Matt Guckenberg, Sr., right and his son, Matt Jr., in front of their boat. The bull trout is a native trout species to the Pacific Northwest. The daily bag limit for this contest may be surprising. The lake trout spawn in the lake, grow very large and eat native trout and their young. Kerr Dam, located in Polson, manages the water levels of Flathead Lake. Lake trout prey on nearly all fish species in Flathead Lake, and they have hit bull trout and westslope cutthroat trout hard. It would also create a means to gradually reverse hybridization throughout the North Fork, as pure westslope cutthroat trout move downstream and gradually reproduce with fish from Trout, Arrow, and Rogers Lakes and into the North Fork and broader Flathead River system. Lake Trout are native in the St. Mary and Missouri River drainages and have been introduced to a few other scattered mountain lakes, Flathead Lake, and Fort Peck Reservoir. The young fish hatch and then live in the tributaries from 1-3 years before migrating downstream to Flathead Lake to grow to adults and complete the life cycle. Lake trout, which had been intentionally introduced to Flathead Lake in 1905, gradually made their way into the upper reaches of the watershed, including lakes on Glacier’s western slopes. Fishing World Records. Lake Trout are a major game fish in much of Canada and were at one time a staple of the Great Lakes fishery. A total of 14,066 lake trout have been entered so far. Non-native lake trout Salvelinus namaycush displaced native bull trout Salvelinus confluentus in Flathead Lake, Montana, USA, after 1984, when Mysis diluviana became abundant following its introduction in upstream lakes in 1968–1976. "Right away, the majority of scientists recognized the importance of doing something immediately," says McDonald. Since then, the lake trout have caused steep declines of native bull trout and westslope cutthroat trout populations. Non-native lake trout Salvelinus namaycush displaced native bull trout Salvelinus confluentus in Flathead Lake, Montana, USA, after 1984, when Mysis diluviana became abundant following its introduction in upstream lakes in 1968-1976. Lake Trout are a major game fish in much of Canada and were at one time a staple of the Great Lakes fishery. The Lake originally had 11 native fish species, notably westslope cutthroat trout (Montana State fish) and bull trout (top predator). Hundreds of trout anglers will head to Montana’s Flathead Lake this fall to compete in a fishing derby where the goal is not to catch the biggest trout, but to reel in the most. The proposed action would also advance the long-term preservation of native bull trout. Lake Trout are native in the St. Mary and Missouri River drainages and have been introduced to a few other scattered mountain lakes, Flathead Lake, and Fort Peck Reservoir. Organizers encourage anglers to catch as many as 100 lake trout per day. The threat of a disastrous oil spill into our clean, clear waters from rail transport hangs over our valley and our economy. Bull Trout are found in the Clark Fork and Flathead drainages of western Montana, and their slowly declining trend has led to their designation as a threatened species. "They were on such a nosedive we were thinking it was almost too late." Bull trout were listed as a Threatened species under the Endangered Species Act in 1998, and populations in the Flathead Basin have declined to the point that many experts are concerned that bull trout could become extinct in the basin. Lake trout are blamed for first devouring Flathead’s kokanee salmon fishery, and then damaging bull and cutthroat trout numbers. Prevent Oil Spills in the Flathead. Search for the biggest fish in the International Game Fish Association's database of biggest fish for each species. Bull Trout Counts Steady In The Flathead, Up In The South Fork, Down In The Swan. Bull trout populations that thrived in these waters for thousands of years crashed rapidly, with dramatic declines often appearing within 30 years after initial detection of lake trout. 100 adult bull trout. Just be sure to release any bull trout that are accidentally caught. The population itself is abundant, but subject to threat by habitat loss, since the range is small. flathead river bull trout flies, ... lake trout in the Flathead Lake will snap up a jig-fly combo ... caddis flies need 6x and 5x respectively. 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