18 



BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES 



A tributary comes out of a side valley (to the left, looking upstream) and joins the main stream 

 near its mouth. Almost no live fish were seen in this creek, and no dead ones, although the gravels 

 seemed favorable. On the flats above the junction of the two streams are a number of bayous 

 with excellent spawning gravels, but these were mostly untouched. 



No other important tributaries enter Thumb Lake. A small creek enters in the northwest 

 corner, building out a delta of coarse stones, which projects to form a slightly prominent point of 

 the shore line. 



A limited amount of spawning was in progress off the mouth of this creek and for perhaps 

 100 yards above. Then the stream becomes very rapid, descending in short steps over coarse 

 rocks and bowlders, in a little ravine. Apparently no salmon ascend beyond this point. As so 

 frequently with these short and otherwise favorable streams, the greater number of the spawners 

 must fall a prey to the bears. Well-beaten bear trails were everywhere, and wallows where they 

 lie and devour the fish they have thrown out on the bank. Fragments of freshly eaten salmon 

 nearly always testify to the presence of these bears immediately before (or at the time of) our 

 visit. 



The humpbacks were not found in Thumb Lake or tributaries, save for an occasional straggler. 

 For the total population of the Thumb Lake, Thumb Creek, and tributaries, one red to five humps 

 would be an approximation to the condition this year. 



August 21. — Took dory up O'Malley River into the lake; surveyed the latter while Lucas and 

 Studdert ascended the inlet as far as spawning fish were found. The inlet is a considerable stream 

 with apparently favorable gravels. We observed a few reds off its mouth and in the creek, perhaps 

 50 to 75 in all, but the stream soon becomes unfavorable, traversing a hilly district with swift 

 current and coarse slabs of rock. The watershed is short, an extensive valley to be seen beyond 

 the near ridge that bounds its upper end evidently draining to the south. The part of the stream 

 suitable for spawning probably is limited to the lower 200 or 300 yards. There were two mouths to 

 the stream at the time of our visit, one on each side of a sandy bar thrown up by stream and lake. 

 The eastern mouth was much larger, but red salmon were entering through each of them. 



No other tributary of any importance enters O'Malley Lake, but the most valuable spawning 

 stream of this watershed enters the outlet of the lake immediately below its emergence. It comes 

 out of a valley to the east, enters O'Malley River from the left (looking upstream), and is the 

 creek into which the majority of the fish were observed to enter last year, when we stood at the 

 junction and tallied those coming up the river. A few continued into the O'Malley Lake, but the 

 majority went into Falls Creek, as we have designated this stream. On inspection by Lucas, it was 

 ascertained that the lower mile of this creek runs through the bottom lands and is well stocked with 

 spawning fish, but beyond this the hilly country is reached, the stream grows boisterous, with a 

 bottom of slaty rock, and practically no more fish were found. This continues for another mile, to a 

 vertical fall of 20 feet, wholly insurmountable. Below the falls evidence of fish were found where 

 bears had fed, and a few were seen all the way to the falls, but they were widely scattered. 



In addition to O'Malley River, there enters at the head of the lake (i. e., Karluk Lake) a stream 

 we call Canyon Creek, of real value. It comes out of an extensive valley to the left (facing head 

 of lake) of the valley containing Falls Creek, and descends into the same, flat, swampy meadow 

 land through which O'Malley River and the lower course of its affluent, Falls Creek, flow. Look- 

 ing toward the head of the lake we see three valleys, occupying deep convergent clefts in the moun- 

 tains. The right-hand one is occupied by O'Malley Lake and its main inlet, the middle one by 

 Falls Creek, and the left-hand one by Canyon Creek. The latter enters Karluk Lake only 400 feet 

 to the left of the mouth of O'Malley River, and is a beautiful, clear, cold stream in its lower course, 

 with ideal spawning gravels. It was examined by Studdert, who reported that in its lower course, 

 for about three-fourths mile, it meanders through a flat overgrown with tall, coarse grass, and the 

 bottom is ideal for spawning. Then it enters hilly country, has a swift current and rocky floor, and 

 carries but few fish. Along with Falls Creek it forms the principal spawning area of the head of 

 the lake. 



August 22. — Two short creeks (Grassy Point Creek and Halfway Creek), entering the west 

 side of lake, were explored by Lucas and Studdert. Both are brawling streams, with coarse bowlder 

 beds and only occasional very limited patches of gravel. They are only 10 to 15 feet across, but 

 in spite of their small size and unfavorable character they carry more red salmon in proportion to 



