Baker River (Washington) year. The WDFW and others' models predicted a run size for Baker sockeye of 46,268 in 2015. Before Lower Baker Dam was built in 1925 the fish had free access to the river and natural (pre-dammed) Baker Lake. The annual sockeye run at that time was estimated to be approximately 20,000 fish. Artificial enhancement began in 1896 when the State of Washington constructed a hatchery on Baker Lake. This was the first establishment for the hatching of sockeye salmon. The hatchery closed in 1933. The construction of Upper Baker Dam in 1959 inundated the natural Baker Lake and surrounding valley,
Fish stringer Fish stringer A fish stringer is a line of rope or chain along which a fisherman can string fish so they can be immersed and kept alive in water. A rope stringer "(pictured)" is the simplest type of fish stringer. It consists of a line of rope or wire with a stringing needle made of metal or hardwood at one end. The other end usually has a removable wire ring which can be used to secure the stringer. Using the needle, the stringer is threaded through the fish gill and out through its mouth, or better, it is threaded through