Tiger trout and kokanee salmon, two fish species new to the Lander Region, are being caught in good numbers by anglers. And you too, still have a chance at some of these new-to-the-area species this fall. 

Tiger trout, a sterile hybrid between a brook trout and a brown trout, are being caught in Cow and Upper Silas lakes in the Shoshone National Forest. In addition to being a species highly
desired by anglers, tiger trout are a good management tool for biologists to control other fish populations. Tiger Trout are aggressive predators that can eat bigger fish than brown trout and brook trout of the same size. The fact that they are sterile ensures that they will not spread to other waters uncontrollably. 

Tiger trout were stocked in Upper Silas Lake in 2014 and 2016 to improve a stunted brook trout population. The goal of stocking tiger trout in Upper Silas Lake is to reduce the number and thereby increase the size of brook trout as well as create a tiger trout fishery. Tiger trout were stocked in Cow Lake in 2015 and 2017 to take advantage of an abundant lake chub population and create a new sport fishery for Lander-area anglers. 

Anglers should be aware that the stocked tiger trout are still young and have not yet grown to their full size. Tiger trout over 12 inches in Upper Silas Lake and over 10 inches in Cow Lake are uncommon. As these fish age, it will be exciting to see how large they get (the state record is just over 11 pounds from High Savery Reservoir) and what kind of angling opportunities they create!

One-year-old Kokanee salmon were stocked in Louis Lake from 2014 to 2016 to create an additional brood source for stocked fish in Wyoming. Historically, most Kokanee eggs were obtained from New Fork Lakes or Flaming Gorge Reservoir; however, egg shortages in recent years caused the Game and Fish to try to create additional brood sources throughout the state. Like all salmon, Kokanee change colors from silver to red when they spawn and will die after spawning. The goal for Louis Lake is to maintain a naturally-reproducing Kokanee population that will provide a sport fishery while also producing extra eggs for stocking throughout the state

Although the brood source evaluation is ongoing, Kokanee have been a big hit for Louis Lake anglers over the past year. Anglers have had success catching Kokanee through the ice in the winter and from boats during the summer. Most are between 9 and 14 inches long. Game and Fish is hopeful the Louis Lake Kokanee brood source experiment will be successful and create another good fishery for anglers in the Lander area.

To visit:

• Louis Lake is approximately 26 miles from Lander on Shoshone National Forest Road 300 (the Loop Road).
• Cow Lake is less than a 1⁄4-mile hike east of the Loop Road between Fiddlers Lake and the Little Popo Agie River. An approximate waypoint for Cow Lake is Z 12, E 0674851, N 4720427 (datum NAD 1983).
• Upper Silas Lake is an approximately 4-mile hike from the Christina Lake trailhead (located at Fiddlers Lake) by taking the Christina Lake Trail to the Silas Lake Trail.

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Courtesy of Rene Schell, Lander Region Information and Education Specialist. This article originally appeared in the Lander Regional Newsletter. Read more Lander regional news and sign up for the monthly news online.

Photo by Adam Herrera