Howdy Folks,

I'm a graduate student from the Evergreen State College, and I'm looking to see what affect that warming river temperatures will have on the movement of spiny rays from lakes to rivers and if they have an subsequent influence on salmonids within the river. I'm looking for study sites where I can test the influence of water temperature on the movement of spiny ray species up and down a stream or river. I was hoping with everyone out there having gone to many different places, some of you may know of a site where I could study such phenomenon. Thanks to ya'll. Tight lines.

I was just reading an interesting piece on the Oakanogan River and migrations of walleye. It was in the most recent Walleye magazine. I know that rivcer has smallmouth and salmonids.

From what I understand the Walleye have started to increase in numbers but also Steelhead and Salmon have started to increase. So if thats true then Spiny Rays have little effect on them.

Also Smallmouth fishing is awesome in the Okanogan River.

There are certainly a number of opportunities for this in the state; however, with less than stellar runs of anadramous fish in many areas, you may have to focus more on trout than salmon and steelhead. Here's what I could come up with:

Black Lake and Black River near you. Lake Isabella and Mill Creek near Shelton, Lake Limerick and Cranberry Creek (not too sure if this is the creek, but Limerick's drainage anyway), Lake Sammamish and its tributaries, the mainstem Columbia (acting as the lake) and the Willamette River (walleyes and smallmouth already moving upstream), Riffe Lake and the upper Cowlitz--- one of those should be what you're looking for.

Good luck,

Keith