(Deer Valley Lake Wiper: Credit DWR)
MIDWAY, UTAH – It’s not something that happens very often in Utah. The Division of Wildlife Resources going to let anglers take all of the fish they want out of a popular spot.
A community pond at the Wasatch Mountain State Park needs serious upgrades. Officials with the DWR say they’re going to add a new wheelchair accessible fishing pier and they’re going to make the pond deeper in spots.
However, before they can make those additions, the pond has to finish draining, which could take a few weeks. Regional Aquatics Manager Chris Crockett estimates there are still hundreds of trout and wiper still in the water.
“A lot of those fish, if not all of those fish, will perish,” he says.
So, the DWR is lifting the limit they normally have on the amount of fish people can take from the pond.
“I would love it if people would have a rush on that pond and go use those fish. We would much rather see them go home with somebody and get eaten then go to waste,” Crockett says.
Another reason they have to drain the popular spot… goldfish. Crockett says someone illegally introduced those fish into the pond, and they’re doing a tremendous amount of damage.
“I imagine it was done by some well-meaning individual that did not want their pet any longer and thought they were doing that fish a favor by releasing them into a nice, beautiful pond,” he says.
Those fish were discovered in the pond last Spring, but officials don’t know when they were first put there. They hope draining the pond will kill off those kind of fish, but, he can’t guarantee that will happen.
Crockett says, “You would be amazed at how tough goldfish are. They literally can live in a little mud puddle all winter long.”
According to Crockett, goldfish prolific spawners and can quickly take over any body of water they’re introduced into and eat all the food. He also says it’s extremely frustrating for anglers to spend their time trying to catch trout, and all they catch are goldfish.