The Status of Northern Pike in the Tanana River Drainage
 ADF&G has studied the status of selected pike stocks in the Tanana River drainage since the mid-1980s. Intensive study has occurred to date at several locations, including Minto Flats, East Twin, Harding, Volkmar, George, and T lakes. Common objectives of these studies have been to estimate the age, sex, and size composition of the populations, and the abundance of pike that exceed 12 inches. While the status of most populations appears good, pike fishing in Minto Flats and Harding Lake was curtailed with regulatory restrictions because the results of the studies indicated that these populations were overharvested. The entire Tolovana River drainage, which includes the Minto Flats, has been closed to winter sport fishing from October 15 through May 31 since 1987, and at Harding Lake all pike fishing has been closed since May 2000 because of a depletion of the fishery resulting from lost spawning habitat; spears and bow and arrows are not allowed. In spite of difficult access to many of the stocks of pike, overharvest of some of them has occurred and is a threat to others.
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Status of Tanana River pike fisheries