This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated.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.

Ryan Mosley, Flaming Gorge/Green River project leader for the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, sent in this report of electrofishing surveys conducted earlier this week.

Each April and September we ignite the jet boat and electrofish the Green River below Flaming Gorge Dam. Survey sites include a 1-mile reach at both Spillway and Little Hole. All captured fish are checked for dye marks and/or tags, measured, and weighed. General health and diet trends are also assessed on a sub-sample of fish. At the end of each night the fish are released back to the river with very few mortalities. Projects of this magnitude wouldn't be successful without the help and dedication of so many employees, partners, and volunteers.

Under starlit skies, crews sampled 523 fish at Spillway and 471 at Little Hole. The highlight was the overall health and condition of rainbow trout in the river this spring. Rainbow trout up to 19-inches dominated the catch at Spillway, while brown trout up to 21-inches had the edge at Little Hole. There was also more species diversity in captured fish at Little Hole, including several mottled sculpin and "stout" whitefish up to 20-inches.

I guess it's not surprising that fishing continues to be exceptional on the Green this spring with abundant midge and mayfly hatches getting the "rise" out of plentiful, healthy trout.