I would just like to let everyone know of the state's proposal to kill off sprague lake this year. I am trying to find a way to voice my conerns(which I have written a letter to wdfw about). It sounds like they are trying to make it primarily a trout lake. They plan on stocking bass,crappie,perch and catfish as well but aren't stocking walleye. As everyone knows, trout will be plentiful but will take years and years for the other species to grow to size that the lake holds right now. You can go anywhere to catch trout all day long. There are very few places around the spokane area that has the diversity of fish that sprague lake produces. Sorry to ramble on but this really gets my goat. If anyone knows of who I can contact about this besides wdfw please let me know.

Mossygo -
How much do you know about Sprague lake and its management?

In the mid-1980s the lake was "rehabed" to rid it of a stunted carp population. The program was wildly successful though the expected benefits were expected to last roughly 20 years. It appears that estimate was pretty much on track.

Following that "rehab" both trout and warm water speceis were planted - the trout provided a fishery (from all reports very successfully so) while the warm water species populations matured. From the folks that I have talked with the quality of the warm water fish is now in decline and expected to get worst thus the idea of going back in with a "rehab". While "rehabs" had been mostly used in this state for lowland lake trout management (single species) Sprague is an example of where this tool was used to enhance the warm water fishing opportunities.

However if you wish to commment there should be several opportunities. WDFW will likely hold one or more pulbic meetings and the slate of proposed rehabs will go before the Wildlife commision - watch WDFW's site for dates. In addition you may be able to pass your concerns on the local county as well as Department of ecology.

I encourage you to pass on your concerns though taking the time to study the issue first may add creditability to your comments. I remmeber prior to the first "rehab" many in the warm water community were opposed to the treatment though I venture to say nearly all were more than pleased with the fishery the developed - it dwarfed what had existed in terms of species diveristy, quantity and quality.

Tight lines
Curt

When I first heard the news, I was a bit upset. Then I started to ask questions and think about it for awhile.

I started asking questions about what was happing to Sprague a couple of years ago. The Walleye showed signs of leaches on them in the spring, indicating that they had been deep into the cat tails. I noticed that all pearch were gone, all bluegill were gone, crappie were becomming few and far in between (but I don't think this was a Walleye issue). Bass are either huge, or nonexistent. Trout are not plentifull anymore. Bullhead Cats were also few in number.

Only Walleye, Carp, Tench, and a few giant Channel Cats seemed to be there.

Now, don't get me wrong, I catch Walleye most every time I go out, and I catch limits more often than not. That, unfortunately, places me in the group of about 10 that can. Catching Walleye in Sprague is an art form, not a science.

I called and discussed the problems with the Fisheries Manager for quite some time. He agrees that they had a poor walleye limit structure for the lake, limiting oppertunities for too long. He concurs that keeping the water higher, and into the reeds/cat tails would help, but the water control dam at the outlet to Cow Creek has been removed by lawyers and downstream water rights advacates.

What I think is missing is that no one fishes Sprague anymore. I have been on the lake during "prime time" for the last couple of years and often been one of only two or three boats. I can't thin of the last time I saw a more than 10 boats there.

The fisherys manager indicates that trout are a plan, and the last time they did fantastic. He indicates that bluegill, crappie, Large Mouth Bass, and Channel Cats, plus a few Tiger Muskies, will be planted. Only Pearch and Walleye will be left out.

As much as I love to fish for Walleye in Sprague, without more 'structure' to protect prey species, without higher water into the weeds, and without more pressure to thin the populations, walleye are not the right fish for Sprague (Oh I can't believe I said that).

If, after some time, the conditions seem appropriate, the fisheries manager suggest that walleye will/can go back in. In the mean time, they plan on taking a lot of the Walleye to Liberty Lake to work over the over populaton of pan fish.

This time, as much as I find it hard to do, I agree with the state.

Mossygo I tend to be on anglinarcher side of this one Except for the walleye part. I may be wrong because I was not aware of the low water problem. I tend to blame the walleye for sprague, Mosses lake and the potholes. When I was a kid I fished these lakes for perch and Bluegill and would love to take my kids to those lakes of old again but its just not worth it. I love walleye but I think they are putting a real asswhoopin on the pan fish. With strong pressure you could catch perch and bluegill to your harts content in the 70s. I remember BGs bigger than my hand being normal and perch everywhere. Now that we have walleye in these lakes everything else seems to be disapearing. I live on the westside now and my dad is in Spokane and complains that after the Sprague rehab the bluegill fishing was once again great but has again disapeared. The rehab did work last time and I tend to think it would be worth it again. Let em put in some triploids or regular trout for the quick turn around they certainly won't hurt anything and keep the walleye out.
Mosses lake and potholes will never be killed it's just to big of a system. Catching a 1 lb bluegill under a bobber is something every kid should get to do at least once. Just my 2 cents

Tight lines ...Art