The 2024 rainbow trout season in Utah is registering a “higher than normal” abundance due to restocking and favorable weather.

Reports by the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (DWR) show that walleye trout in local reservoirs already measure 16 inches long.

This indicates that the fish have grown half a dozen inches since their release into ponds 12 months ago.

Surveys at Nine Mile Reservoir within Sterling town in Sanpete County reveal extraordinary reserves following last winter’s  sheltering heavy snow.

Similar abundances were also apparent in Yuba Reservoir within the sandstone-skirted Yuba State Park. Here, the trout population is thriving with impressive sizes of between 16 and 19 inches long despite falling water levels.

DWR thinks that this population replenishment might be because of recent stocking efforts from large specimen, starting 2018.

Restocking Efforts in Utah and Other States

Every fishing season, American states release trout stocks into freshwater bodies such as the all-important Snake River in Idaho. This river accounts for a large proportion of Idaho’s output of 70% of all rainbow trout used as food in the U.S. 

In Utah, restocking happened in 2023 within the strategic Sterling reservoirs and as a result, the 2024 fishing season is quite promising.

Besides restocking, fisheries authorities promote sustainable fishing through limited catches and size minimums per day. States like New Jersey only allow harvests of trouts above 9 inches long with a daily maximum of six fish.

For Utah’s fishermen, the current season is seeing even larger specimens, with most averaging 16 inches in length.

Many think that this boon is not only driven by restocking but also favorable weather. Two consecutive winters that brought ample snowfall has apparently favored these shelter-loving creatures.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) through the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) conducts rainbow trout surveys to determine population. Utah’s rainbow trout features in the surveys, alongside 15 other top-producing states such as Idaho, Arkansas and California 

Ultimately, as the season gets into the fast lane in Utah, New Jersey and Idaho, differing prices are also unfolding. At Spring Lake in southern Utah, Utah’s rainbow trout is selling at 55 cents per inch for 12-inch fish. Meanwhile, 13-inch or larger trophy trout is going for $8.25 a pound.