For many Carbon County anglers, the tiger trout is becoming one of the state’s most sought after game fish. They are best known for their strong fight and unusual beauty.
Tiger trout are a hybrid between a male brown trout and a female brook trout. This hybridization creates a trout with a unique, dark, maze-like pattern over its brownish gray body. Its belly and lower fins are yellowish orange. Because it’s sterile, the tiger trout is unable to reproduce and does not pose a threat of further hybridization with other trout species.
Historically, only a limited number of tiger trout have been raised at Division of Wildlife Resources’ fish hatcheries. With updated hatcheries coming online, which allow more efficient use of water, production has increased dramatically during the last year.
“The Fountain Green Hatchery has been raising tiger trout for a little over 10 years now and other hatcheries, such as the Loa and Egan hatcheries, have raised tiger trout as well,” said Eddie Hanson, Fountain Green Hatchery assistant supervisor. “In the past, we have only been able to raise about 15,000 tiger trout but with the newly-constructed Fountain Green Hatchery facility, we are raising over 300,000 tiger trout this year alone.”
Tiger trout are now found in approximately 40 fishing waters throughout Utah, including Huntington, East Canyon, Hyrum, Joe’s Valley, Palisade and Rockport reservoirs and Panguitch Lake.
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