Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Units Program: Oklahoma
Education, Research and Technical Assistance for Managing Our Natural Resources

Rainbow Trout are native only to the western United States but are stocked widely throughout the country to increase fishing opportunities for anglers. Competitive interactions have been shown to be condition specific (e.g., water temperature) and thus, may only occur seasonally or under certain environmental conditions. Understanding these differences is beneficial if there is interest in identifying conditions where stocking may be problematic for native fishes. Our research will determine how native fishes respond to the presence of trout via resource use and growth in both field and controlled laboratory settings. This project is a collaborative effort involving both the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission and Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. These data will provide information useful to agencies making future decisions about trout stocking in riverine systems.