Effects of egg stocking on density, distribution, and size of young-of-year brown trout (Salmo trutta) in a large boreal river in northern Sweden

Abstract

An understanding of egg densities and juvenile production is critical in salmonid egg stocking projects, but the question is not deeply studied. Given that managers rely on the number of young of the year (YOY) fish to evaluate stocking success, this knowledge gap poses a major challenge. We studied effects of two stocking levels on YOY brown trout at different downstream distances (0–600 m) from the stocking point. Density increased significantly with increasing distance from the stocking point when 60,000 eggs were stocked but not when 30,000 eggs were stocked. Body length was not related to distance from the stocking point and only moderately negatively related to density. We conclude that the results of egg stocking can be difficult to interpret because site-specific density may vary with distance from the stocking point and the number of eggs stocked.