July 2022 - 12

INSPIRE A KID
Helicopter fish stocking
If you are camping this summer near a
high-mountain lake, you might be lucky
enough to hear the sound of a helicopter
overhead. It could be the Wyoming Game
and Fish Department stocking fish in that
nearby lake.
Many lakes have wild fish that reproduce
naturally so Game and Fish doesn't need to
put fish in the lake. However, some lakes
are stocked with fish that were raised at a
hatchery so anglers can enjoy fishing there.
Stocking fish in the mountains is difficult
because some lakes are challenging to get
to. In the past, fish were stocked in these
backcountry lakes on horseback using large,
metal buckets filled with water and fish. It
could take several hours or even days to reach
just one lake. This was stressful on the fish
because the longer the trip the warmer the
water got and there was less oxygen for the
fish to breathe. Before helicopter stocking,
the water fish traveled in sometimes needed
to be changed several times per trip.
In 1970 Game and Fish started to use
helicopters to stock hard-to-reach lakes. It
is faster, saves money and more fish survive.
Helicopter stocking starts in August since
most of these lakes are at high elevations, and
late summer is the only time they are ice-free.
Wilderness lakes are stocked every two years
around the state.
The following is a breakdown of how
helicopter fish stocking works:
1. Fish are loaded into a tank with eight
separate cylinders. This tank hangs beneath
the helicopter.
2. The pilot takes off and travels to the
waters to be stocked.
3. The pilot gets the helicopter in the right
position over the lake, about 10 feet above
the water.
4. The pilot opens the individual cylinders
using controls in the cockpit.
A helicopter stocks fish in Jade Lake in the Shoshone National
Forest. Helicopter stocking is common for high-mountain
lakes throughout Wyoming in the summer. (Photo by Jessica
U. Grant/WGFD)
5. Fish drop out of the tank along with
a lot of water. This is so the fish don't " belly
flop " into the lake. With the water they glide
in easily.
The number of fish stocked depends on the
size of the lake, but it is usually around 1,000.
Multiple lakes can be stocked in one flight.
GET HOOKED
ON SUMMER
Sharpen your skills and inspire your cooking with
several field guides, recipe books and knives
perfect for all Wyoming anglers. These books
and many other fishing-related merchandise can
be found at the Wyoming Game and Fish Store.
WYOMING GAME
AND FISH DEPT.
ONLINE
STORE
12 | July 2022
SHOP ONLINE at
wgfd.wyo.gov/store
or call 1-800 LIV-WILD

https://wgfd.wyo.gov/Get-Involved/Inspire-a-Kid/ http://wgfd.wyo.gov/store

July 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of July 2022

July 2022 - 1
July 2022 - 2
July 2022 - 3
July 2022 - 4
July 2022 - 5
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https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/july-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/june-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/wyoming-wildlife-may-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/april-2024-e-edition
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/march-2024
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https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/december-2023
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https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/dec-2021
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https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/December2020
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