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[rides bike to work]

I was at the outlet of cultus lake (sweltzer creek) and saw a large school of fish come up into the pool by the bridge they stopped there in the deeper water and I swear they were sockey there was about 15 of them and I didnt think there were that many sockey i cultus lake.Its to bad some little kids jumped in and the fish headed back down stream with out entering the lake im not about to go tell young kids to Quit having fun though.Mabey restricting access to the creek might help the chances for this endangered run of sockey

[Easywater]

According to this DFO website: http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fraserriver/Escapement/Sockeyeupdate.htm

There have been 381 Sockeye through the Swelzter Creek fishing counting fence to date and 142 have been retained for broodstock.

Good numbers in the last couple of days.

[Dave]

Most of these are hatchery origin jacks, a good sign for next year. It's a bit early to tell but it appears the run is migrating closer to it's historical timing.  This, plus recent very good overwintering survival rates of juveniles in Cultus are rays of hope for this stock.

[Every Day]

Dave...
I'm curious to what are the average runs for Cultus Lake sockeye in the past?
If they have already gotten 381 past the counting fence, would that not mean there is a good chance of even 500+ fish coming?
I have seen and caught chromer clipped sockeye from the 3rd week of september all the way into the last week of october.
What were the size of runs before this stock collapsed?
Personally I would think that the Chilliwack River system should have one of the largest returns in BC because of the size of both Chilliwack and Cultus Lake.
I understand that sockeye need lakes to spawn so why is it that other systems have huge runs and not the Chilliwack system even though it has not one but 2 big lakes?

Sorry for all the questions 
Just really curious to what you may have answers for 

[Dave]

Wow ED, too many questions but I'll try

Dave...
I'm curious to what are the average runs for Cultus Lake sockeye in the past?
-   nearly all sockeye runs are cyclic; every 4 years there is a dominant run – big  Cultus years were up to 75,000 fish.  Off years were often much smaller.  I personally have seen a 35,000 fish run (sorry, can’t remember the year)
If they have already gotten 381 past the counting fence, would that not mean there is a good chance of even 500+ fish coming?-   Very good chance of 500 fish but most are jacks (precocious males).  Lady fish are needed, for obvious reasons.
I have seen and caught chromer clipped sockeye from the 3rd week of september all the way into the last week of october.-   ED, those would have been very rare and they most certainly did not make it to the counting fence. For the past several years, Cultus sockeye migration into Cultus Lake has been over by the end of September. Historically they ran till early January.
        what were the size of runs before this stock collapsed?
-   As above, 75,000 on a dominant cycle, but variable.
Personally I would think that the Chilliwack River system should have one of the largest returns in BC because of the size of both Chilliwack and Cultus Lake.
I understand that sockeye need lakes to spawn so why is it that other systems have huge runs and not the Chilliwack system even though it has not one but 2 big lakes?-   The big sockeye systems (Quesnel, Chilko, Shuswap) have much larger lakes and spawning areas, compared to Cultus and Chilliwack. Lake productivity, the ability to grow fish, is also higher ( at least compared to Chilliwack)

Sorry for all the questions
-   Questions are good, hope I helped. Good luck at Malaspina!   
Just really curious to what you may have answers for   

[UFC]

Dave, or anyone else with the knowledge.

Cultus lake has a lot of norther pikeminnow and has had, for a number of years, a derby and netting, to reduce their numbers.

Have their populations exploded in the last number of years (i.e. 10 or less years), or have they always been in the lake in large numbers?
What's your thoughts on how they impact the sockeye?

[Dave]

Population estimates of Northern Pikeminnow have been done in the past (1940's, late 70's and just recently).  I don't recall numbers but I believe the population had increased at each counting, with an final estimate of app. 65,000 over 20 cm.  These numbers and the Recovery Strategy can be verified by googling Cultus Lake sockeye - there's tons of data on this very unique population of fish.
Thousands of PM have been removed over the past few years; this past winter Cultus sockeye juveniles had exceptional survival rates.  There may be other reasons for this ... it is only one year, but I believe the PM control is making a difference.  What will be interesting is to see which fish species will take up the available space - there is some evidence to suggest Peamouth Chub (a relatively non predacious fish), populations are expanding.

[GoldHammeredCroc]

Absolutely Dave, It will be very interesting to see what fills the "void".  Lots of different species of fish in Cultus all could have increased impacts on juvenile survival with their own increased survival rates because of the lack of NPMs.  There are stickleback which feed on daphnia, sculpin feed on eggs and emerging fry, Largescale suckers (large population already) feed on the bottom.  I heard the trout fishing is getting better as well so the larger Cutthroat and Dollies will exclusively feed on the fry/smolts. 

I definitely think the removal is in the right step but there is lots more to do - milfoil removal, solutions to sedimentation from Frosst Creek etc.

[Dave]

Hey GHC. You're bang on, lot's more to do.
I saw an example at Peach Road this morning.  I was walking Sid along the Rotary trail, sadly watching the pink snaggery (how did we allow this crap to happen?).  Saw an angler fighting a sockeye, adipose clipped, hooked fairly.  Asked the sport if he knew what he had on .... he said "coho" .  I explained it was a hatchery Cultus sockeye.  He said he did not know there were sockeye in the Vedder () ...  and gently released it.   So as Rodney, Chris, and so many others have stated, angler education is key to helping not only mis identification of species, but teaching anglers to respect their quarry, and how that respect will enhance their fishing experience.

I believe some signage describing the difference between sockeye and coho will be posted along the Vedder-Chilliwack soon.

[GoldHammeredCroc]

That's what Mark was saying.  He had a pile of them on his desk, but I suggested that they should use a different picture of a sockeye rather than the one in the DFO guidebook.  Take a pic of an actual Cultus Sockeye and put it in there.  Same with a Vedder Coho as it will certainly help.

The snagging is brutal actually.  My wife and I went down to cast a lure this evening and it was sickening.  Plainclothes officers could help reduce the province's debt just by writing tickets.

Hope all is well.

Andrew