May 5, 2023 |
Photo – Saratoga Lake – Bigfoot99 file photo
Biologists with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department began rebuilding the fishery at Saratoga Lake this week. Fish in the recreational waterway were killed off last fall to remove yellow perch that had been introduced into the popular fishing spot illegally. On Wednesday, trout were stocked back into the lake for the first time since the kill-off that took place at the end of September last year. Game and Fish biologists said the lake was stocked with tiger and rainbow trout that came from the Game and Fish Wigwam Rearing Station in Ten Sleep.
The state wildlife agency discovered yellow perch in Saratoga Lake two years ago. Wildlife officials say the presence of the perch was the result of illegal stocking. The lake is managed as a trout fishery. A high abundance of stunted yellow perch can result in slower growth rates for managed sportfish like trout because of increased competition for food. Fisheries biologists also were concerned about yellow perch escaping into the upper reaches of the North Platte drainage, where they could do damage to other sport fisheries and native fish species in areas like the Miracle Mile.
To eliminate the threat the perch posed, Game and Fish cut off water flow to the lake in summer 2022 and completed a rotenone project to kill all fish in the lake in September. This project was successful, allowing the Saratoga Lake fishery to now be rebuilt.
The restocking effort took place this week.
“We expect the fish we stock in May will grow quickly and provide catchable fish to anglers at Saratoga Lake this summer,” said Laramie Region Fisheries Supervisor Bobby Compton.
After being cutoff from water inflows last summer, Saratoga has quickly refilled from the heavy snows this winter.
