IDAHO, USA — Idaho Fish & Game (IDFG) announced that the department will be manually stunning rainbow trout on the South Fork Snake River and moving them to the Upper Snake Region to help the local cutthroat trout. IDFG plans to move the fish for four weeks, along different sections of the river, from April 25 to May 18.
"As part of an ongoing effort to protect the genetic integrity of the native Yellowstone cutthroat trout in the South Fork Snake River and reduce their hybridization with non-native rainbow trout, fisheries biologists from Idaho Fish and Game will be manually removing rainbow and hybrid trout over the next few weeks," a press release stated.
The fish will be stunned with electro-shocking equipment and moved to ensure the safety of the eco-system.
"All rainbow trout removed from the South Fork Snake River will be transported to local fishing waters. Stocked fish will be delivered to Trail Creek Pond, Jim Moore Pond, Snake River near Idaho Falls, and the upper Big Lost River. Shocking efforts and stocking are subject to change due to weather or other unforeseen factors," the release stated.
Although anglers can still fish during this time, IDFG has a full schedule up that people can view here, if they would like to avoid the activity.
Watch more Local News:
See the latest news from around the Treasure Valley and the Gem State in our YouTube playlist:
Download the KTVB mobile app to get breaking news, weather and important stories at your fingertips.