ALASKA FISHERY AND FUR-SEAL INDUSTRIES, 19:>2. 39 



Creek No. 45 enters the west end of the lake, is 3 miles long, and has as its 

 orisin a small glacier. The bottom is good gravel, but salmon do not ascend. 



Kulik Lake has a total shore line of 40 miles, of which 25 miles is suitable 

 for spawning purposes. The east end and the west end of the lake are rock.y, 

 but along the north and south shores are fine areas of gravel. Salmon were 

 spawning spar.^el.v on nearly all suitable territory. Estimates for the lake 

 shores total 21,000 red salmon, spawning over areas totaling 20 miles in length. 



Sumnian/. — All references herein are to red salmon unless otherwise specified, 

 as very few of the other species enter the lakes in this district, and although 

 they were found occasionally they have not been included in the estimates. 

 During the late summer several thousand humpback salmon spawned in the 

 upper part of Wood River and around the outlet of Aleknagik Lake. About 

 50 king salmon were spawning here during the same period. An occasional 

 chum salmon was found — about 25 in all — along with the red salmon in 

 Aleknagik, Nerka, and Beverly Lakes, but none was found in the two upper 

 lakes. Several hundred coho salmon were spawning in Aleknagik Lake and its 

 tributaries during the latter part of September and as late as October 9. 



Throughout the work on the spawning areas careful cheek was made to deter- 

 mine the ratio of male salmon to female. The rich red color of the male makes 

 it easy to distinguish him from the female. That this might work to the male's 

 favor was realized, and tests were limited to conditions where there could be 

 no mistake. As a result of these observations, dealing with thousands of salmon 

 on many spawning areas in each of the lakes, it is believed that fully as many 

 male red salmon were on the spawning grounds of the Wood River lakes as 

 female red salmon. 



The four rivers that connect tlie Wood River lakes with a total length of 

 12^ miles, although more or less difficult to ascend with a boat, oifer no serious 

 obstruction to the ascending salmon, unless they are badly fungused. Through- 

 out the investigation wherever opportunity offered, which was often, dead sal- 

 mon were examined. The number of dead salmon found that had not spawned 

 was almost negligible. Such as were found were mostly fungused. That the 

 fungus caused their premature end is certain, as the only places where they 

 were found in any numbers was at the outlet of the rivers entering Aleknagik 

 and Nerka Lakes. No fungused salmon were found in the three upper lakes. 



The 17 tributaries frequented by salmon, although small, with a total spawn- 

 ing area insignificant as compared with the main lake areas, are all clear of 

 obstructions and easily ascended by the salmon. All other tributaries that 

 were at all suitable for spawning were examined for obstructions. In two 

 fairly good streams log jams were removed, but as no salmon were at the 

 base the work was of no benefit for this season at least. 



On lake-shore areas the salmon were distributed over such a vast territory 

 that the areas appeared almost deserted. Only in a few cases were salmon 

 spawning in groups of any size. It was not an uncommon experience to row for 

 5 miles along a lake shore with splendid spawning gravel and not see a salmon. 

 In two places where this condition prevailed the ruins of native villages were 

 seen, both in Lake Beverly. As native villages in this section are always located 

 with regard to the fish supply, thousands of salmon must have spawned there 

 when the villages were populated — evidently not many years ago. 



In arriving at an estimate of the number of salmon that spawned in the 

 Wood River lake system each area was treated as a separate unit. In many cases 

 figures represent actual count, particularly in tributary-stream and small lake- 

 shore areas. In all cases careful count was kept of dead fish and backbones of 

 dead fish scattered along the shores and on the lower lakes, where the spawning 

 period was much further advanced than on the upper lakes. Where it was im- 

 po.ssible to count the fish the number was estimated. Although the weather 

 was exceptionally favorable during the examination it is realized that some 

 fish may have been missed. Gulls surely consumed many and dragged the re- 

 mains of others out of sight. The following facts seem certain: (1) Not less 

 than 213,000 red salmon spawned in the Wood River lakes and their tributaries; 

 and (2) whether .50,000 more than 213.600, or twice 213,G(X) spawned, there was 

 room for 10 times the number that actually spawned. 



PREDATORY FISH AND BIRDS. 



Several agencies detrimental to salmon production in the district are of 

 more or less importance. These are depredations by fish and birds on the 

 salmon spawn and young, fishing for salmon on the spawning grounds by na- 



