Aerial Fish Planting in High Elevation Lakes

March 12, 2009

Question: I was wondering how Fish and Game plants fish in high elevation lakes and ponds in the Tahoe National Forest, where you can only reach them by hiking? (Bradley G.)

Answer: The Department of Fish and Game (DFG) uses a variety of methods to release fish into waters designated for receiving fish. In high-mountain waters that our planting trucks cannot reach, approximately 95 percent of the fish are planted by air. We also transport fish for planting by horse, mule and backpack.

DFG is very selective in planting high mountain lakes. Lakes that are planted do not receive plants every year. According to Dr. William Cox, DFG Program Manager for Fish Production and Distribution, that is not necessary because the fish grow very slowly and the successive year plants would not produce fish with notable size differences. Usually they are planted every second or third year.

At lower elevations most planting is done by trucking fish to designated sites.

Over 20 years ago I was at Richardson Lake above Tahoe when all of a sudden this big plane comes over the ridge, swoops down over the lake, opens a hatch and out come the fish!  We caught a lot of fish that weekend.   

They use to do helicopter drops to plant Kokanee in certain Sierra lakes.

I was fly fishing at a high mountain lake, hooked a brookie on my back cast......there are brookies in the delta now!