A preliminary summary of lake surveys in the backcountry of the 

 Biackfoot River basin ■ ^ . 



Introduction 



During the summer of 2005, FWP biologists assessed fisheries in 13 

 "backcountry" lakes located in the Lolo and Helena National Forests. These lakes are 

 located in remote areas of the upper Biackfoot watershed in areas designated as either 

 "roadless" or "wilderness." These lake surveys represent initial phases towards a 

 comprehensive inventory of backcountry fisheries that when completed will cover both 

 lakes and streams. Information generated from lakes will provide the basis for a 

 backcountry high mountain lakes management plan. 



Study area .4 



Wilderness areas of the Biackfoot River, all located in the northern region of the 

 Biackfoot watershed, cover vast tracts of glaciated mountains. These mountains 

 represent the southern extension of a large contiguous wilderness complex that extends 

 from Glacier National Park south through the Bob Marshall Wilderness. On the southern 

 extension of these wildlands, wilderness waters of the upper Biackfoot watershed 

 generally begin in glacial cirques, lead south through glacial trough valleys before exiting 

 the mountains as larger, colder tributaries of the Biackfoot River. These streams are 

 critical native fish streams supporting migratory populations of Biackfoot River bull trout 

 and WSCT. Lakes in the region have not been sampled in at least 20 years. For the 2005 

 surveys, we selected four lake clusters containing a total of 13 headwater lakes. Lakes 

 are located the upper Monture, North Fork and Landers Fork watersheds (Figure 66). A 

 majority of lakes were subject to historical fish plants and subsequent gillnet surveys in 



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