Chelan PUD Touts Resident Fish Stocking Efforts

Chelan PUD staff recently updated their commissioners on the PUD's efforts to help fill local lakes with kokanee, cutthroat and rainbow trout.

PUD Fish and Wildlife Manager Alene Underwood said the utility is obligated to stock the lakes through their licenses with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

"We have a contract with Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and we pay them to rear the fish and they stock them as well." Underwood stated, "They are stocked in Chelan and Douglas counties, mostly in Chelan County, in about 26 different lowland, and a couple of upland, lakes."

The program costs Chelan PUD $200,000 on average annually.

"It not only is great for fisher folk in the area but also for tourists." explained Underwood, "We are going to, probably moving forward, have a link on our external website that actually gets people to the state's website so they can actually see what fish are planted and when, and what regulations apply."

In 2019, their resident fish program brought more that 200,000 fish to 26 lakes in Chelan and Douglas counties.

Resident fish are raised at the state's Twin Lakes hatcheries and the PUD's Chelan and Eastbank hatcheries.