260 U. S. BUREAU OF FISHERIES 



INSPECTION OF ILIAMNA AND LAKE CLARK SPAWNING AREAS IN 1920 



The following report was made by Agent Dennis Winn coverin<^ 

 his trip of inspection during the month of August : '^ 



After the close of the commercial fishing season in Bristol Bav and the comple- 

 tion of arrangeme^its for the return of bureau employees to the States, the writer 

 and J\arden N. O. Hardy left Naknek in patrol boat No. 7, with patrol boat 

 l\o. b m tow, to inspect the salmon spawning areas of Iliamna Lake, as in pre- 

 vious years.- ' ' 



Departure from Naknek was made on the earlv morning flood tide on August 

 11, and Koggiung was reached on the ebb tide, where it was necessary to await 

 the next flood before proceeding up the river. On the evening flood the iournev 

 was continued as far as the lower end of Horse Shoe Bend, where the boat was 

 anchored overnight, again proceeding up river the following morning 



The customary fisii village of native reindeer herders was established on the 

 hanks of the Kvichak River near the lake outlet. During a previous visit to this 

 village on July 9 the writer noted a contiiuial passage of salmon upstream on both 

 ^n !1 fi .^Vu ^'^'' for almost its entire length. At that time the natives had about 

 all the hsh they needed and were enthusiastic over the heavv run. The popula- 

 tion of this village is increasing slowly each year, and a white man is establishing 

 a small trading post here. The permanent winter c(uarters of the natives are 

 back on the tundra about 3 miles, to which place their fish are transported as soon 

 as cured. The natives had no idea as to the number of salmon cured but an 

 10 nnn*^ ^^^^^^ requirements would place the number l^etween 8,000 and 



Belinda Creek was reached that afternoon and was inspected for a distance of 

 about 3 2 miles. The fish village, comprising several smoke houses, caches 

 etc., which was formerly situated at the stream mouth was completely destroyed 

 by early spring floods. All of the structures with the exception of one cache 

 were washed away, and the stream mouth had moved down the lake shore about 

 150 feet. The natives who formerly lived here have established a fish village 

 ^ n"j <,l?'^^^ '*^l°^' ^^^^ ^^^^^ ^"^ '^'■e fishing along the lake shore at a location 

 called Gravel Spit. Belinda Creek has small possibilities, and in previous 

 years almost the entire run of salmon has been taken by the natives for food 

 At the time of the examination this season, however, about 6,000 red salmon 

 were spawning m the stream, mostly in the first mile; above that there are but 

 few good spawning areas, the upper reaches of thq^strcam being composed of 

 large bowlders and hard bottom with swift water. 



In the evening the boat was brought to the anchorage at Big Mountain, 

 l^arly the following morning departure was made for Kokhoiiak Creek. Several 

 extrejiiely large schools of salmon, comprising many thousands of fish were 

 noted in and around tiic mouth of the creek. Although good schools were seen 

 for a considerable distance upstream, they became fewer and smaller as the 

 ascent continued. Tlie fish were beginning to scatter over the spawning beds, 

 but m comparison to the number seen in the stream only a few had spawned' 

 Near the head of the stream where it issues from the lake the water was con- 

 siderably lower and fewer fish were noted than in former years. In the spring 

 creeks entering the lower end of the lake there were less than half the number 

 of salmon seen in the jjreceding year. 



As careful a check as possible was made of the main stream and the spring 

 creeks, and it was estimated that about 50,000 salmon had i)assed above the 

 native village winch is situated near the mouth of Kokhonak Creek. The salmon 

 were not as mmierous as tliey were last year above the village, nor were as many 

 seen in and around the stream mouth, where approximately 75,000 were observed 

 this season schooling and beginning to ascend, making a tJtal estimate of 125,000 

 for the entire stream. This number undoubtedly will be increased l)y late 

 arrivals, as it appears from all the information gathered that the salmon are 

 entering the streams later each year to s{)awn. Four families, composed of 21 

 people, at the fish village were curing salmon for personal use and dog feed. 

 Ihese natives are reindeer herders, having the animals in tiie vicinity of their 

 camps. They are establishing a permanent village on the lake shore about 3 

 miles east of Kokhonak ('reek, where two traders are contcmi)lating opening 

 trading posts. Their caches and racks appeared to contain about 7,000 cured 

 salmon, and they can secure easily with hook or a couple of fathoms of web any 

 additional fish needed. 



' The salmon rcferrocl to in this report are rod sahiion, ;inf| t he natives are Indi 



