Idaho Department of Fish & Game recently partnered with the Forest Service office in Mackay, Idaho to stock several hundred fingerling (~3 inch) tiger trout in Big Lake, located in Copper Basin. You might be asking yourself what a tiger trout is. A tiger trout is a sterile hybrid trout produced by crossing female brown trout with male brook trout. The name tiger trout comes from the appearance of the adult fish, which have beautiful “tiger-like stripes” across their backs. The “tiger-like” markings are called vermiculation, a worm-like pattern, which is found on the backs of all brook trout. They often exhibit a greenish cast and their fins can often bear the distinctive white trim of a brook trout.
In 2016, Fish and Game stocked 500 fingerling tiger trout in Big Lake. Since then, the fish have been growing to a nice catchable size. The young angler pictured below recently caught this beautiful tiger trout from the lake that would have been stocked two years ago!
