Berryessa is back

My last trip to Berryessa still produced a few kokes. I think it was spring 2016. There were kokes near the dam, not as big and didn't seem as plentiful as years past, but the lake has such an incredible forage base i would be shocked if the koke fishery is beyond resurecting. It seems that the hot Kokanee lakes are on somewhat of a cycle with no one lake being the "it lake" for more than 2-3 seasons consecutively.
Last year, Stampede and Bullards Bar were kicking out limits of Kokanee between 15-17". I wonder which lake will
Be the hot one this year? I'm crossing my fingers for new melones. It's been a bit since the Kokanee population there was worth making the trip there

If kokes are stocked and water levels remain relatively high, they should respond well.  They grow quickly.  Predation could play a role in numbers reduction, but if anything it would help reduce competition for resources among the kokes and result in bigger kokes.  Berryessa's elevation and dominant inflow type (rain) trend it to at least a mesotrophic, if not a eutrophic, system.  These types of conditions can lead to accelerated growth of salmonids, but they bring with them the risks of lake stratification and oxygen depletion in the hypolimnion.  If fish are stressed due to low oxygen and high temperatures, they don’t tend to fare well and growth rates can be affected.

Sources: my dusty old fisheries textbooks 

It's about crappies! Berry makes big crappies      This year lots of little baby crappies will start the next growth boom if we get a good spawn with all the habitat returning again.

Here's an oldie but goodie from the last high water year (2013).

You can always make the trip to Whiskeytown and catch a limit , not big but tasty.....

Where and what is Whiskeytown? And do they have good whiskey?

Where and what is Whiskeytown? And do they have good whiskey?

Just west of Redding, no whiskey at the lake, but they have whiskey on draught at Shameless O'leary's downtown Redding 😆

Thanks BmB and Polepole for your informed responses. Clayman nailed it.

If kokes are stocked and water levels remain relatively high, they should respond well.  They grow quickly.  Predation could play a role in numbers reduction, but if anything it would help reduce competition for resources among the kokes and result in bigger kokes.  Berryessa's elevation and dominant inflow type (rain) trend it to at least a mesotrophic, if not a eutrophic, system.  These types of conditions can lead to accelerated growth of salmonids, but they bring with them the risks of lake stratification and oxygen depletion in the hypolimnion.  If fish are stressed due to low oxygen and high temperatures, they don’t tend to fare well and growth rates can be affected.

Sources: my dusty old fisheries textbooks 

I get all stratified when I'm depleted...especially when I'm hypolimnated     

Here is some scientific data regarding Berryessa and Kokanee.

http://www.ciffi.org/2-uncategorised/80-update-regarding-our-kokanee-inland-fisheries

"A study over the past 18 months has been conducted on Lake Berryessa; in the hopes of identifying why the kokanee fishery has declined there...... dissolved oxygen content of Lake Berryessa is lower than needed for a thriving kokanee fishery.  During the sample period, dissolved oxygen was measured at a level of 2; a level of 5 is needed for kokanee to thrive.

....Speculation is when Berryessa’s capacity level drops somewhere below 60% capacity, the hypolimnium of the lake is very small and that results in very low dissolved oxygen levels - causing the kokanee to die off.  When Berryessa fills, the hypolimnium layer is thicker and greater dissolved oxygen is available. 

Many may ask, why have we not seen this earlier?  Keep in mind this is the first extended drought we have experienced since kokanee have been planted in Lake Berryessa.  The last extended drought was 1986-1991; before kokanee were ever planted in Berryessa. "

This also brings up the question as to why Tahoe seems to rear such relatively small kokanee when it fact it would appear on the surface to be a perfect kokanee lake.  Of course, the state record koke came out of Tahoe, but the average fish isn't any larger than those from say Pardee.

My take?  Mysis shrimp.

Can I jig for Kokes at Berryessa?

***Status Update***

Berryessa is up another 2 FEET in the past 24 hours to 432.5 ft and rising fast.   

Now 7.5 feet from Glory Hole spillover.

Web Cam shot...
https://www.wunderground.com/webcams/teedupp/1/show.html


 

Having at least a couple of feet of water spilling over the glory hole sure would help out Putah.

This also brings up the question as to why Tahoe seems to rear such relatively small kokanee when it fact it would appear on the surface to be a perfect kokanee lake.  Of course, the state record koke came out of Tahoe, but the average fish isn't any larger than those from say Pardee.

My take?  Mysis shrimp.

Thats correct been...the mysis shrimp and kokes compete for the same zooplaykton there.