Attempts to establish a viable sport fishery in the 

 Noxon Rapids and Cabinet Gorge reservoirs have been mostly 

 unsuccessful. However, a shift in management emphasis in 

 1982 away from cold water fish species, such as rainbow 

 trout, to cool water species, such as smallmouth bass, h^fe 

 shown great promise for future fisheries. Efforts on each 

 reservoir have differed due to different reservoir condi- 

 tions. 



Cabinet Gorge Reservoir 



The Cabinet Gorge water exchange rate (or flushing time) 

 is currently about one to three days during spring high water 

 and about one week during the remainder of the year. 

 Reservoir fluctuations from 1953-85 were slightly different 

 because Cabinet Gorge was used as a reregulation reservoir 

 for Noxon Rapids Reservoir, which came on line in 1959. 

 Typically, daily and weekly fluctuations during that period 

 often were two to four feet respectively; annual maximum 

 fluctuations seldom exceeded ten feet. 



Attempts to establish a sport fishery at Cabinet Gorge 

 Reservoir during the period of 1953 through 1963 included 

 planting large numbers of hatchery-reared salmonids. During 

 these years, a total of about 1.7 million kokanee salmon, 1.2 

 million Yellowstone cutthroat, 0.1 million silver salmon, and 

 0.5 million rainbow trout were released into the reservoir. 

 These planted fish provided a very limited sport fishery and 

 did not establish self-sustaining populations within the 

 reservoir. 



From 1963 to the present, fish planting has been 

 limited to planting catchable-size rainbow trout near the 

 Bull River campground and eyed brown trout eggs near the 

 mouth of Elk Creek in an attempt to establish a spawning run. 

 The emphasis for fishery management has been shifted to Noxon 

 Rapids Reservoir because the fishery that develops there will 

 probably determine the fishery in Cabinet Gorge Reservoir. 



Noxon Rapids Reservoir 



This reservoir has rapid water exchange rates of about 

 one exchange per week during a normal spring high water 

 period and one exchange per three weeks during the remainder 

 of the year. During maximum drawdown of 54 feet, the surface 

 area is reduced from 8,600 acres at full pool to 5,500 acres. 



Reservoir operation during the 1958-79 period followed 

 two distinct patterns. From 1958-60, maximum annual drawdown 

 was limited to ten feet, and from 1961-79 maximum annual 



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