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[apollo]

Hi everyone! Iam planning on going to Cultus Lake during mid March and I would love to do some fishing I will have access to a row boat) does anyone have any suggestions? Thank You.

[BigFisher]

Fish the mouth of lindel creek on the far end of the lake, always fish around there. Drag a worm....

[apollo]

Thanks for the info Bigfisher!

[island boy]

ive picked up some nice cutties in the early spring right out in front of main beach on a worm and gang troll. 1.5-2.0lbs.

[Rodney]

Beside cutthroat trout and the odd bull trout, Cultus Lake also has a solid population of northern pikeminnow and largescale sucker. Talk to Daryl or Ferdi at Reaction Fly and Tackle, who target these alternative species on light fly rods. You'd be surprised how much fun it can be if catch and release is the objective of the trip. Good luck.

[Roughingminor]

I'll give it a shot soon.  It's just a few minutes up the road from me.... and it's liquid right now!

[quincy]

are they an introduced species or are they native to cultus lake?

[Rodney]

Largescale sucker do not predate on juvenile salmonid.

are they an introduced species or are they native to cultus lake?

Both species are native.

Couple of things to remember:

Page nine of http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/fw/fish/regulations/docs/2008/fish-synopsis_2008-09_general.pdf

Waste the fish you catch. If your fish is not suitable for eating or if possession is illegal because of quotas, size limits or closed seasons, return the fish quickly and gently to the water.

With the exception of authorized cullings, anglers must follow the rules outlined in the freshwater regulation synopsis.

[island boy]

the cutties we got were basically puking up fry. they were "stuffed to the gills" so to speak.

[Terry D]

All fish are predators and eat fry.  I'm sick of the "my fish is more important than your fish" brigade.  All fish are important and help towards providing us with the sport we so love.

However, I totally agree with removing fish that have been stocked illegally and have upset the natural balance of nature in specific fisheries.

[awurban@msn.com]

I think pike minnow should be killed; thats me anyways and I think the large scale sucker should be released after

[fishseeker]

Pikeminnows?  I thought that was a late summer fishery.  Personally I would love to go after them with a fly but water clarity on the Fraser has always made that impractical - I guess that is less of an issue on Cultus Lake.

Note clear why they should be killed if they are indigenous.

[Rodney]

Pikeminnows?  I thought that was a late summer fishery.  Personally I would love to go after them with a fly but water clarity on the Fraser has always made that impractical - I guess that is less of an issue on Cultus Lake.

Note clear why they should be killed if they are indigenous.

fishing for northern pikeminnow isn't limited to the Fraser River, which typically produces well from May to September. The smaller tributaries will have them year-round, as well as some of the bigger lakes. The sloughs on the north side of the Fraser River should have them right now. If you head to Stave River in May and June, you should have no problem finding them just below the dam. There will also be cutthroat trout and whitefish mixed among minnow species, which can be a lot of fun for families.

Lakes in Region 3 and 8 also have huge pikeminnows, which are often by-catches when targeting rainbow trout in May and June.



Cultus Lake has northern pikeminnow year-round. During the colder months, fish are not as active and tend to school in deeper water, so fishing from a boat is more productive. In the summer, they can be readily caught from the beaches and piers. The Cultus Lake sockeye salmon recovery program involves several initiatives. The objective of seining of northern pikeminnow that has been done between late winter and early spring is to control the population of a particular size class and lower the rate of predation. Beside seining, the Fraser Valley Salmon Society hosts the annual Greg Clark memorial fishing derby in June. Pikeminnows caught during the derby are taken by Fisheries and Oceans Canada for further sampling.

Here is a video of the derby from two years ago: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdxDld_PVqc

Article: http://www.fishingwithrod.com/fishy_news/070619_1.html

Information on the recovery program: http://www-sci.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/mehsd/projects/cultus_sockeye_e.htm

Northern pikeminnow, cutthroat trout, bull trout, dolly varden are predators that have been a natural selective force on salmonid populations since the last glaciation. It is a force that filters out the weak strains and strengthen the gene pool/population of salmonids overtime. It is simply another example of the predator-prey relationship. Cultus Lake sockeye salmon's endagered status is the result of overfishing by all sectors since early 1900s. Like all fishery management, we've chosen to lower the populations of all species that interact with Cultus Lake sockeye to create a textbook ecological balance. The unfortunate end result is the mislabelling and lumping of native species that have no commercial importance as pests by the general public, who is not as familiar with the biological background.

[fishseeker]

Thanks for the wealth of information Rodney

I have read all of your articles on this species and I love going after them.  The techniques you demonstrated have worked really well and I have had some fun going after them with flatfish lures too.  So far I have only managed the small critters in late season but it's good to know about places like the Stave ( This year I would really like to match the one you have in your photograph )

I did not know they could be abundant as early as May.  I tried for them in the Fraser around that time last year and did not get so much as a touch on the line, only started getting them in June with the peak in August.   

In my opinion there is no better fish that this for kids.  When the pikeminnows get going they just get glued to that float.  Its been more appealing taking my nephew out for these than any other species because the action is non-stop and that really is the only way to keep them engaged. (Salmon fishing is completely lost on them and trout fishing is only good if they happen to be on the bite that day.  Pike minnows are very consistent in the summer - personally I will be very happy to see them back again)

Its just too bad they are not the best eating 

[Rodney]

I did not know they could be abundant as early as May.  I tried for them in the Fraser around that time last year and did not get so much as a touch on the line, only started getting them in June with the peak in August.

The ones in May and June are usually small in the Fraser, the ones that went after bait anyway. Lure fishing during those two months is a bit tough because of freshet, the water is usually brown. If the water has just a bit of clarity (6 in, 1 ft), I spin sometimes, but not for pikeminnow, but bull trout, which are really big and strong during those two months. There are lots of them, feeding on salmon smolts that are coming down the river and eulachon that are heading up to spawn. I was just telling Britguy today that May and June are the only months when you can "sight" fish for them because you can actually spot big splashes on the surface when they hunt down small fishes.

Its just too bad they are not the best eating 

Eating quality is a bit subjective and varies from culture to culture. A couple of my friends actually prefer eating pikeminnow than salmon by making fish cakes out of them. The meat is fine, but the small bones are a nuisance so fish cakes is a good alternative. I don't eat pikeminnow (or any resident fish such as cutthroat trout) for sanitary reasons.

This is what's on the surface during the outgoing tide in Steveston.



Anyway, sorry apollo, getting a bit off topic. Here are some more photos from January 2007 that may interest you.

http://www.fishingwithrod.com/member/gallery/2007-jan-cultus