheries Management Investigations Six Year Completion Report ‎(1977-1983)‎.
• USFW Year: 1985.
• USFW - Doc Type: \
• Copyright Material: NO

increase in pressure from 1978 to 1982. Harvest estimates (Table 14 and 15)
were highest in the Canyon and lowest in the Inflow. The Canyon accounted for
59 percent of the harvest during 1978 and 55 percent in 1982. Creel rates
(Tables 16 and 17) were highest in the Canyon and lowest in the Inflow during
the study period.
Boat fishing pressure dominated the Flaming Gorge fishery (Tables 12 and 13)
accounting for 74 percent of the fishing pressure in 1978 and 75 percent of the
fishing pressure in 1982. During the 1978 census, boat fishing pressure was
highest in the Canyon (52 percent) and lowest in the Inflow Area (7.0 percent).
However, the 1982 census revealed the highest boat fishing pressure occurred in
the Open Hills (50 percent), while the Canyon dropped to second at 42 percent of
the total boat fishing pressure. Shore and ice fishing accounted for 26 percent
of the total pressure estimate in 1978 and 25 percent in 1982. Shore fishing
pressure was highest in the Open Hills in 1978 (55 percent) and in 1982 (45
percent). Shore fishing in the Inflow Area increased by 65 percent from 1978 to
1982. Shore fishing pressure in the Inflow was second only to the Open Hills
during 1982. Most of the ice fishing pressure (48 percent in 1978 and 94 per-
cent in 1982) occurs in the Inflow because the reservoir becomes ice covered
there first and is the only portion of the reservoir to have ice cover every
year. Ice fishing is becoming very popular during the winter in the Inflow
Area, showing a 389 percent increase in pressure from 1978 to 1982. During
1982, the Inflow Area accounted for 47 percent of the total shore and ice
fishing pressure on Flaming Gorge.
Boat fishing accounted for 77 percent (1978) and 80 percent (1982) of the
total harvest (Tables 14 and 15). Harvest of sport fish by boat fishermen was
highest in the Canyon and lowest in the Inflow during the study period. Only in
the Inflow Area did shore fishermen harvest more sport fish than boat fishermen.
Shore fishermen harvested the most fish in the Canyon Area during 1978, but
during 1982 shore fishermen harvested the most fish in the Open Hills. The har-
vest of sport fish from the shore in the Canyon declined 221 percent from 1978
to 1982. Ice fishermen harvested the most fish from the Inflow Area during the
study period. Ice fishing harvests in the Inflow increased by almost five-fold
from 1978 to 1982.
Mean catch rates for all sport fish during the study period were best in the
Canyon and lowest in the Inflow (Tables 16 and 17). Boat, shore and ice fisher-
man had the best catch rates in the Canyon. Shore fishermen had slightly higher
creel rates in the Inflow during 1978 and during 1982 in the Open Hills and
Inflow Areas. Ice fishing creel rates in the Inflow were second only to the
Canyon during the study period.
Harvest of three primary sport species varies by area and types of fishing
(Figures 2 and 3). Rainbow dominated the harvest in the Canyon and Open Hills,
but were not as important in the Inflow Area. Brown trout were caught in the
largest numbers in the Open Hills Area during 1978 and in the Inflow during
1982, but made up the largest percentage of the harvest in the Inflow during the
study period. Lake trout were captured primarily from boats and were most abun-
dant in the Open Hills. Lake trout are becoming increasingly abundant in the
Inflow Area during the winter; and during 1982, ice fishermen harvested almost
as many lake trout as rainbow.
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