364 BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 



range of mountains immediately on the eastern side of the lake, and in consequence 

 the lake bottom on that side is of a mud or silt character from deposits of inflowing 

 streams. 



The lake is abundantly supplied with native common fishes, chub, mullet, some 

 mountain herring (Williamson's whitetish), three or four varieties of sucker, and min- 

 nows, with, unfortunately, an ever-increasing supply of carp, introduced here in 1886. 

 It is also fairly well stocked with a large-growing native trout which frequents the 

 inflowing and connecting streams in April, May, and June to spawn, and which I 

 believe is classified as " X<dmo mi/kixs rirginalis." In the early settlement of the State 

 this grand fish was almost phenomenally abundant in the lake and connecting streams. 

 It is authentically reported that as much as 3,700 pounds of it have been taken at a 

 single haul with a seine not exceeding 200 yards long, with many individual specimens 

 weighing 25 pounds each. We do not now find any of these trout so large, but some 

 are taken weighing 15 pounds, and since the taking of trout and bass is confined by 

 law to the usual method of angling or trolling with hook and line only, I hope to 

 again see some of these native Utah Lake trout attain to their old-time size. 



The rapid increase and growth of the large-mouthed bass in this lake are no 

 doubt due to the abundant supply of the native common fish together with a varied 

 supply of fresh-water Crustacea upon which they prey, with a depth of water and with 

 water vegetation suitable to their requirements. I believe that all the conditions 

 favorable to the perfect growth and development of the Oswego bass exist naturally 

 in this lake, especially after they have attained the first year's growth. I have noticed, 

 however, that the fry for the first year do not grow so rapidly in this lake as in some 

 other smaller bodies of water to which they have been transplanted from this lake. 

 Of four or five thousand fry which I had taken before the spawning season of 1897 for 

 ilistribution in different parts of the State, the very large majority were from 2 to 4 

 inches in length only. These were no doubt hatched the previous season and could 

 not have been less than six to eight months old. 



In marked contrast to this apparently slow growth of the bass fry in Utah Lake 

 the first year, in the Mount Nebo reservoir an almost phenomenal growth of the fry 

 from the first planting was shown the first season. This reservoir is situated about 

 15 miles south of the lake, and was created by the construction of a masonry dam 

 MsroM Salt Creek at its exit from the Nephi Valley, through which it flows into Goshen 

 Valley and thence finds its way into Utah Lake, or did so before being appropriated 

 for irrigation purposes. This is a small sluggish stream of clear and slightly brackish 

 water, averaging about 10 feet wide and well supplied with native minnows before the 

 reservoir was created. This reservoir is about 5 miles long with an average width of 

 mile, and of varying depth from nothing to 15 feet in places, the water covering 

 entirely new ground with the exception of the old creek channel. About the 1st 

 of May. ls%, the parties controlling this reservoir made application for and received 

 90 large spawning bass and planted them here in this small body of water. These 

 fish evidently began to spawn soon after being planted, for in about four months after 

 the planting the place seemed to be alive with bass fry of very large size. It was 

 estimated that there could not be less than 500,000 of these young fish. Having 

 heard of this wonderful plant. I visited the site seven months after the plant was 

 made, but unfortunately for my investigation a cold snap had partly frozen the pond 

 over and driven the fish into the deep water so that I could not have an opportunity 

 of making a personal estimate as to numbers. I was fortunate, however, in having a 



