Wildlife

Release and Report Tagged Northern Pike Caught in Utah Lake, Kill the Rest

PROVO — The Utah Department of Natural resources is asking anglers to release and report any Northern Pike caught in Utah Lake that have a red tag on them (image of the tag below). The invasive fish were placed in Utah Lake illegally, and anglers must kill any Northern pike they catch that are not tagged. The tagged fish are part of an ongoing study launched last year that will provide vital information about the seasonal locations and movements of juvenile and adult pike in Utah Lake, the Provo River and Hobble Creek.

Example if the red tag to be on the lookout for.

If you catch a tagged Northern pike in Utah Lake or one of its tributaries, please do the following:

  • Call DWR biologist Dale Fonken at 503-730-9424
  • Report the date and exact location where you caught the fish
  • Report the tag number
  • Release the fish unharmed

Northern pike were illegally introduced to Utah Lake around 2010. Due to their ability to rapidly reproduce and their predatory nature, DWR biologists are worried about the effect pike will have on other fish species in the lake, especially June suckers.

June suckers, which are found only in Utah Lake, were recently downlisted from endangered to threatened. Their continued recovery and eventual delisting could be jeopardized if the number of pike in the lake expands.

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