EPA's Vessel General Permit and Small Vessel General

Once smolts enter the Pacific Ocean, they distribute widely across the North Pacific, generally
above 40ºN where a current boundary is located. Season, temperature, salinity, life stage, age,
size, availability of prey and population-of-origin are all factors that influence offshore
movements (Burgner 1991). They may migrate several thousand miles in search of prey and are
considered to travel continuously (Royce et al. 1968). While at sea, sockeye prey upon a variety
of organisms, including small fish (capelin, lantern fish, cod, sand lance, herring and pollock),
squid, crustacean larvae, krill and other invertebrates (Foerster 1968, French et al. 1976, Wing
1977).
Spawning generally occurs in late summer and autumn, but the precise time can vary greatly
among populations. Age at maturity varies by region from 2 to 5 years, but is generally 2 to 4
years in Washington State (Burgner 1991). Males often arrive earlier than females on the
spawning grounds, and will persist longer during the spawning period.
Incubation is a function of water temperatures, but generally lasts between 100 and roughly 200
days (Burgner 1991). After emergence, fry move rapidly downstream or upstream along the
banks to the lake rearing area. Fry emerging from lakeshore or island spawning grounds may
simply move along the shoreline of the lake (Burgner 1991).
Ozette Lake Sockeye Salmon
Distribution and Description of the Listed Species
This ESU includes all naturally spawned sockeye salmon in Ozette Lake, Ozette River, Coal
Creek, and other tributaries flowing into Ozette Lake, Washington. Composed of only one
population, the Ozette Lake sockeye salmon ESU consists of five spawning aggregations or
subpopulations which are grouped according to their spawning locations. The five spawning
locations are Umbrella and Crooked creeks, Big River, and Olsen’s and Allen’s beaches (NMFS
2009).
Adult Ozette Lake sockeye salmon enter Ozette Lake through the Ozette River from mid-April to
mid-August, holding three to nine months in Ozette Lake prior to spawning in late October
through January. Sockeye salmon spawn primarily in lakeshore upwelling areas in Ozette Lake
(particularly at Allen's Bay and Olsen's Beach), and in two tributaries Umbrella Creek and Big
River. Minor spawning may occur below Ozette Lake in the Ozette River or in Coal Creek, a
tributary of the Ozette River. Beach spawners are almost all age-4 adults, while tributary
spawners are ages 3 and 5 (Haggerty et al., 2009 in NMFS 2009). Spawning occurs in the fall
through early winter, with peak spawning in tributaries in November and December. Eggs and
alevins remain in the gravel until the fish emerge as fry in spring. Fry then migrate immediately
to the limnetic zone in Ozette Lake, where the fish rear. After one year of rearing, in late spring,
Ozette Lake sockeye salmon emigrate seaward as age-1+ smolts, where they spend between 1
and 3 years in ocean before returning to fresh water.
Status and Trends
NMFS originally listed Ozette Lake sockeye salmon ESU as a threatened species in 1999 (64 FR
14528). This classification was retained on June 28, 2005 (70 FR 37160). This ESU includes all
naturally spawned populations of sockeye salmon in Ozette Lake, Ozette River, Coal Creek, and
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