Northern pike threatening two popular fisheries

Montana wildlife officials say a growing population of illegally introduced northern pike is threatening two popular fisheries in Northwest Montana.

Northern pike are non-native everywhere in Montana besides the Saskatchewan River drainage on the east side of Glacier National Park. Officials warn that they feed almost entirely on fish and can eliminate their food supply in only a few years, leaving stunted fish populations.

A recent survey conducted by Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks at Shady Lane Pond in Evergreen collected nine pike in three hours of netting, confirming the population is naturally reproducing, the state agency said in a press release Thursday. Biologists first identified northern pike in the pond nearly two years ago.

The agency said it will stop future stocking efforts in the pond until a management response is developed. The fish that would be stocked in Shady Lane Pond will be stocked elsewhere in the region for the time being.

“Those fish would be better used elsewhere until we determine how to address pike in Shady Lane,” FWP fisheries biologist Kenny Breidinger said. “Continuing to stock trout would simply feed the pike population.”

Meanwhile, at Lake Mary Ronan near Dayton, recent surveys have identified numerous pike in the lake, causing heightened concern for the important kokanee salmon fishery. Lake Mary Ronan is the sole source of eggs used for kokanee stocking in the state.

As a result of the increasing pike population in Lake Mary Ronan, state officials said they are assessing other lakes in the region that could provide the hatchery program a backup spawning site for kokanee.

“We have not seen impacts to the Lake Mary Ronan fishery yet. However, the number of northern pike we caught in our spring monitoring survey is alarming,” Breidinger said.

Lake Mary Ronan contains kokanee salmon, largemouth bass, rainbow trout, and illegally introduced yellow perch, which would be impacted by a growing, naturally reproducing northern pike population, officials warned.

Pike were first detected in Lake Mary Ronan in 2014.

Anyone with possible information about an illegal introduction is encouraged to visit https://myfwp.mt.gov/fwpPub/tipmont to provide details or call the FWP violation reporting hot line at 1-800-TIP-MONT.