This summer, Trout Management Program (TMP) personnel collected stomach contents from 98 fish on the Spring River. The purpose of the effort was to examine the diets of fish species, an important objective outlined in the 2021 Spring River Trout fishery management plan. Knowing what trout and other fish eat is important because it will provide information about prey importance and seasonal feeding behaviors that may influence trends in trout growth and survival rates through time. The information will also be used to evaluate diet overlap among trout and other sportfish species in Spring River. Altogether, the TMP used non-lethal methods to collect stomach contents from 27 Brown Trout, 44 Rainbow Trout, 10 Largemouth Bass, 8 Smallmouth Bass, 6 Shadow Bass, and 3 Walleye. While processing the samples, a number of stomachs contained large clumps of aquatic vegetation, which appeared to be the primary diet item. However, when picking through the vegetation, a number of aquatic insects and other prey items that are beneficial to trout diets were found nestled inside. Over the next year, the TMP will continue to analyze fish diets seasonally in conjunction with population monitoring and the Brown Trout growth and survival evaluation being conducted on the fishery.
