New Warning About Moving Fish In Utah Lakes And Streams

The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources is reminding anglers and aquarium owners that it is both harmful and illegal to move fish between waterbodies or release unwanted pet fish into local ponds. The warning follows the recent discovery of smallmouth bass that were illegally introduced into Lloyds Lake in the Colorado River drainage.

Each year, DWR biologists survey Utah’s lakes and streams to monitor fish populations. During these surveys, they occasionally discover species that have been illegally released. According to a press release, both the transport of live fish away from where they were caught and the release of those fish into a new location are illegal activities under Utah law.

“Due to several endangered fish in the Colorado River, we partner with other agencies to ensure that our sportfish stocking does not interfere with the recovery of native fish,” said DWR Sportfish Coordinator Trina Hedrick in the release. “The stocking of sportfish in any drainages in the Colorado River Basin is therefore highly regulated. This illegal introduction is very problematic.”

Native Fish In Danger From Illegally Introduced Species

Illegally introduced fish can prey upon or outcompete native and sportfish species, introduce disease, and even harm water quality. “Illegal fish introductions seldom improve fisheries — instead, they typically ruin fisheries and threaten the species that live there,” Hedrick said. She added that such actions can result in a class A misdemeanor.

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Hedrick noted that the DWR performs extensive assessments before stocking fish, including disease testing and ecological evaluations. “It is very expensive and takes a very long time — often requiring rotenone treatments that kill all the fish — to restore these waterbodies after fish have been illegally introduced,” she said.

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Anyone who witnesses illegal fish introductions or finds invasive fish is urged to call 800-662-3337 or contact their nearest DWR office. More information is available on the DWR website’s “Don’t Ditch a Fish” page.