Utah’s 70-Year Aerial Fish Stocking Program Relies on Tiny Fingerlings to Survive Plane Dumps
Utah has used small aircraft to stock over 300 remote mountain lakes with fish annually since 1956. The method involves dropping 1-3 inch fingerlings from a Cessna plane into water, relying on their small size to survive the fall. This approach replaces earlier, less efficient methods like horseback transport and ensures recreational fishing access in areas without road access.