7037

• UCREFRP Catalog Number: 7037
• Author: Wyoming Game and Fish Department
• Title: Fishery Research Report
• USFW Year: 1978.
• USFW - Doc Type: Flaming Gorge Reservoir.
• Copyright Material: NO

waters. However, the diet of trout from littoral waters was more
varied than that of trout captured pelagically.
We demonstrated that movement from pelagic to littoral waters
does occur through identification of typically benthic organisms
-diptera, mollusca and amphipoda from stomachs of trout collected
from deep pelagic waters.
It has been indicated that forage fish occur throughout the reservoir
although in a descending relationship, greater numbers of forage fish in
the inflow area. We do not feel that forage fish, especially the Utah
chub, are used corresponding to suggested abundance. A number of
pertinent inferences are apparent in these data: forage fishes may not
be available to trout during a major portion of the growing season due
to the inhospitable (high water temperatures) inshore environment,
forage species may not be of a size preferred by trout, populations of
forage fish may not be of sufficient magnitude in the canyon area to
allow extensive use. We feel that a combination of these factors
influences forage fish utilization, a more desirable forage fish may be
one that does not reach a large size and is abundant in pelagic waters
during the trout growing season.
We feel that the knowledge obtained from the study of the diet of
trout in Flaming Gorge Reservoir has contributed to the more refined
management of the impoundment and to the closer approximation of
management goals.
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