Utah Stocks Over 11 Million Fish For Better Fishing Experiences

The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources marked another busy year of enhancing recreational fishing and supporting native species, stocking more than 11 million fish across the state in 2025. According to a press release, a total of 11,660,600 fish — weighing a combined 1.1 million pounds — were placed into 655 Utah waterbodies. While the number represents a decrease from the 12.8 million stocked last year, it continues a steady, longstanding effort to sustain healthy fisheries and improve angling opportunities.

Recent statewide stocking totals have varied with conditions, ranging from 8.2 million in both 2020 and 2022 to 10.6 million in 2023. The fluctuations reflect ongoing adjustments the DWR has made in response to drought, warming temperatures, and shifting water levels. “We are continually evaluating the processes of growing and stocking fish and continue to make proactive changes to address drought impacts, increasing water demand and to also meet the demands of a growing population in Utah,” DWR Fish Culture Coordinator Richard Hepworth said in a press release.

Those adjustments include stocking fewer but larger fish in some areas to improve survival, placing more small fish in waterbodies where growth rates are high, and reducing stocking in lakes and reservoirs that lack sufficient water. The division has also been examining which species perform best in Utah’s lower-elevation, warmer waterbodies and has shifted some stocking to warmwater species that can eventually reproduce on their own.

Stocking Fish In Utah Started In The 1800's

Fish stocking has deep roots in Utah, dating back to 1871, when fish were transported by train and released into lakes along the route. Utah’s first hatcheries opened in 1897, followed by the state’s first traditional hatchery in Murray in 1899. “These original hatcheries were really impounded streams where we put fry that we got from the federal government,” Hepworth said.

Today, the DWR operates 13 hatcheries and is constructing a new facility in Loa expected to begin stocking fish by 2027. A recently completed building at the Mantua Fish Hatchery is also helping increase trout egg production. In 2025, 10.6 million of the fish stocked statewide came from DWR hatcheries, with the remainder supplied by certified disease-free hatcheries across the country.

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“Our hatcheries are important because they provide the majority of the fish we stock in the state,” according to Hepworth. He added that stocking remains vital for fishing quality, varied angling opportunities, and ongoing recovery efforts for threatened species such as the June sucker.