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November 17, 2008

Salmon Spawning Efforts Complete

Fisheries crews have completed their annual salmon spawning operation at Lake Sakakawea, and with the help of a neighboring state, have reached their goal of collecting 600,000 eggs, according to Dave Fryda, Missouri River System supervisor for the North Dakota Game and Fish Department.

Nearly 400,000 eggs were collected from Sakakawea and the Garrison Dam Tailrace. Average size of Lake Sakakawea females were about 6 pounds, which was similar to last year. The Missouri River salmon were slightly smaller than last year.

Fryda said South Dakota had an exceptional run this year, and this enabled North Dakota fisheries crews to travel to South Dakota’s Whitlock station to collect another 200,000 eggs.

“The importance of cooperating with neighboring states in the Missouri River salmon program was again evident this year, with South Dakota helping us and Montana meet egg goals and exceed next year’s needs,” he said. “In the past we have provided surplus eggs to both states when their runs were not sufficient.”

Current plans are to stock approximately 65,000 salmon – split between spring and fall stocking – in Lake Sakakawea and 50,000 spring-stocked fish in the Missouri River.

Chinook salmon begin their spawning run in October. Since salmon cannot naturally reproduce in North Dakota, state Game and Fish Department and Garrison Dam National Fish Hatchery personnel collect eggs and transport them to the hatchery.

Once the eggs hatch, young salmon spend several months in the hatchery before being stocked in Lake Sakakawea and the Missouri River.

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