Mt. Shasta Rotary Prepares to Release Trophy-Sized Trout into Lake Siskiyou

In December, the Mount Shasta Rotary constructed pens in Lake Siskiyou to house and grow “trophy-sized” rainbow trout to release into the lake. With spring in full swing in the Mount Shasta area, the group is preparing to release those trout into the lake.

The 2019 Lake Siskiyou Kid’s Fishing Day will begin the celebration of what has so far been a successful first year of the Lake Siskiyou trout pens. Kids aged 15-years-old and younger can head to the lake on May 25 to fish following the release of over 1,000 3-5 pound trout into the waters.

The three pens were planned, financed and constructed by the Mt. Shasta Rotary, with help from over 20 volunteers. The goal of the pens to create the finest trout pen facility of any lake in America in hopes to “inspire increased outdoor participation with parents and their children.”

Here is the information for the Lake Siskiyou Kids Fishing Day:

Here’s how the trout-rearing pens work:

Each fall, when water temperatures cool, the DFW will stock the pens with rainbow trout. Over winter, solar-charged, battery-powered feeders will automatically feed the fish, which can grow an inch per month. In spring, most likely early May, the large fish are released and quickly become naturalized to their habitat and then take on the characteristics of wild fish. The trout are “triploids,” that is, they cannot breed, and in turn, grow faster and fight harder.

A 39-page document for the California Environmental Quality Act was vetted and filed by the DFW and then approved by the State of California.

Mt. Shasta Rotary sees the final result as:

‒ The finest trout pen facility of any lake in America.

‒ New opportunities for youth, families.

‒ A template for how to provide big fish for any cold-water lake in the nation.

‒ A program that is sustainable into the future.

Active NorCal

Telling the Stories of Northern California

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