Wyoming Game & Fish Work Hard To Keep Fishing in the State Great
This week on Episode #4 of 'Wyoming Hookin' & Huntin' Outdoors' we welcome Rocky Mountain Discount Sports onboard as a part of WHHO team. I'll be talking with Dustin Fry from the hunting competition show Hunt Warz, Brian from Rocky Mountain Discount Sports, and with Wyoming Game & Fish (WGFD) about the incredible fishing in the state and how hard the Fish Biologists work to keep the fishing "World Class". Wyoming is home to 10 hatcheries across the state and it takes science, dedication, and knowledge to keep them functioning and producing high-quality fish. When you listen to WHHO Episode #4, you'll learn how much time, effort, and care is put into making sure Wyoming fish are well taken care of prior to being released into the lakes, rivers, and streams of the Cowboy State.
Tourism is the 2nd biggest money maker for the state of Wyoming, bringing in BILLIONS of dollars per year. Outdoor recreation is one of the major attractions that keep people coming here and fishing is a key feature...so making sure the fish are healthy and stocked is very important WGFD to help keep bringing in those dollars.
Throughout the state, there are many well-known fishing locations that are appealing to anglers worldwide, like the Miracle Mile and Grey Reef on the North Platte, Green River, Wind River, Snake River, Yellowstone Lake, Leigh Lake, Tongue River, and Alpine Lakes.
In Alpine Lakes (Snowy Range Mountains near Pinedale) there's a lack of natural spawning areas to be able to support natural reproduction, so WGFD stock's the lakes to keep the population numbers strong. Historically the fish were carried in cans on horseback which would take several hours or days to reach their final destination, but in the 1970's they took to the air. Helicopters are the desired mode of transportation to do the stocking still today because the lakes are in such a remote location. Using a helicopter cuts down on time, cost and manpower... but increased the number of fish that survived the trip.
The fish stocking usually occurs in late summer, because it's the only time the lakes are free of ice. In this video, you can see what it takes for WGFD to make a deposit into the alpine lakes.