The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources had a busy year in 2020 in their effort to enhance fishing and boost native fish populations. Utah has been formally stocking fish since 1871, with the state’s first hatchery opened in 1897. There are now 13 facilities across the state providing the over 7 million of the 8.2 million fish that went into 626 local waterbodies. Craif Schaugaard, the DWR Aquatic Section assistant chief over hatcheries, states in a press release, “Our hatcheries are important because they provide the majority of the fish we stock in the state. Stocking is a crucial management tool that we use to provide Utahns with the numbers and species of fish that they desire. Stocking fish helps ensure that the public has a great fishing experience. The DWR stocked 21 different fish species in 2020.” The Uintah Basin’s own Jones Hole National Fish Hatchery itself raises up to 1.2 million trout every year.
