The trout are anesthetized prior to any handling or surgery. Ripe hens and bucks are gently milked of their eggs and sperm. Typically nearly 400 fish are artificially spawned.
It only takes 100 to keep the species genetically intact. The fertilized eggs are then transported to Crystal Lake Fish Hatchery where they must have 50 degree water for about 3 weeks. After that time the eggs are in a very “tough” state and at that point can be run through the “picking machine” that separates dead and damaged eggs. More than 70% of the fertile eggs survive.

Sorting, Sexing and measuring the anesthetized trout. Some trout are not ready for spawning and must be separated.

Anesthesia is used prior to handling and any surgery. The fish are placed in pens for recovery. Very few are lost in this process

Jars of eggs plumbed with Crystal Lake Hatchery’s 50 degree water for at least 3 weeks.

The trays are also holding fertilized ELT eggs and plumbed with flowing water.

After this 3 to 4 week period the eggs can be transferred to other hatcheries where they are plumbed to races for hatching. In our case Crystal Lake and Darrah Springs Fish Hatcheries take care of Eagle Lake’s allotment. Darrah Springs has a lot warmer water in its system ranging from 57 to 59 degrees. The first three weeks of water temperatures around 50 degrees is critical for the egg development. Crystal Lake Hatchery and Mt. Shasta Hatchery waters run 48 to 50 and is perfect for the first three or so weeks. But, higher water temperatures at Darrah Springs grows trout faster than the cooler temperatures at Crystal Lake Hatchery.

A raceway with newly hatched fish at Crystal Lake Hatchery

Every year about 20,000 ELT are nitrogen branded at each hatchery. Crystal Lake Hatchery brands fish on the right side while Darrah Springs brand the left side of the fish. Years alternate by branding posterior or anterior. These brands assist in creel census in determining the year the fish was planted and of course which hatchery it came from. Sometimes the skin falls off of some of these fish but the meat is not adversely affected at all by the branding. Length is also used in determining the age of the fish. After branding, the fish are given antibiotics and are quarantined from the general population for about 3 weeks prior to being planted in the lake.

A converted metal bucket contains nitrogen that freezes a bolt that passes through the bucket.

Crystal Lake State Fish Hatchery and Mt. Shasta Hatchery are the only two hatcheries that artificially spawn and rear ELT eggs for the first critical 3 week period due to ideal water temperature before being shipped to other hatcheries etc. All three hatcheries participate in brood stock in one way or another from spawning to rearing and housing. In case a catastrophic event (in nature or hatchery and nature combined) kills the entire “trap” strain the brood stock in these hatcheries would be used to replace the race as they are actually from the trap on Eagle Lake. Brood stock are ”T-ELT”. Their offspring however, are considered second generation removed from the wild because they are artificially conceived in addition to being raised and housed in captivity, whereas the eggs collected at the trap are first generation removed from the wild. The different “strains”, as they are called, are referred to as “trap” strain for 1st generation and “hatchery” strain for the 2nd. The second generation of ELT are not planted in Eagle Lake. Only T-ELT are to return to Eagle Lake but in essence the brood stock themselves are genetically the same as the “wild” T-ELT. Darrah Springs Hatchery houses some brood stock T-ELT due to it’s warmer water that grows the trout more quickly and then transports them primarily to Mt. Shasta Hatchery and some to Crystal Lake Hatchery for pre-spawn and spawning as well as the critical 3 week period of incubation in 50 degree water. Crystal Lake Hatchery also rears H-ELT. Brood stock (T-ELT) are replaced after a few years of breeding to keep fresh genes in the pool (so to speak). Typically these fish are used to stock junior fishing derbies or are planted in a needy lake. Sometimes we have been known to get some back in Eagle Lake as these fish are the “trap” strain used in our allotment.

The spring spawn is when we can lose hundreds if not thousands of fish in the tributaries. On a typical year our main tributaries, as well as some very small seasonal runoff streams attract our lake trout to spawn. Our losses come from having cold temperatures freeze up the flow of the water in the creeks. This can strand fish in small pools where if they don’t run out of oxygen in the water they usually run out of water to live in. This leaves them open to predation by coyotes, bobcats, eagles and an occasional bear including other species like pelicans and cormorants who arrive for the spring feast.

Merrill Creek and Papoose Creek on the south end of the lake attract a lot of fish usually a little before Pine Creek gets their interest. This is what happens when the creeks freeze up when fish get in the systems before the weirs can be erected.

It happens nearly every year and with good communication between eaglelakefishing.info who live year round in Spalding and California Department of Fish and Game, rescues can be initiated faster than in the past. However, we are at the mercy of the weather and conditions for getting the V-traps and Weirs installed before it’s too late necessitating major rescues of several thousand Eagle Lake Trout.

