For second time, more than 4,600 Lahontan cutthroat trout placed in native Lake Tahoe
Following a successful three-day operation in October, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service this week released more than 4,600 Lahontan cutthroat trout into Lake Tahoe, helping to restore the iconic species to its native waters.
Lahontan cutthroat trout are the largest inland cutthroat trout in the world and the only trout native to Lake Tahoe.
The 4,645 fish from the Pilot Peak strain, originated at the Lahontan National Fish Hatchery Complex in Gardnerville and were released into the Nevada side of the lake this week.
The fish are also native to Nevada’s nearby Pyramid Lake, which has become something of a worldwide angling destination among those seeking to catch a cutthroat trout of a lifetime and fish that routinely weigh in double-digits.
In partnership with the Nevada Department of Wildlife, 2,000 of the trout released this week were FLOY tagged with a unique ID and phone number so anglers can report their catch and help the Nevada Department of Wildlife learn more about the movements of these stocked Lahontan cutthroat trout in Lake Tahoe.
In October 2019, Lahontan National Fish Hatchery released 5,000 large Pilot Peak Lahontan cutthroat trout into Lake Tahoe over three days.
Stocking enhances 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 species was once the top predator in the area but disappeared from Lake Tahoe due to land-use changes and overfishing, according to U.S. Fish and Wildlife.
Among the agencies involved in the recent release are the Washoe Tribe of California and Nevada, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency and the U.S. Forest Service, Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit.