Chinook Salmon Recreational Fishery Creel Survey on Lookingglass Creek for the 2001 Run Year Fish Research and Development, Northeast Region Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife

In 2001, a large number of hatchery origin Chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha, 1,717, were expected to return to Lookingglass Creek. Most of the projected returns were from the Rapid River stock, a non-native hatchery stock of salmon that was no longer in use in the basin due to its non-local origin and high stray rates. Concern over potential disease transmission to Endangered Species Act listed stocks of Chinook salmon being reared at Lookingglass Fish Hatchery led to a management decision to not allow Chinook salmon spawning above the hatchery and to limit spawning to a short section of stream below the hatchery water intake. Because most returning Chinook salmon were from a stock that was no longer in use in hatchery programs in the basin and co-managers had decided that it was undesirable that they spawn in the wild, co-managers decided to remove as many as possible from the stream by providing recreational and tribal fishing opportunities. Recreational angling for Chinook salmon was allowed on Lookingglass Creek from 26 May through 1 July 2001. An intensive creel survey was conducted to monitor angling effort, catch rates and impacts on nontarget stocks and species. We conducted 1,606 angler interviews during the 2001 season on Lookingglass Creek. We estimate that 741 Chinook salmon were caught and 541 were kept by anglers. Catch rates were good throughout the season with mean catch rates of 12.0 and 12.3 h/fish in May and June, respectively, and 8.7 h/fish on 1 July.