The barriers cannot be left in place during the off season due to the fact that some people cannot resist the temptation to steal parts of them. It is the world we live in today and locking them up in a safe area is understandable.

Losses are a natural happening in this process and can not be helped even when extreme measures are being taken to prevent it. Just know that human interference in this process will keep the numbers of fish lost to a minimum. It simply can not be totally prevented.

Valerie Aubrey, copyright 2006

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Trimming the adipose fin for identification prevents using the same fish twice for egg / sperm collection in following years.

The picking or sorting machine is said to perform very well at sorting out bad and damaged eggs.

Outdoor races at Crystal Lake Hatchery that house ELT.

The anesthetized fish is pressed against the super frozen bolt head for about 1 ½ seconds leaving a scar. Occasionally some fish lose the skin exposing the red meat that is not affected by the branding.

Once the trout enter the trap they are sorted and sexed. Some of the trout are not ready (green) or ripe for spawning and need to be safely transported back to the lake. All the fish from the trap are transported to the south end of the lake and released. Being the farthest distance away from the trap has helped keep many fish from repeating or getting back into the system. The CDFG used to truck the spawned and green fish up to Stones Landing at the north end of the lake but it

seemed that some of the fish made it back to the trap before the trucks did. Releasing them at the south end of the lake has proved beneficial. The CDFG marks every fish that comes through the trap by trimming the adipose fin. They can then determine whether a specific fish had come through before. This prevents spawning the same fish year after year.

Pine Creek is the largest of the seasonal tributaries that feed Eagle Lake. Merrill Creek and Papoose Creek at the south end of the lake are lesser known but still contribute more than just water. The trout also go up these and several other seasonal run-off streams entering the lake when it is time for the spring spawn.

The body of Eagle Lake is alkaline in nature (see “About” Eagle Lake and the “Catch and Keep Recommendation”). The Eagle Lake Rainbow Trout (ELT as it will be referred to from this point forward.) is believed to be a hybrid sub-species of rainbow trout that has adapted to living in alkaline water. However, like steelhead, these trout need fresh water for spawning. The eggs won’t mature in the lake so don’t feel bad if you catch a big fat hen spewing eggs in July. Their time has long been over.

In the late 1980’s it was determined that the spawning beds upstream were ruined by years of logging, cattle ranching and railroads. Over the years some of the rehabilitation projects have been completed on Pine Creek yet many more things still need to be done. We are still pretty far from having a native spawn.

With the fishing pressure on this lake, a native spawn would never produce enough native trout to maintain a trophy trout fishery.

ELT are the jewel of California. Not only can our trout live in alkaline water but it can also thrive in fresh water. It is adaptable to many different waters and is hearty, making it the leading propagation trout for CDFG to plant other lakes in the state, nation and world. 2 to 3+ million eggs are collected annually. ELT live roughly 11 to 12 years. Nearly twice that of a regular rainbow trout. It is believed that these fish adapted to having to live longer for the survival of the species. We are considered to be on 12 year drought cycles. Longevity would assure that at least some of these fish would have a chance at reproducing in their lifetime. Nature at work.

The California Department of Fish and Game have been artificially spawning these trout since the late 1950’s, when only a few (less than 20) came up Pine Creek to spawn. The eggs and sperm of these fish were milked and taken back to the hatchery for maturing. They were then released into the lake. The rest is history and the ELT have not naturally spawned since that time. However every spring a small truckload of our ripe spawner’s are trucked to the spawning beds in hope that may help.

Nearly every year the USFS has surgically implanted several fish with transmitters and have let them (with others) go upstream from the dam. The number of fish vary from year to year depending on the flow of the creek. One year 35 trout were implanted and the next year 10. Transmitting has really been less than successful but has shown that quite possibly the ELT has not necessarily lost the instinct to go upstream to spawn over 50+ years of artificial spawning, however they may have lost the imprint of where they are supposed to go.

In the past, rescues of fish stranded in the creek(s) have taken place every year. Pine Creek is now protected by a weir purchased with funds collected from California Inland Fisheries “Project Eagle Lake (Rainbow) Trout”. (Randy Aubrey is the founder of PELT)

This Alaskan Weir (shown open) can be closed to prevent any fish from entering the system. In cases when the flow quits due to a cold spell, fish can be stranded in pools and channels necessitating dramatic rescues. The weir hasn’t eliminated rescues but it sure has made them less frequent when it’s installed in time. When the flows are steady and the chance for freezing up is over the weir is opened so the fish can make its journey to the egg collection facility.