Wildlife officials released 1.53 million salmon into California reservoirs this spring

State wildlife officials released 1.53 million salmon into reservoirs and lakes across California over the spring in an effort to shore up their numbers and ensure they can continue to support recreational fishing, authorities announced Friday.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife released flurries of fish into inland water bodies in 17 counties, according to the agency.

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

"These stocked inland salmon support popular sport fisheries and occupy a unique ecological niche, thriving in the deep, cold-water environments these reservoirs offer," the CDFW said in a written statement. "They are different from anadromous salmon because they do not migrate to the ocean, and instead rear in the reservoirs where released."

The fish are released while young "fingerlings" of about 2 to 3 inches in length, officials said.

Adding the fish to their new homes as juveniles helps them better adapt as they grow up feeding on local prey.

"These landlocked salmon are too small to be hooked by most anglers’ gear but will reach catchable size in two to three years," the statement added.

Once adults, "These fish provide an excellent recreational opportunity with Chinook caught from lakes such as Berryessa and Folsom recently approaching 10 pounds," according to CDFW Senior Environmental Scientist Supervisor Jason Julienne.

What are the biggest inland salmon ever caught in California?

The largest inland Chinook salmon ever landed in California weighed 20 pounds, 15 ounces, according to the CDFW. It was hooked at Trinity Lake in 2013.

The biggest Kokanee salmon ever recorded weighed 5 pounds, 2 ounces. It was caught at Lake Tahoe, also in 2013.

Which waters received Chinook salmon in 2024?

• Shasta Reservoir (Shasta County)
• Trinity Lake (Trinity County)
• Lake Oroville (Butte County)
• Folsom Lake (Sacramento/Placer/El Dorado counties)
• Lake Almanor (Plumas County)
• Spaulding Reservoir (Nevada County)
• Lake Berryessa (Napa County)
• Don Pedro Reservoir (Tuolumne County)
• McClure Reservoir (Mariposa County)
• Pine Flat Reservoir (Fresno County)

Which waters received Kokanee salmon in 2024

• Shasta Reservoir (Shasta County)
• Whiskeytown Lake (Shasta County)
• Boca Reservoir (Nevada County)
• New Bullards Bar Reservoir (Yuba County)
• Hellhole Reservoir (Placer County)
• Little Grass Valley Reservoir (Plumas County)
• Pardee Reservoir (Amador County)
• Stampede Reservoir (Sierra County)
• Union Valley Reservoir (El Dorado County)
• Lake Berryessa (Napa County)
• Bass Lake (Madera County)
• Don Pedro Reservoir (Tuolumne County)
• McClure Reservoir (Mariposa County)
• New Melones Reservoir (Calaveras/Tuolumne counties)
• Shaver Lake (Fresno County)

Anglers were reminded to check the 2024-2025 California Freshwater Sport Fishing Regulations and comply with landlocked salmon daily bag and possession limits at the waters they intend to fish.

This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Wildlife officials released 1.53 million salmon into California reservoirs this spring