Other commonly stocked species include Kokanee, brown trout and cutthroat trout. Most hatchery fish in Idaho are rainbow trout, which are typically released as catchable-sized fish (more on this in a second). Within seconds, you’re hooked up with the first of what promises to be a quick limit.Ĭrossing paths with freshly stocked fish is a treat, but there’s more to hatchery work than meets the eye - Idaho Fish and Game stocks more than 30 million fish every year! Where do they come from, and why are they released into fisheries across Idaho? The answers may surprise you. It’s a scenario every angler has dreamed of and a lucky few have experienced: You’re sitting on your favorite bank when, suddenly, a shiny tanker truck arrives and dumps hundreds of fish into the lake.
