CalTrout was instrumental in working with the California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) to create the Wild Trout Program in 1972. Today, over 1050 miles of rivers and streams and over 20 lakes are under protection from this program, or are designated as Catch-and-Release only. The Program has become enormously popular.

Of the 17,635 miles of coldwater fisheries in the state, approximately 1,200 miles are planted by the Department of Fish and Game (DFG) with hatchery-reared catchable trout. Another 1,000 miles are managed for wild fish through either a catch-and-release or the Wild Trout Program. The balance, representing more than 75% of California's trout rivers and streams, are wild fisheries rarely planted with hatchery trout. These waters are generally remote wilderness fisheries that fall into a state agency trout management program void.

To date the Commission has placed sixty-seven streams and twenty-two lakes under special management as Wild Trout or "Catch-and-Release" waters.

Wild Trout Program - In 1971 CalTrout conceived the Wild Trout Program in order to keep wild fisheries from being overwhelmed by hatchery plants or by over-fishing. In 1972 the California Fish and Game Commission adopted this CalTrout concept. Wild Trout waters are managed on a catch-and-release basis, and nature plays the starring role in determining the population. Today, more than 1,000 miles of streams with self-sustaining trout populations are in the program. This program is the State of California's most successful natural wildlife management program.

All designated waters must meet the following wild trout policy criteria:

1. Open to public angling.
2. Able to support with appropriate angling regulations, wild trout populations of sufficient magnitude to provide satisfactory trout catches in terms of number or size of fish.
3. Domestic strains of catchable-size trout shall not be planted but suitable hatchery-produced wild or semi-wild strains may be planted in designated waters, but only if necessary to supplement natural reproduction.

1979 ammendments to the Wild Trout bill.

Catch-and-Release - Americans are witnessing a growing acceptance of Catch-and-Release, where the emphasis is on catching --- not killing. To bring this concept into reality CalTrout has been at the forefront by designing the internationally accepted "Catch-and-Release" logo and promoting public education and awareness on how to practice "Catch-and-Release."

Conservation Fishing Regulations - In 1979 CalTrout went to the Legislature seeking a bill to expand "Catch-and-Release" fishing regulations. Subsequently California adopted the Trout and Steelhead Conservation and Management Planning Act of 1979. Over the past 20 years CalTrout has been uniquely effective in winning special sportfishing regulations across California including such premier wild trout waters as: Hat Creek - Fall River - Upper Sacramento - McCloud River - Merced River - Stanislaus River - Hot Creek - East Walker River - Owens River - Manzanita Lake - Kirman Lake - Heenen Lake - Piru Creek - West Fork San Gabriel River - Deep Creek and Bear Creek.

No specific regulation is a panacea. Each trout water must be judged individually, a goal established and a regulation specially tailored - whether a no-kill, or slot limit or a minimum or maximum size limit --- to ensure that the your angling experience is not diminished by someone who fished the water yesterday.

Heritage Trout Program - California has the greatest number of native trout species of any state in America. To recognize the beauty, diversity, historical significance, and special values of California's native trout; CalTrout advocated the adoption of a Heritage Trout Program. The California Fish and Game Commission agreed and established the Heritage Trout Program in 1999. (It became law in 2002). To qualify, waters must:

1. Support populations that best exemplify indigenous strains of native trout within their historic drainages.



2. Provide angling that is consistent with the conservation of the native trout present.

Conserving wild trout fisheries requires more than sportfishing regulations. It requires protection, and in some cases, restoration of habitat. Here are a few examples of how CalTrout has improved wild trout fishing by restoring wild trout habitat.

East Walker River -- In 1972, CalTrout helped the East Walker become the first river in California to be put under special regulations for catch and release fishing. After the East Walker was destroyed by a release of sediment from the Bridgeport Reservoir in 1988, CalTrout went to court. We forced the dam's operators and Nevada ranchers to adopt regulations to prevent any similar discharge, and made them restore the East Walker's fishery. CalTrout also worked with the state to ensure the purchase of 11 miles of public access along the riparian corridor to the Nevada state line.

Upper Sacramento River -- Following a toxic spill from a Southern Pacific derailment on the Upper Sacramento in 1991, we protested initial intentions to restore the river with hatchery trucks. Instead, we successfully argued that the river should be closed to angling until the native wild rainbows could recover and re-establish themselves. CalTrout fought for a 0-fish limit on 32 miles of the Upper Sacramento. Fish and Game's adoption of our regulations allowed for the river's legendary wild rainbows to re-establish themselves years sooner than biologists expected.

Fall River -- The Fall River is California's premier wild rainbow trout drift fishery, but the river was in trouble because its prime tributary, Bear Creek, was dumping huge amounts of sediment, smothering spawning areas, aquatic vegetation and aquatic insects --- a prime food source for wild trout. To reverse this CalTrout partnered with the private landowners and the Department of Fish and Game. The construction phase of the Bear Creek Meadow restoration project is complete and the focus is now on monitoring the new stream channel. The restoration will result in mitigating over 60% of the sediment that gets deposited from the formerly incised channel. CalTrout implemented the Department of Fish & Game's (DFG) Rapid Bio-assessment Procedure for sampling aquatic invertebrates on the newly restored portion of Bear Creek, Fall River's primary surface tributary. This monitoring program will take place annually for the next five years to observe early colonizing aquatic invertebrates to the newly re-watered stream channel and complements ongoing efforts to monitor sediment and flow regimes. This is one of the finest examples of a public/private partnership where a private landowner worked with CalTrout and the DFG to do restoration work on private property.