JACKSON HOLE, Wyo. — Snake River Cutts are looking fat and happy according to Jackson fish managers who conducted their annual sampling of the Snake River near Jackson recently.
Game and Fish biologists sample a different section of the river each year on a three-year rotation. This year they sampled a stretch between Moose and the Wilson Bridge west of Wilson.
Each year, the crew samples the same section three times within a week, weather permitting. Weather is typically a wildcard for this late-season fieldwork and that was the case again this time around with days on the river ranging from shirt-sleeve weather to the single digits…all within the same week.
Fish managers spend nearly every summer day in the field, sampling area waters and recording the data. Then, when winter shuts down fieldwork, data is analyzed and compared to previous years to get a picture of which way fish populations may be trending.
“Without having looked at the data, it just seemed like we saw a lot of really nice cutthroats this year, fish 16 inches or greater,” said Jackson Fish Biologist, Clark Johnson. “So, that was great to see.”
