The Wyoming Game and Fish Department, in cooperation with the U.S. Forest Service, will soon be conducting helicopter stocking of fish in backcountry and wilderness lakes outside of Dubois and Lander. For wilderness anglers venturing into high-elevation country, this initiative ensures pristine fishing opportunities remain vibrant in 28 remote lakes across the Shoshone National Forest, specifically within the Popo Agie and Fitzpatrick Wildernesses.

Over the course of a few days, over 36,000 fingerling-sized fish (1½–3 inches long), will arrive into these lakes. While these young fish won’t grow to a catchable size for at least two years, they represent the long-term future of alpine angling in Wyoming. Once mature, they will offer anglers the thrill of targeting diverse species, including brook trout, rainbow trout, Yellowstone cutthroat trout, Snake River cutthroat trout, and highly sought-after alpine gems like golden trout and tiger trout.

“Most backcountry lakes support wild, naturally reproducing fish populations and do not require periodic stocking. However, the lakes being stocked this year do not support natural reproduction and are stocked to maintain these fisheries for people to enjoy,” said Lander Fisheries Supervisor Joe Deromedi.

A small percentage of high-elevation lakes throughout the state are stocked on a rotational basis every two to four years to keep these remote fishing destinations thriving. Historically, stocking fish into hard-to-reach waters required arduous trips on horseback, but helicopters have been used for decades as a much more efficient, low-stress means of planting healthy fish into roadless wilderness.

At the airport or staging location, fish are carefully loaded into eight separate cylinder-shaped tanks suspended beneath the helicopter. The individual tanks can hold up to 30 pounds of fish each, equipped with oxygen stones and iced water to slow the fish's metabolic rate and maximize oxygen capacity of the water during flight.

“Fish that will be stocked were raised with exceptional care at several fish hatcheries and rearing stations across the state, including Dubois, Daniel, Ten Sleep, and Wigwam. Our goal is to provide high-quality fish that will thrive and offer excellent fishing opportunities for everyone,” added Deromedi.

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