Idaho Fish and Game (IDFG) has announced that trout and bass populations in Eastern Idaho have been influenced by the recent drought, leading to increased fish stocking in the reservoirs.
Among the many issues caused by the drought, the fisheries in Southeastern and Eastern Idaho have noticed decreased trout and bass numbers in the Snake River and American Falls Reservoir.
The good snowpack the state received last winter left some people confused as to why the state is still experiencing drought. Drought is not that simple.
“It looked like we came out of last winter with a lot of available water,” said Patrick Kennedy, the Southeastern Idaho Fisheries Manager at Idaho Fish and Game. “But then through the spring and the summer, it was generally very dry. We didn't receive a lot of moisture. It was very hot, and that increased irrigation demand.”
These lower water levels place increased strain on the fish in the reservoirs and rivers.
“In general, drought conditions just provide less water. They limit the available habitat and then also water temperatures can be higher and so that can be stressful for fish during certain periods of the year,” Kennedy said.
IDFG is working to improve the conditions, but Kennedy says it is important to remember reservoirs are not only for fishing.
“Fish habitat was not really a goal behind the American Falls Reservoir,” Kennedy said. “We kind of created a fishery out of this reservoir that was made for irrigation.”
Fishing came as a pleasant side effect of the reservoir; one IDFG is happy to maintain.
And they really are putting in a lot of work to keep up the fishing opportunities here in Idaho. Last week they stocked thousands of new fish into American Falls Reservoir.
With how dry this spring and summer have been, the reservoir is down to 3% capacity. As winter comes, less water will leave the reservoir, and the levels will likely rise.
However, these lower levels in the rivers and reservoirs do mean that fish are more susceptible to anglers. And because the fisheries want to keep track of the newly stocked fish, they have tagged the trout.
“Tag, you’re it!” Kennedy said. It is a way to tell anglers and the public that they get to be a part of collecting the data.
Anglers who find the tagged fish can go to IDFG.Idaho.gov or call their regional office to report the fish as well as information like location and size.
Collecting this information from anglers helps IDFG know what is working and how many fish survive. They can also compare the location of a trout when it was caught to the original release location and determine how far the fish are traveling.
All in all? Idaho Fish and Game is working hard to keep anglers happy.