From Deseret News archives:

DWR to stock Strawberry with 410,000 larger fish

Published: Thursday, May 8, 2008 12:27 a.m. MDT
 |  E-MAIL | PRINT | FONT + - 
Plans are to plant more rainbow trout in Strawberry Reservoir.

Money to assist in the project will come through private donations. Plans are to put in 410,000 sterile fish.

For years, Utah Division of Wildlife Resources biologists have worked to establish a healthy population of Bear Lake cutthroat trout in Strawberry.

The rainbow has been a recreational fish. They are easier to catch and, being sterile, grow faster. The problem has been twofold: First, to find sterile rainbow, and second, to come up with funding for the fish.

The Bear Lake cutts were put in the reservoir to control Utah chubs. The lake was treated ain 1991 to remove the overpopulation of chubs.

After the chubs were showing signs of a comeback, the Division of Wildlife Resources changed regulations to increase the number of larger cutts.

For those who like to catch and keep fish, however, there is a down-side to the regulations. That is, many of the cutthroats being caught fall within the 15- to 22-inch slot limit that anglers aren't allowed to keep. And among those fish larger than 22 inches, anglers can keep only one.

Story continues below
There are no length restrictions on rainbow or kokanee salmon. But there aren't many in the reservoir. Many of those being stocked are ending up as food for the larger cutts.

Unfortunately, the cutthroat trout are unable to distinguish between so-called trash fish, or chubs, and game fish, which in this case are smaller rainbow and cutthroats.

The smaller rainbow and cutthroat trout have been on the decline for the past couple of years, which can be linked to the increase in more and larger cutthroat.

The larger cutthroat have no trouble eating an 8-inch fish — chub, rainbow or cutthroat. When fish reach 8 inches in length, however, there is a significantly higher survival rate. The fish are larger and smarter and know how to avoid being eaten.

Previously, cutthroat planted in Strawberry in the spring were between 6 and 7 inches, and those planted in the fall were 4 to 5 inches.

Predictions are that there are more than 200,000 cutthroat larger than 20 inches in Strawberry. There were years in the mid-1990s where modeling projected there were fewer than 500 of the larger fish in the lake.

Biologists have found that if they stock larger rainbow, 8 inches or larger, the fish's chances of being eaten are greatly reduced. They suggest that stocking the larger rainbow could well be the solution to the shortage on rainbow.

Growing fish that large, however, means they must remain in the hatchery for a longer period of time. Which, of course, means it costs more to raise the fish.

Comments

You can be the first to comment on this story.

Image

Evan Freeman, center, and Paula Friskel pull in gillnets as Justin Robinson, left, watches during DWR survey of fish populations at Strawberry Reservoir in 2007.

previousnext

Latest comments

It's soccer. Why does everyone have to make everything a religion issue?

So got what is deserved. DWill was not ready. No chance .

Wyoming writer amazed by BYU

This man has covered 42 years of WYOMING football and this byu team is the...

U. wants home-court edge

Ah, poor utes. Just like the team from provo made their own version of the...

5A teams best of decade

2003 HUNTER WOLVERINES, 14-0, dominated all opponents. Notable Players: ...

Utility worker killed in Roosevelt

Dear Cindy and family, I send my thoughts and prayers to be with you at the...

Did you see the monkey? He had holes cut into his head, titanium pins screwed...

byu out-recruiting utah easily the last several years...

5A teams best of decade

Carbon High Dinos would beat any 5A team you throw at them!!!

Mike, you are absolutely correct, Salt Lake's dispatch center as well as the...

Advertisements
Advertisement