“Because of the record high abundances of rainbow trout, we have a really tall order – 30% of that high abundance is a lot of fish,” said Patrick Kennedy, Fish and Game fisheries biologist. “If we remove 30% each year, our effort will decrease each year. This is the big year.”

Fish and Game’s management goal is to eventually limit rainbow trout to 10% of the trout population in the South Fork. Crews plan to start running as many as three boats to shock and remove rainbows starting in a few weeks. The temporarily stunned fish will be transported and stocked in regional ponds and the lower reaches of the Henrys Fork.