F&G angles for bull trout input

Idaho Department of Fish and Game from 7 to 9 p.m. Tuesday will discuss allowing anglers to once again harvest bull trout from Lake Pend Oreille.

The meeting will be held at the Federal Building at 1500 Highway 2 in Sandpoint.

Bull trout are a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act and cannot be harvested statewide. Under certain circumstances, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service allows state fish and wildlife agencies to offer limited harvest seasons for listed species under strict provisions where surplus fish are available.

Fish and Game wishes to pursue a limited harvest of surplus bull trout from Lake Pend Oreille by working with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife to develop a season.

Officials believe a limited harvest on bull trout is appropriate because the Pend Oreille system has a surplus number of adult spawners, which exceeds the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service draft recovery plan criteria.

Another proposal includes a limit of two largemouth bass at a minimum of 16 inches on Anderson, Blue, Chase, Hayden and Robinson lakes; Lake Pend Oreille; and Pend Oreille River. Fishing would be open all year. Up to six smallmouth bass of any size could be taken, or a total of six largemouth and smallmouth bass combined.