MCGREGOR LAKE 

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McGregor Lake is a large, deep lake 35 miles west of Kalispell, Montana. The lake has small 

 inlets and cme small outlet (McGregor Credc) that connects it to the Clark Fork River through the 

 Thompson River. Its maximum depth is 220 feet and approximately 80 percent of the depth of 

 the lake is greater than 100 feet. McGregor Lake has a surface area of 1,328 acres (Figure 2). 

 A small impoundment structure regulates outflow from McGregor Lake. The impoundmoit 

 controls the upper three feet of lake elevation. The structure is a barrier to upstream migration. 

 Betweoi March 1, 1993 and February 28, 1994, FWP estimated that as many as 6,975 anglers, 

 of which 82 percent were Montana residents, fished at McGregor Lake. This informati(Mi is 

 gathered by FWP through cred surveys and phone interviews on licensed anglers and is produced 

 in the Montana Statewide Angling Pressure Report. 



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Management of McGregor Lake commenced in 1924 when 90,000 coho salmon were planted 

 (Table 2). Various species of fish including rainbow trout, cutthroat trout, and arctic grayling 

 were also stocked with poor results due to poor spawning success. Brook trout did manage to 

 establish a small, self-rq)roducing population from a single plant of 4,000 fish in 1947. These 

 hatchery plants were added to already existing populations of native westslope cutthroat trout, 

 mountain whitefish, longnose suckers, northern squawfish, and redside shiners. Yellow perch 

 were also established through illegal introductions sometime in the past. 



In 1942, the initial stocking of lake trout occurred. Subsequent stocking of lake trout from 1948 

 through 1953 established a self-reproducing population. Beginning in 1965, FWP began stocking 

 kokanee salmon in McGregor Lake to produce a fishery similar to Flathead Lake and Whitefish 

 Lake. FWP also continued to stock rainbow trout to produce a "three-tiered" effect that included 

 a consumptive kokanee/rainbow fishery and trophy lake trout fishery. McGregor Lake produced 

 relatively good numbers and sizes of rainbow trout (14 inches to occasionally 10 pounds), 

 kokanee (11 to 20 inches), and lake trout (average 18 inches to occasionally 25 pounds). 



In 1968, FWP introduced the opossum shrimp (My sis relicta). The desired effect was to create 

 a large kokanee (up to 5 pounds) similar to those being captured in Kootenay Lake, British 

 Columbia. The result was not as expected. In deq) lakes, Mysis tend to live near the lake bottom 

 during the daylight hours and rise to near the surface to feed at night. Two major outcomes 

 resulted from the Mysis introduction. 



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