ALASKA FISHERY AND FUR-SEAL INDUSTRIES, 1924 111 



Second Nuyakuk Lake is 19 miles in length and has an average width of 4 

 miles. The distance from the outlet to the inlet is 4^^ miles and the direction 

 is west-northwest, the main portion of the lake lying southwest of the inlet and 

 outlet. The country around the lake is mountainous and, except at the northern 

 end, high mountains rise abruptly from the water's edge. Most of the shore 

 line is rough and strewn with large bowlders, but there is good gravel bottom 

 well suited for spawning for about 10 miles along the north shore from the inlet 

 to the outlet. About 100 red salmon, all highly colored, were seen in this section 

 of the lake but none were found working at nests. No salmon were found in 

 other parts of the lake. The southern portion, particularly, receives many small 

 tributary streams, which descend the mountain sides in cataracts that in many 

 cases can be seen for their entire length from the lake. They are of no interest 

 from a fishery standpoint, as fish can not ascend them. 



Creek No. 2 enters the lake about a mile north of the point where the river 

 connecting Lake Chauiskuktuli with Second Nuyakuk Lake enters the latter. 

 It was examined for a mile above its mouth, in which distance it averaged 10 

 feet in width and 1 foot in depth. It has a good gravel bottom and the current is 

 slow — about 3 miles an hour. No salmon were found in it. 



CHAUISKUKTULI LAKE 



Chauiskuktuli Lake is the third of the three main Tikchik lakes and the largest 

 of the group. It is 21 miles in length, with an average width of 4 miles, and 

 from outlet to the head the direction is southwest. It lies north and a little to 

 the west of Second Nuyakuk Lake, with which it is connected by a river 1 mile 

 in length and averaging 150 feet in width and 2 feet in depth. Upon leaving 

 Chauiskuktuli Lake the river flows due east and is fairly swift. In ascending 

 boats must be lined from the banks. Thirty-five red salmon were noted going 

 up the river on September 8, but none were seen on the return trip on Septem- 

 ber 11. 



Chauiskuktuli Lake also lies among lofty mountains. About 13 miles of its 

 shore line, from a point directly opposite the outlet of the lake southwest to the 

 mouth of Creek No. 5, is an almost continuous gravel beach. Practically all of 

 the red salmon found upon an examination of the Tikchik lakes were along the 

 beach. They were seen at intervals all along this shore, and several groups of 

 50 or more were noted. In some places work on nests was in progress from 

 September 7 to 11. Along the northeast shore the lake has a mud bottom, and no 

 salmon were found there. Only about 50 salmon were seen along the south shore. 

 Chauiskuktuli Lake has three tributaries, in none of which were salmon found. 



Creek No. 3 enters the northeastern end of the lake. For the first mile the 

 stream averages 15 feet in width and 3 feet in depth. Its current is hardly 

 perceptible and the bottom is mud-covered. The stream rises in the marshy 

 land to the northeast, which is practically the only lowland bordering the lake. 



Creek No. 4 is a swift mountain stream that enters the lake on its north shore 

 5 miles west of the outlet. It is 25 feet wide and 2 feet deep at its mouth, and 

 was examined by land for a distance of about 2 miles above its mouth. It can 

 not be ascended b\' a boat, nor can salmon ascend. F. A. Waskey, who had made 

 the trip overland during the summer, furnished a sketch of the stream and its 

 source — Chikoominuk Lake. 



Creek No. 5 enters on the north shore 13 miles southwest of the outlet of the 

 lake. In its lower reaches this stream averages 10 feet in width and 2 feet in 

 depth. It has good gravel bottom apparently well suited for spawning purposes. 

 It was examined for a distance of about 2 miles above its mouth, but no salmon 

 were found. 



EXTENT OF RED-SALMON RUN TO TIKCHIK LAKES 



The Tikchik lakes, as the main lake source of the Nushagak River, are the 

 logical destination of the greater part of the red salmon that pass up the Nushagak 

 River to spawn. Natives residing on the upper Nushagak River report that red 

 salmon pass up the Kokwok River, which drains a series of small lakes, and also 

 np the Nuvakuk River to the Tikchik lakes, but that the run of red salmon up 

 Nuyakuk River is much larger than the run up the Kokwok. They state also 

 that red salmon are never found in any other tributaries of the Nushagak. 



After leaving salt water in Bristol Bay, in order to reach the first of the Tikchik 

 lakes salmon must ascend approximately 210 miles of river and negotiate three 

 rapids, none of which is difficult. Of the run of red salmon that passed up the 



