Reader Sigrid T. in California posed a great question to the Department of Fish and Game today: What is the average size of newly released trout from your hatcheries?
DFG marine biologist Carrie Wilson had a great answer for Sigrid on the DFG Outdoors Q&A blog:
"Catchable size trout from DFG hatcheries are about eight to 12 inches long and weigh 1/4 to one pound each. Occasionally, surplus broodstock that weigh several pounds each may be stocked. Non-state commercial trout hatcheries may stock larger fish at private and semi-public waters. These are purchased by the water manager or local concessionaire. Some of the released trout may not be caught immediately and others will live in the lake or reservoir for a second season."
Speaking of trout plants, have you ever wondered how a trout plant works? Here are a couple shots from a trout plant I witnessed a while back, and how they typically work.
Now's a good time to talk about it, with the Labor Day holiday and all.
In fact, here's a list of California fisheries scheduled to receive trout plants in coming days. Don't live in California? Check out our rules and regulations page for a link to your state's agency page for stock schedules.
Photo by Brian Milne.
Comments
That’s interesting – are they saying they don’t stock with the trout until they are 8″ long? Seems to me if that is true, they are in the hatchery a long time or somehow grow pretty quick!
I know that many places – Alberta for example, trout are stocked when they are about 2″ long.
We are lucky in Montana. All trout in moving waters are wild. Stocking is limited to fingerlings in high alpine lakes that lack wild reproduction on a 5 year stocking schedule. Some trout are also stocked in large reservoirs.