Disapearing Trout

Disapearing Trout

Susan Allen
Susan Allen

 

One of the pleasures of back country whether horse back or hiking  is finding remote mountain lakes to fish, but that  soon could become  just a  memory. I’m Susan Allen stay tuned for OpenRange to learn why trout numbers in high mountain lakes are dwindling. There’ve been reports of declining trout numbers in high mountain lakes so what’s happening to the fish?  My grandfather who lived at the base of Mt.Hood told tales of taking fingerlings into Cascade lakes in the 1930’s. Back then they hauled the fish in waxed packs by pack horses and  mules.  That must have been something. For over a hundred year folks out west  have dedicated themselves to stocking  high mountain lakes with trout, but these fish  weren’t native and we now know that non-native trout can destroy native organisms like  frogs and salamanders. Despite the high public demand for lake fishing, in the past few years  biologists with the National Parks system have discontinued stocking in areas like Washington’s North Cascades and recently  the Sierra Nevada’s in California . In 2008 the National park Service issued a statement that basically said that unless congress would intervene (they haven’t) non-native fish would be banned in many high country lakes. Within  a decade trout could be gone from alpine lakes, more reason to get into the high country and fish this  summer. Always catch and release so we can keep  those trout there  as long as we can. I’m Susan Allen
Previous ReportNCBA Calls To Block Judge
Next ReportMcDonalds Hoax