Read the full article at: https://gf.nd.gov/news-releases

Fisheries crews in North Dakota successfully completed their annual salmon spawning operation on Lake Sakakawea, collecting 1.9 million eggs for the 2024 season. Russ Kinzler, the Missouri River System fisheries supervisor, described the spawn as "almost perfect," with a high number of fish and favorable weather. This year, they also observed a notable increase in the size of the salmon compared to last year, with the average size of female salmon at 5.8 pounds—over a pound larger than in 2023. The operation not only collected enough eggs for Lake Sakakawea but also helped South Dakota by providing over 715,000 eggs for their salmon program. The eggs will be used to stock 350,000 smolts in Lake Sakakawea by 2025. Since salmon cannot naturally reproduce in North Dakota, the fish are captured and transported to Garrison Dam National Fish Hatchery for egg collection. After hatching, the young salmon spend six months in the hatchery before being released into the lake.