5,000 Lahontan cuthroat trout to be placed in Lake Tahoe for first time; Public invited

Submitted by paula on Wed, 10/02/2019 - 8:36pm

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - For the first time ever, the Lahontan National Fish Hatchery will release 5,000 large Pilot Peak Lahontan cutthroat trout into their home waters of Lake Tahoe.

Over three days, the 12"-14" sized trout will be placed in the water, and the public is invited to two of those historic, interpretive stocking events during the Fall Fish Festival at Taylor Creek.

On both Saturday, October 5 and Sunday, October 6 at noon, the public can watch the stocking. The event will start at the Taylor Creek Visitor's Center with an interpretive talk, followed by a short walk to the stocking site.

On Monday, October 7, trout will be placed into the lake on the Nevada side, but this is not a public event.

All of the planted fish will have their adipose fins clipped to help identify them as stocked fish. The fish planted in Nevada will receive a Floy Tag to assist the Nevada Department of Wildlife in tracking their movement in the lake after release.

Stocking will enhance angling opportunities in Lake Tahoe and improve the visibility of this native trout in local communities and for those recreating in the area, according to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. The Lahontan cutthroat trout is the largest inland cutthroat trout in the world and the only trout native to the Lake Tahoe Basin. The iconic lake form of this species was once the top predator in the area but disappeared from Lake Tahoe due to land-use changes and overfishing.

"Through stocking efforts and working with partners in the Lake Tahoe Environmental Improvement program we can once again provide this important top predator and sportfish a chance to thrive," said Joanna Gilkeson of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.

Partners are the Washoe Tribe of California and Nevada, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service - Lahontan National Fish Hatchery Complex, USFS - Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, California Department of Fish & Wildlife, and the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency.

For more information on the Lahontan cutthroat rout and efforts to bring its population back, visit https://www.fws.gov/lahontannfhc/.