Corey_lax
Crew Member
It’s still early so what would be a normal number for this time of year?
Osoyoos Lake Sockeye 2020
- Thread starter ChinookExerciser
- Start date
Fisher_dude
Crew Member
Last year this time was 26. 10 year average is 120. So it’s looking promising.
Fisher_dude
Crew Member
It’s wherever you find them. The native net boat usually fishes the very north end. I’ve hit them right out from the launch
Fisher_dude
Crew Member
Almost 25000 fish through Bonneville. Not a ton through wells though.
kingblazer84
Crew Member
Like @Fisher_dude said, off the launch and down the center mostly for myself find the schools and troll through em and you'll hit em. Now we just have to wait and hear about an opening..
kingblazer84
Crew Member
bring boat bumpers...….
put a machine gun onto that nice new tower rob... lol
Fisher_dude
Crew Member
I’ve seen every single type of boat you can imagine on that lake with downriggers attached. It’s a gong show.
sly_karma
Crew Member
Yep literally everything from canoes to cabin cruisers is having a go. There's no obvious bottom feature to follow like a reef or ledge so boats are trolling in any and every direction they feel like. Fish will be holding more or less anywhere there's 100 ft or more of water. Gong show to be sure, but a happy one in my experience. Most people know they have little clue, it's a novelty fishery and they're just happy to be part of it. Not uncommon to receive applause from other boats when you successfully net a fish, followed by shouted questions, "What are you using?" "How deep are you running?" Get on the water by 6 am so you can be done by 8 to beat the heat and the PWCs and wake boats.
Fisher_dude
Crew Member
ONA newsletter went out and they are predicting 290,000-310,000 returning Okanagan sockeye. Their fishery will start in July and by the time DFO figures their **** out, it’ll probably be an August start date. Like you said, run is a few days late. Hopefully they don’t just run into skaha with all this water.
Corey_lax
Crew Member
I’m heading to osoyoos next weekend on a family trip and my mother in law has a status card. So should I bring some fishing gear and drive the boat? I’m sure it would be tough to not touch the rod but I would like to see if there are any sockeye around haha
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Rain City
Crew Member
Every card carrying steward of the land that I've ever talked to about fishing said "we can do whatever the f*** we want when I'm there"
So I wouldn't worry about it.
Corey_lax
Crew Member
Well I wouldn’t say that she acts like that haha. But I hear what you’re saying.
sly_karma
Crew Member
Certainly seem to be on track for the 300K forecast, Bonneville was at 266K end of yesterday. Fish count link here:
https://www.fpc.org/currentdaily/HistFishTwo_7day-ytd_Adults.htm
Also of note is a modest run of summer chinook, 65K at Bonneville and going strong. Many of these will run into the Snake system (look at a map of Columbia system dams to help decipher the fish count data), but already almost 6000 have crossed Wells and therefore seem likely to run into the Okanagan. The Penticton hatchery has been rearing and releasing a few chinook fry each year, but getting broodstock has been a challenge. Seems hopeful for a decent number of spawners this year. Too bad the border is closed, looks like a good year to try some river fishing for springs below Omak.
https://www.fpc.org/currentdaily/HistFishTwo_7day-ytd_Adults.htm
Also of note is a modest run of summer chinook, 65K at Bonneville and going strong. Many of these will run into the Snake system (look at a map of Columbia system dams to help decipher the fish count data), but already almost 6000 have crossed Wells and therefore seem likely to run into the Okanagan. The Penticton hatchery has been rearing and releasing a few chinook fry each year, but getting broodstock has been a challenge. Seems hopeful for a decent number of spawners this year. Too bad the border is closed, looks like a good year to try some river fishing for springs below Omak.
Rain City
Crew Member
Do they typically announce it at the last minute? How long will they stage?
kingblazer84
Crew Member
almost always last min, as we have to wait for the FN to have their fill... then they allow us to hopefully fish it, I believe they are in there for quite sometime but they only open the fishery for 3 weeks usually and then reassess. If they find there are more fish still in the system then they reopen it again for weeks at a time.
sly_karma
Crew Member
Usually last week of July and fishery opens for 2 weeks, possible reassessment as @kingblazer84 says.
A little perspective on the indigenous fishery. The restoration of this fishery is very much an initiative of the Okanagan Nation. They found the US funding partners to do the work that brought this run back from fewer than 5000 fish in the mid 90s to a return of half a million in 2014. They are working for long term stability of a critical food and cultural resource and have the educated people needed to make good decisions. In low return years like 2017 and 2019 they voluntarily elected not to fish commercially. It's the ONA who kept agitating for reopening of passage into Okanagan lake. They do the research in the field and generally walk the walk.
A small commercial operation that puts revenue into their social programs is fine with me. This isnt nets across the Fraser and ads on craigslist for illegal fish. There would be no fishing opportunity for any of us without their hard work.
A little perspective on the indigenous fishery. The restoration of this fishery is very much an initiative of the Okanagan Nation. They found the US funding partners to do the work that brought this run back from fewer than 5000 fish in the mid 90s to a return of half a million in 2014. They are working for long term stability of a critical food and cultural resource and have the educated people needed to make good decisions. In low return years like 2017 and 2019 they voluntarily elected not to fish commercially. It's the ONA who kept agitating for reopening of passage into Okanagan lake. They do the research in the field and generally walk the walk.
A small commercial operation that puts revenue into their social programs is fine with me. This isnt nets across the Fraser and ads on craigslist for illegal fish. There would be no fishing opportunity for any of us without their hard work.
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