An assessment of bull trout and lake trout interactions in Flathead Lake, Montana
McIntyre JD. 1998. An assessment of bull trout and lake trout interactions in Flathead Lake, Montana. National Park Service
A panel of fishery scientists concluded that the declining bull trout population is due to the introduction of the lake trout, which is dominating the fish community. The panel concluded that the lake trout population must be reduced by 70-90% from present levels to return the bull trout to population levels of the 1980's. This reduction is possible through netting, but a control program would need to be implemented and continued indefinitely. It is possible that Kokanee salmon levels may also increase with the reduction of lake trout. An alternative option is to manage the lake for lake trout, and concentrate protection efforts in other parts of the drainage, resulting in further decline or extinction of bull trout in Flathead Lake.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- McIntyre, John
- Date of Issue
- 1998-02-03
- Publisher
- National Park Service
- Units
- GLAC
- Keywords
- Animal Studies, Aquatic Sciences, Bull Trout (Salvelinus confluentus), Decline, Flathead Lake Montana, Introduced Species, kokanee salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka), Lake Trout (Salvelinus namaycush), Management, opossum shrimp (Mysis relicta), Predation