Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
VERNAL — In an effort to rebuild the fishery at Red Fleet Reservoir, Division of Wildlife Resources officials are asking anglers to immediately release any yellow perch and crappie caught there until July 1.
The two fish species were stocked in the reservoir in April as part of a plan to rebuild the fishery, DWR said. In an effort to save native, endangered fish living in the Green River, located downstream from Red Fleet Reservoir, DWR officials treated the reservoir with rotenone in October 2015 to kill the predatory walleye.
After collecting data as well as recommendations from a citizens committee, DWR biologists stocked 10-inch rainbow trout, 8-inch native cutthroat trout and wipers in Red Fleet Reservoir in November. They then added yellow perch, black crappie and sterile walleye in April. Up to 5 million sterile walleye fry, each measuring about a ½-inch long, will be stocked into Red Fleet during 2016.
DWR regional outreach manager Ron Stewart said protecting the recently stocked yellow perch and crappie is important to the future of the Red Fleet Reservoir fishery.
"These fish are the breeding stock, the future of the Red Fleet fishery,” Stewart said. “Since they are few in number, only 1,050 yellow perch and only a few hundred crappie, we need every fish to stay in the reservoir to ensure the spawning effort is successful."
Anglers should immediately release any yellow perch and crappie that are caught in the reservoir until July 1. After that date, they may keep the yellow perch and crappie that are caught in Red Fleet Reservoir; however, the statewide limit, which is the limit that will be in effect at Red Fleet, is 50 yellow perch and 50 crappie, DWR said.
In addition to the yellow perch, crappie and walleye fry that were placed in the reservoir this spring, mountain whitefish and fathead minnows are also going to be stocked later this spring and summer, DWR said.
