Fish Sniffer On Demand Digital Edition Issue 3801 Dec 22-Jan 4 | Page 17

Mokelumne River Fishing Regulations River Viewing Salmon carcasses like these recycle nutrients into the riparian ecosystem along the Mokelumne. The section of the river below the fish hatchery opens to steelhead and trout fishing again on January 1, 2019. Photo by DAN BACHER, Fish Sniffer Staff. the fish in transferring from freshwater to seawater. Another major factor he cited is the partnership they have developed with the federal agencies, including the Bureau of Reclamation and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to close the Delta Cross Channel Gates to prevent Mokelumne fish from straying into other Central Valley rivers. “Last year the gates were closed in late September while this year they were closed in early November,” he noted. Before 1998 when the Mokelumne River Setttlement Agreement went into effect, the average run was 4,000 fish. Since then, the run has averaged 9,541 fish per year. As salmon returns on other Central Valley streams, including the American and upper section of the Sacramento, have declined in recent years, the Mokelumne’s contribution to the Fish Hatchery Mokelumne River Fish Ladder Hatchery Building Fry in Troughs Administration Building Mokelumne Day Use Area Egg Taking McIntire Rd Stillman Magee Co. Pk. Entrance Plaza Parking Clements . ord o Rd p Acam ridge Lodi Lake ge dbrid Woo Rd. iver e R umn ef ock L Rd. Mokelumne River Rd. er t Turn kford S Loc LODI man le Kett To Stockton ad dt Ro Bran Victor kel Mo Galt & Sacramento Road er Pelti nt S Jaha To db Woo Camanche Reservoir Dam h loug Improved Mokelumne Salmon & Steelhead Return Strategies Stronger Pulses – Pulse flows reached higher magnitudes compared to recent years thanks to flood control waters released from Camanche Reservoir. These pulses provide cues for salmon to move up into the river. Additional pulses provided by reoperating Woodbridge Irrigation District Dam extended the period of pulses into November. Gate Closures – To prevent straying of Sacramento and Mokelumne River salmon, CDFW coordinated closures of the Delta Cross Channel Gates on weekdays and reopened for weekend recreation beginning in September. Tagging Data – Using Coded Wire Tag data from returning fish, the agencies measured the effectiveness of releasing fish on outgoing tides and limiting releases to no more than two consecutive days from the same location to increase juvenile salmon survival. Barging – The agencies have transported juvenile salmon from the Mokelumne River by barge and released them in the San Francisco Bay. Barging improves fish survival through the Delta and may also help with imprinting for juvenile salmon to re-trace their way to natal waters. Transfer Diet – Juvenile salmon undergo an incredible physiological change when moving from freshwater to saltwater. To ease the initial stress, a specialized feed containing higher salt levels is fed to the juveniles in the weeks before the release. Habitat Improvement – EBMUD and DFW have spent nearly two decades developing and implementing a plan to improve spawning and rearing habitat in the river below Camanche Dam. To Jackson MOKELUMNE RIVER FISH HATCHERY The Mokelumne River (San Joaquin Co if open from Camanche Dam to Highway 99 bridge is open from Jan. 1 through Mar. 31 with a limit of 1 hatchery trout or 1 hatchery steelhead. It reopens from Fourth Saturday in May through July 15 with a limit of 1 hatchery trout or 1 hatchery steelhead. Form July 16 through Oct. 15, the limit is 1 hatchery trout or hatchery steelhead and Chinook salmon. From the Highway 99 bridge to the Woodbridge Irrigation District Dam including Lodi Lake, the season is from Jan. 1 through July 15 with a limit of 1 hatchery trout or 1 hatchery steelhead, From July 16 through Dec. 31, the limit is 1 hatchery trout or hatchery steelhead and 2 Chinook salmon. The section between the Woodbridge Irrigation District Dam and the Lower Sacra- mento Road bridge is closed to all fishing all year. The Mokelumne River and its tributary sloughs downstream of the Lower Sacra- mento Road bridge and east of Highway 160 and north of Highway 12 from Jan. 1 through July 15 has a limit of1 hatchery trout or 1 hatchery steelhead. From July 16 through Dec. 16, the limit is 1 hatchery trout or hatchery steelhead and 2 Chinook salmon. From Dec. 17 through Dec. 31. The limit is 1 hatchery trout or 1 hatchery steelhead 17 Dec 21, 2018 - Jan 4, 2019 MAP FEATURE VOL.38 • ISS. 1 Camanche Dam to Lodi Lake San Joaquin County Lane e n ey La Harn To Stockton Fishing Notes • Rainbow Trout and Steelhead fishing is best in the stretch from below the Mokelumne River Fish Hatchery to Clements. Trout can be caught throughout the river from Clements to Lodi, but access can be difficult. Use nightcrawlers, Glo Bugs, Little Cleos and small spinners. Fly fishing is good for anglers using a variety of nymphs or dry flies when hatches take place. Most of the trout are wild, though some hatchery fish are caught also. Henderson • The major run of King Salmon usually moves into this stretch of river when it is closed to all fishing. The river from Camanche Dam to Peltier Road is open to 'Village fishing from January 1 through March 31 and from the fourth Saturday in May through October 15, with a limit of 1 hatchery trout or steelhead. Expect both salmon and steelhead runs to increase because of the modernized hatchery and habitat improvements on the river. • Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass, Catfish and Bluegill can be found in the Mokelumne in the Lodi area, particularly during the spring and summer months. salmon industry has grown in signifi- cance. The Mokelumne River salmon population contributed approximately 20 percent of the commer- cial and 35 percent of the recreational catch off the coast of Cali- fornia in 2017, according to Tracy Morales of EBMUD. “The partnership between the East Bay Municipal Utility District and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife is one characterized by inno- vation, high-quality science and oper- ations, and mutual respect,” confirmed Kevin Shaffer, chief of CDFW’s Fisheries Branch. “We’re seeing the benefits now with a healthy river and good returns of Chinook salmon to the river and hatchery.” “Fishermen are so grateful to the fish hatchery staff – there is so much innovation that leads to much higher salmon returns,” said John McManus, President of the Golden Gate Salmon Association (GGSA). “One of the keys is they get support from EBMUD, an organization that has an openness to trying new things. There is a recogni- tion of hostile conditions downstream – and they have to get around the hazards to increase fish survival. They have a very good staff that produces supper babies – the fish are well taken care of and strong.” Setka said the ability to implement management actions that lead to positive outcomes in the Mokelumne River is due to engagement from a diverse group of stakeholders. Less than a decade ago the Mokelumne experienced one of the worse salmon returns on record. “The efforts of all stakeholders within the Mokelumne have resulted in a sustained recovery. In addition to Lower Mokelumne River Partnership member agencies CDFW, United States Fish and Wildlife Service, National Marine Fisheries Service and EBMUD, stakeholders responsible for the overall improvements in the river include Cali- fornia Sportfishing Protection Alliance, North San Joaquin Water Conservation District, Woodbridge Irrigation District and landowners along the river,” according to EBMUD. Anglers are currently gearing up for the steelhead opener on the upper section of the Mokelumne below the hatchery. The season is from Jan. 1 through Mar. 31 and again from the Fourth Saturday in May through July 15. The limit is one hatchery trout or one hatchery steelhead. Then from July 16 through October 15, the limit in this section of river is two Chinook salmon and one hatchery trout or hatchery steelhead. For more information, call the Mokelumne River Hatchery, (209) 759-3383. This has been a big year for salmon spawning at the CDFW’s Mokelumne River Hatchery in Clements. Photo by DAN BACHER, Fish Sniffer Staff.