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Fish sampling Photo courtesy Wyoming Game & Fish

The Pinedale fish crew has begun their summer field season with the sampling of Green River Lake and other area lakes. The netting effort on Green River Lake is conducted every three years to monitor fish population trends. Nets are placed in the evening at a few different locations and then hauled in early the next morning. The catch is recorded by species, including fish weights and lengths.

The netting effort is conducted three times over the course of several weeks to account for variability in weather and changes in fish behavior. Once the busy field season is over, the resulting data will be analyzed and compared with previous years to determine population trends for the various species over time.

The primary game fish being monitored are lake trout, rainbow trout, brook trout, mountain whitefish and kokanee salmon. Fish managers noted the kokanee salmon catch was down this year, likely a result of no kokanees being stocked the past two years and little natural reproduction. The largest fish netted in Green River Lake was a 26 pound lake trout and several 20-inch rainbows as well.

The Pinedale fish crew will continue sampling area lakes until rivers and streams clear and they can begin sampling those waters.