A tournament earlier this month helped in the effort to salvage bluegill before Steinaker Reservoir is drained for repairs. According to DWR Conservation Outreach Manager Tonya Kieffer, there were 110 tournament participants. TJ Hiatt took first place in the adult division with 90 fish followed by Eryn VanDyke with 76 fish. Sadie Hiatt took first place in the youth division with 90 fish followed by Tyler Grimshaw with 79 fish. There was a total of 2,505 bluegill caught on the day of the tournament. The salvage efforts were also ongoing in the days before and after the tournament with anglers catching 5,266 bluegill on those days for a total of 7,771 bluegill over the four day period. “We still have a long way to go to salvage more resources,” shares Kieffer, “but we have nothing new planned as far as salvages at this time. We were informed by State Parks that they expect the last boats to launch mid-July due to water depth and everything to be at dead pool by September 1st.” Anglers are encouraged to harvest all catches and remember there is no limit on fish species caught on Steinaker Reservoir.
