Summary of Fisheries and Limnological Data for Lake Crescent, Washington

Meyer, John; Fradkin, Steven

Lake Crescent is one of Olympic National Park's most popular visitor attractions with its clear, clean waters located in an old growth mountain valley. Despite its near-pristine setting, there are 106 privatelly owned tracts of land, two concessionaire operated resorts, a concession-operated convenience store, a National Park Service campground, day use picnic areas, three modern boat launches, and an abandoned railroad grade all located on or near the lake shore. The trout populations in Lake Crescent are unique because of their large size, life history patterms. amd appearance which have presumably resulted from their isolation and adaptation to the lake. In response to low spawning escapement of these trout and new information regarding their genetic composition, Olympic National Park (ONP), implemented retrictive recreational fishing regulations prior to the 2000 season to ensure protection of these fish populations. However, there appear to be new threats to the lake's fish resources which may be a result of past management and enhancement practices and subtle changes to the quality and productivity of the tributary and shoreline habitats. While there was a substantial increase in spawning escapement following the implementation of the restrictions on recreational fishing, threats to the long-term viability and productivity of the lake's fish resources remain. These recently identified threats are complex and involve a number of natural processes and potential anthropogenic factors. ONP has requested a meeting with a group of independent scientists to discuss these issues and to share observations and ideas regarding future fishery management, habitat protection and restoration, and research needs. This report is provided to the scientists as a reference document prior to our meeting. It summarizes past investigations of the lake's aquatic resources and adds survey and assessment data collected in recent years which has not been previously reported.