This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

After the largest treatment of a northeastern Utah reservoir in 25 years at Red Fleet Reservoir north of Vernal, the Division of Wildlife Resources has started restoring what it hopes will be a thriving fishery.

The agency recently released close to 9,000 Colorado River cutthroat trout into the reclaimed waters. It also has stocked wipers in the reservoir.

"This is the fun part," said Trina Hedrick, regional aquatics manager for the DWR. "Returning life to the reservoir is definitely the fun part."

In addition to the eight-inch cutthroats, a few thousand rainbows will be released later in an effort to supply early fishing opportunities as the agency waits for other species to establish themselves.

In the spring, hatchery trucks are scheduled to bring roughly one million sterile walleye fry, a load of fingerling wipers and a load or two of tiger trout.

The agency will also begin moving mixed sizes of black crappie, yellow perch, mountain whitefish and fathead minnows to Red Fleet from other lakes.

The flathead minnows will supply an early prey base for sport fish in the reservoir.

Hedrick said the crappie, yellow perch and whitefish should all reproduce in the reservoir, serving not only as fish to be caught but as a prey base for the larger predators.

"Red Fleet is going to have a unique mix of fish, many of which are new to this part of northeastern Utah," she said. "Hopefully, they can all establish themselves in the reservoir. This mix will produce some terrific fishing opportunities."