Wildlife conservationists release 1.53 million salmon into California lakes

To preserve their populations and ensure they can continue to be used for recreational fishing, state wildlife officials released 1.53 million salmon into reservoirs and lakes across California this spring, authorities announced Friday.

According to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, large schools of fish have been released into inland waters in 17 counties.

These included more than 992,000 Chinook salmon and 538,000 Koanee salmon.

“These stocked landlocked salmon species support popular sport fishing and occupy a unique ecological niche. They thrive in the deep, cold waters provided by these reservoirs,” the CDFW said in a written statement. “They differ from anadromous salmon because they do not migrate to the sea but reproduce in the reservoirs where they are released.”

The fish are released as juveniles, measuring about 5 to 8 centimeters long, officials said.

By placing the fish in their new home when they are young, they can better adapt and grow while feeding on local prey.

“These landlocked salmon are too small to be hooked with most anglers' equipment, but will reach a catchable size in two to three years,” the statement continued.