fishery management report no. 12–46 - Alaska Department of Fish ...

and burbot are taken by hook-and-line, as well as with spears. The department has annually
issued between 1 to 6 ice house permits for George Lake since the early 1980s.
Volkmar Lake is semi-remote and is relatively close to Delta Junction and Fort Greely (Figure
2). There are numerous private land parcels and cabins around the shoreline, relatively easy
wintertime access, and good catch rates of northern pike. Volkmar Lake is situated north of the
Tanana River, and most of the fishing effort is thought to occur through the ice during spring
when temperatures are more moderate and the Tanana River can be crossed safely. During
summer, Volkmar Lake can only be accessed by float-equipped aircraft. Northern pike stock
assessment studies are done periodically for both George and Volkmar lakes (Table 10; Pearse
and Hanson 1993; Pearse 1994; Scanlon 2001; Wuttig and Reed 2010).
In 1995, a record 1,263 angler-days occurred on Volkmar Lake, with a harvest of 1,084 pike
(Parker 2009a). In 1996, effort and harvest fell to the lowest recorded level (191 angler-days and
9 fish harvested). In 1996, anglers reported that size and abundance of pike in Volkmar Lake
had declined. At the 1997 board meeting, the board adopted a bag and possession limit of 1 fish,
no size limit, as a conservation measure. Stock assessment in 2000 estimated a population of
615 northern pike ≥18 inches (~450 mm) in Volkmar Lake; it is thought that the large harvest in
1995 was likely responsible for the decline in population and harvests at that level were not
sustainable (Parker 2009a).
Recent Fishery Performance
The 5- and 10-year average catches and harvests of northern pike in both George and Volkmar
lakes have remained very similar, although there is annual variability (Table 7). Both these lakes
are almost exclusively northern pike fisheries; therefore, estimates of effort may be applied to
these lakes more readily than for other multi-species fisheries.
Fishing effort in George Lake is highly variable, ranging from 249 to 1,645 angler-days in just
the past 5 years (Appendix B). This variability may be due to water levels in George Creek,
which are not always high enough to allow anglers boat access into the lake, or due to ice
conditions on the Tanana. When there is severe overflow, it is difficult to cross the Tanana on
snowmachine. In 2001 and 2003, harvest of northern pike in George Lake increased
dramatically as more anglers were able to access the lake via boat (due to high water), but
declined in 2002 and 2004 because the outlet was low. In 2007, harvest increased at George
Lake because the outlet was boat accessible during the spring. The harvest of 82 northern pike in
2011 was the lowest in the past 10 years (Table 7).
Since 2001, fishing effort on Volkmar Lake has averaged 177 angler-days per year (Appendix
B). Since 2001, harvests of northern pike at Volkmar Lake ranged from 0 fish in 2007 to 127 in
2002 (Table 7). From 2006 to 2010, average harvest and catch of northern pike was 38 and 207
fish, respectively (Table 7).
Fisheries Objectives and Management
George Lake
A draft departmental management plan for George and Volkmar lakes was developed in 2007;
previously the fishery had been managed for a annual exploitation rate of 10%–20%. The
revised management objective for George Lake is to maintain a population size greater than
9,200 northern pike >18 inches (~450 mm) in size. An abundance less than this is the threshold
at which a management action to restrict harvest would be taken by the department.
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