Twin Lakes spawning facility

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    • #115893
      Mikkman
      Participant

        Hi all,
        New user, but have really enjoyed reading through some of the forum discussions. Great stuff.

        I hiked up to Twin Lakes above Lake Wenatchee Saturday. My first time there. I had always heard that the Twin Lakes were used by the game department but really didn’t know much more. When I got up there I was very intrigued with the old game department station cabin and the fish traps. As a long time Scouter I couldn’t help but think what a great experience it would be to takes some Boy Scouts up there to learn about the place. We enjoy catching the cutthroat on our 50-milers and other trips. Would be cool to learn more about one of the resources responsible for our fun, it may also be an opportunity for future service projects for our scouts, especially those aspiring for Eagle rank. My son is aged out of Scouting, but I like to stay involved. As frequent visitors to alpine lakes some of you may have even taken advantage of my son’s Eagle project. He built and installed a kybo up at Chain Lakes (Chelan County) in 2013. Check it out here:
        http://www.nwhikers.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=8007831&start=0&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=

        I’ve been searching the web trying to find more information, especially a contact person involved in it’s management, but without much luck so far.

        Was wondering (hoping) if anyone out there could point me to the right person to talk to arrange such a visit. I would love to bring a group of our Scouts to meet and learn about the facility, and learn more about it myself for that matter.

      • #115895
        Brian Curtis
        Keymaster

          I remember that TR from nwhikers!

          There is a tiny bit of history about the Twin Lakes station in the old Game Department document on the origin of state brood stocks on the Trail Blazer website. Basically, they were talking about it in 1916 and were taking eggs by 1921. They take eggs (westslope cutthroat) in May and June which are then taken to the Chelan Hatchery for rearing. From there fry are sent to hatcheries around the state for stocking. There are traps on inlet streams were fish are captured and spawned. I’ve never been up there when they are spawning fish, but that sure would be fun. I will try and see if I can come up with a contact person.

          • This reply was modified 5 years, 4 months ago by Brian Curtis.
        • #115897
          Mikkman
          Participant

            Thanks Brian!

            I found the same document, very brief… I’m surprised there isn’t more information or history out there about the Spawning Station.
            When I came across the cabin on my hike I couldn’t help but think that my dad must have been up there when he was a Scout. The present cabin was built in 1949. My dad was a Scout in Troop 1 out of Cashmere from about 1944-1951. His uncle, Jim McKellar was the Scoutmaster. (McKellar was Troop 1’s first Eagle, BTW) Uncle Jim had a cabin on Lake Wenatchee and knew every inch of the mountains in the area, no doubt in my mind that he would have taken his Scouts up there to check it out, he probably volunteered the boys to help build it, lol.

            Anyway, would be a good outing and informative if we had a fisheries guy there. The Scoutmaster for troop I still participate with is very interested with the outing idea. Who knows, maybe we have a future biologist in the troop.
            I figure if anybody ‘knows a guy that knows a guy’, you’d be a good bet.

            Attached are a couple pics from the station

            Attachments:
          • #115901
            Mikkman
            Participant

              Update on my quest.

              A former co-worker of mine is married to a Wildlife Biologist that worked at Fish and Game for many years. He’s in the private sector now. I reached out to him on LinkedIn. (funny how old friendships help you in life). He is going to try to find ‘the guy’ to talk to about the Spawning Station for me. It was a timely re-connect with him, he said my reaching out was uncanny. He was thinking about getting his boys out to overnight to an alpine lake for some fishing and wanted my advice on some options. Too funny!

              I’ll keep ya posted on what I learn about it but still welcome input from anyone who wants to share or impart knowledge.

              Mikk

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