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VERNAL — The average size of an 8-year-old trout in Flaming Gorge was about 30 inches back in the 1990s, according to Ryan Mosley, a Flaming Gorge Lead Fisheries biologist for the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources.
"Today, an 8-year-old fish is about 23 inches long," he said, in a news release Thursday. "On top of the decreased length, the number of small lake trout in the reservoir has increased, and we're concerned the situation is going to get worse."
Smaller lake trout not only cause problems to their own species because there are so many of them, but they also lead to issues for kokanee salmon and rainbow trout, species that smaller lake trout prey on and compete with. With too many predators in the water and concerns about the health of lake trout in the future, state wildlife biologists have a simple solution to helping the future of lake trout and other fish that live in the reservoir.
They want anglers to keep all the lake trout they catch, as long as it falls within the daily limit established for Flaming Gorge — 12 lake trout with one that can exceed 28 inches. This, they believe, will ultimately allow for more kokanee salmon and rainbow trout to survive, and allow for remaining lake trout to grow faster and larger to become the trophy fish anglers desire.
"Reducing the number of small lake trout now will mean healthier lake trout in the future, while also increasing the survival of trout and salmon that are highly sought after by anglers," Mosley adds. "They're already growing slower and unless we can 'thin the herd,' it will only get worse."
Both the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources and Wyoming Game and Fish Department back the idea, which is why they are supporting four fishing tournaments this year between the two states so that more anglers catch more fish and speed up the process of changinge the fish habitat at Flaming Gorge.
There's the Buckboard "Pupulation" Control Contest that began in October and runs through June 12. It costs anywhere from $10 to $25 to enter but anglers who catch lake trout with certain color o tags can win instant cash prizes. Then there's the Flaming Gorge Fish Derby on May 15 and May 16. The entry fee for a team of one to three members is $200.
Finally, there are a pair of events scheduled for June, which are the Buckboard Marina Hell on Reels Fishing Derby (only for the Wyoming side of Flaming Gorge) and the Ducks Unlimited Gorge Fishing Derby.
But Mosley contends anglers don't have to wait for a contest to start fishing at Flaming Gorge.
"Many anglers don't fish the gorge's open water this time of year, so there's very little fishing pressure," he said. "It's a great time to get out and target these smaller fish."
Just remember to not toss the small lake trout you catch back into the water.
