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-25- <br />this period. It is unclear whether predation or competition for food <br />and space is the limiting factor for rainbow. Possibly both of these <br />factors are important in reducing rainbow survival. <br />Efforts to introduce threadfin shad as a new forage fish has been <br />unsuccessful. Overwinter water temperatures appear to be too cold for <br />this species. Largemouth bass have also been introduced without <br />apparent success. It is possible, however, that a few did survive and <br />will eventually expand to a detectable population. Smallmouth bass <br />planted in 1967 have required almost ten years for population expansion <br />before entering the creel. <br />Recommendations <br />1. Discontinue all introductions of new forage and/or game species <br />to the lake until a literature review of all prospective species can be <br />completed. <br />2. Continue annual netting program in 1978 to monitor trends in <br />fish populations. Supplemental netting to look for largemouth bass <br />should be repeated during the summer of 1978. <br />3. Begin evaluation of the reintroduction of cutthroat trout <br />planned for the fall of 1978 and spring of 1979. Two strains of cut- <br />throat are being stocked: Snake River cutthroat from Wyoming and <br />"Strawberry" cutthroat from Strawberry Lake, Utah. The Strawberry cut- <br />throat appears to be a hybridization of Yellowstone cutthroat trout, <br />other strains of cutthroat trout and possibly rainbow trout. <br />4. Continue study of the lake trout fishery to determine more <br />precisely spawning sites, reproductive success, food habits, age-growth, <br />and relative abundance. The present two-fish limit should be continued <br />until more is known about this population.