The Idaho Department of Fish and Game invites the public to participate in a public scoping meeting to discuss Bonneville cutthroat trout restoration and nonnative fish removal in St. Charles Creek, a tributary to Bear Lake.
The meeting is scheduled for Thursday, June 30, starting at 6 pm at the Bear Lake County Courthouse, Commissioners’ Chambers. The Bear Lake County Courthouse is located at 30 N. Main in Paris.
At the meeting, fishery staff from Idaho Fish and Game will share updates on cutthroat trout recovery efforts in Bear Lake and gather public input on recovery plans specific to St. Charles Creek.
Lake-run cutthroat trout have made a great comeback in Bear Lake over the past decade, resulting in more angler opportunity. The states of Idaho and Utah, many partner organizations, and the Bear Lake Valley community at-large have been instrumental in making that comeback happen.
“While many big strides have been made with respect to cutthroat trout recovery, there is still progress to be made, particularly in the St. Charles Creek drainage-- the lake’s largest tributary,” says Fish and Game Regional Fisheries Manager Carson Watkins.
Previous restoration efforts benefitting cutthroat trout recovery in Bear Lake have involved rotenone treatments to eliminate nonnative brook and rainbow trout which either hybridize or compete with native Bonneville cutthroat trout. Fishery managers are interested in what the public thinks about application of this same management concept to St. Charles Creek.
Anglers and other community members interested in the Bear Lake and St. Charles Creek fisheries are encouraged to attend the event, ask questions, and share comments.
For more information, please contact the Idaho Department of Fish and Game Southeast Region office at (208) 232-4703.