About: Introduced trout in lake ecosystems

Since the recession of the last glaciation, isolated bodies of water high in mountain crevasses have been topographically separated from fish. Within Washington state a number of lakes in the Olympic and Cascade Mountains have been stocked since the early 20th century. Prior to the existence of a state wildlife management agency, the U.S. Forest Service stocked mountain lakes with rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), cutthroat trout (Oncohynchus clarki) and eastern brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis). High lake management of this era largely focused on improving sport fishing opportunities and secondarily establishing ecological balance. Natural reproduction of fish species, especially eastern brook trout, has led to overpopulation and “stunting” from starvation in low nutrient environment