May 10, 2023 |
Photo – Saratoga Lake – Bigfoot99 file photo
Saratoga Lake has been restocked with fish. Anglers may want to wait a little longer before casting a line, though.
After non-native Yellow Perch were discovered in Saratoga Lake in 2021, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department took the drastic step of killing every fish in the lake last fall. Game and Fish biologists said the massive kill-off was the only way to prevent the invasive perch from spreading downstream and potentially damaging the environment.
Last week, Game and Fish biologists began reintroducing sport fish back into the lake. Public Information Officer Caroline Rosinski said biologists stocked two different types of young adult trout: totaling around 2,200 fish.
Rosinski said the Saratoga National Fish Hatchery is expected to perform a second round of restocking at the end of May or early June.
People have been asking when fishing on Saratoga Lake may resume. Rosinski said Game and Fish biologists expect anglers should be able to get back on the lake soon.
Last September, Game and Fish biologists administered a fish-specific toxin called Rotenone into Saratoga Lake. Biologists spent last summer removing the dead fish and burying them in large pits dug along the lake’s eastern shore. When no live fish remained, biologists used “canary fish” to test if the Rotenone was still active in the water. Rosinski said when the canary fish stopped dying, biologists knew Saratoga Lake would be ready to be restocked in the summer.
No one is sure when the yellow perch had been introduced into the lake before they were discovered. Rosinski said it is also impossible to know if any of the invasive perch made their way out of the lake and into the North Platte River System. However, the public relations officer said Game and Fish performed a comprehensive search and were satisfied that none of the invasive fish appeared to have escaped into the local ecosystem.
Sport fishing is expected to resume this summer. Rosinski said Game and Fish biologists will occasionally visit the lake to monitor the growth of the fish. The public information officer said public feedback is encouraged.
The lake kill-off forced Saratoga officials to cancel the town’s annual ice fishing tournament. With a restocked and healthy lake, the 2024 Saratoga Lake Ice Fishing Derby should happen during the 3rd week of January.
