Mobile Northern Pike Suppression Crew

From 2021–2023 the project removed 3,750 invasive northern pike (Esox lucius) from Whiskey, Hewitt, Chelatna, and Shell lakes using gillnets and rod-and-reel. In 2023 funding was shifted from Chelatna to Shell Lake to ensure continued suppression of northern pike in a system where salmon are more vulnerable and likely to be extirpated without intervention. Gillnetting catch per unit effort (CPUE) was averaged across project years and compared to previous CPUE calculations at all the lakes. Although there was variation between years, on average CPUE dropped at each lake during the project.

This project will benefit sockeye, Chinook, coho, chum, and pink salmon as well as resident fish species in Whiskey, Hewitt, and Chelatna lakes through reduction in northern pike predation. Increased salmon runs into Whiskey, Hewitt, and Chelatna lakes will also benefit terrestrial species (e.g., brown bear), avian species (e.g., bald eagle, glaucous gull, Arctic tern), and marine mammal species (e.g., harbor seal, beluga whale) that feed on salmon and will increase the transfer of marine-derived nutrients through decaying salmon carcasses to further boost the productivity of the ecosystem.