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

Goals of this research are to Investigate the distribution, abundance, and movement of the finespotted Snake River cutthroat trout below Jackson Lake Dam and determine the effects of discharge, sediment accumulation, and off-channel habitat on cutthroat trout recruitment and survival. Data collected will be incorporated into models that will project future river channels ranging from those expected given current trends to those expected without the Jackson lake dam. Models will be used to develop new insights into the management of this portion of the Snake River and potential for restoring some elements of ecosystem function that have been lost since the construction of Jackson Lake Dam. Specific objectives are: 1. Determine distribution and relative abundance of fine-spotted Snake River cutthroat trout in the Snake River from Jackson Lake Dam to Moose, Wyoming. 2. Identify spawning areas and movement patterns of cutthroat trout in the Snake River from Jackson Lake Dam to Moose, Wyoming. 3. Investigate the relationships among physical habitat, discharge, and distribution and movement patterns of cutthroat trout in the Snake River study area.