Rainbow trout are released into Goldwater Lake on Oct. 16, 2023. Anglers at Lynx Lake eagerly await the release of the trout. (Photo by Kevinjonah Paguio/Cronkite News)
PAGE SPRINGS – Though Arizona may be a desert, the recreational pastime of fishing is still alive and well. Hatcheries like Page Springs are able to provide the public with fish and preserve an activity that many enjoy.
Left: Corey Meyer, a wildlife specialist at Page Springs Hatchery, moves a fish loader on Oct. 16, 2023. Center: Rainbow trout swim around at Page Springs Hatchery on Oct. 16, 2023. The hatchery raises about 750,000 fish a year to replenish Arizona waters. Right: Rainbow trout are loaded onto the transport truck at Page Springs Hatchery on Oct. 16, 2023. After raising the fish, the Arizona Game and Fish Department releases them into lakes all over the state. (Photos by Kevinjonah Paguio/Cronkite News)
“Arizona stocks the (lakes) with nice, healthy trout,” Dan Esh, a snowbird from Pennsylvania, said. “They’re fun to catch.” Esh can thank people like Matt Lyons, wildlife specialist at Page Springs Hatchery.
“My job is to raise fish and spread them throughout the state for people to come and catch for recreational purposes,” he said. The hatchery, which is operated by the Arizona Game and Fish Department, raises around 750,000 trout a year and spreads them throughout Arizona’s bodies of water. It is mostly responsible for raising rainbow and brown trout.
The process of raising and releasing fish into Arizona’s lakes, streams and ponds is a lengthy one.
Arizona Game and Fish’s six hatcheries have different areas of expertise. Some specialize in fish eggs while others are responsible for the fish at different stages of development, like Page Springs Hatchery, which raises the fish after they reach 2 inches. The hatchery raises them for 12-15 months until the fish reach 10 inches, when they will be harvested and released.
The fish are randomly sampled, weighed and put into trucks to be transported to locations around the state. On a day in October, Lyons transported around 1,250 fish to Lynx and Goldwater lakes.
Steve Penrod, assistant hatchery manager, weighs a sample of rainbow trout at Page Springs Hatchery on Oct. 16, 2023.
Corey Meyer calculates the weight of rainbow trout samples at Page Springs Hatchery on Oct. 16, 2023. (Photos by Kevinjonah Paguio/Cronkite News)
Left: Steve Penrod, assistant hatchery manager, weighs a sample of rainbow trout at Page Springs Hatchery on Oct. 16, 2023. Right: Corey Meyer calculates the weight of rainbow trout samples at Page Springs Hatchery on Oct. 16, 2023. (Photos by Kevinjonah Paguio/Cronkite News)
Lynx Lake was the first destination. Lyons measured the pH levels of the water and checked the temperature. The tests came back with good results, and the rainbow trout were released. Anglers and onlookers watched in awe as a jet of fish-filled water streamed into Lynx Lake.
Matt Lyons, wildlife specialist with Arizona Game and Fish Department, conducts tests at Lynx Lake on Oct. 16, 2023. The lake’s pH level and temperature are tested before fish are released. “A lot of what we do is driven by temperature,” Lyons says.
Matt Lyons prepares to go to Goldwater Lake after releasing his first batch of fish at Lynx Lake on Oct. 16, 2023. Lyons has been with Arizona Game and Fish for five years. “By me putting fish in lakes, I allow other people to also enjoy fishing,” Lyons says. (Photos by Kevinjonah Paguio/Cronkite News)
Left: Matt Lyons, wildlife specialist with Arizona Game and Fish Department, conducts tests at Lynx Lake on Oct. 16, 2023. The lake’s pH level and temperature are tested before fish are released. “A lot of what we do is driven by temperature,” Lyons says. Right: Matt Lyons prepares to go to Goldwater Lake after releasing his first batch of fish at Lynx Lake on Oct. 16, 2023. Lyons has been with Arizona Game and Fish for five years. “By me putting fish in lakes, I allow other people to also enjoy fishing,” Lyons says. (Photos by Kevinjonah Paguio/Cronkite News)
Lyons, an avid outdoorsman, is proud of the work he does.
“I’m able to aid in something I love,” he said. “By me putting fish in lakes, I allow other people to also enjoy fishing.”
Goldwater Lake was the last stop of the day. Lyons conducted the same pH and temperature tests and released the rainbow trout after recording good results.
Esh had been fishing since 10 a.m. and had a difficult time catching anything before Lyons’ arrival. He was glad to see the truck come by and release fish into the water.
Dan Esh, a fisherman visiting from Pennsylvania, catches a rainbow trout at Goldwater Lake near Prescott on Oct. 16, 2023. “Out here, the fish are very healthy and they’re a good fighting fish,” Esh says.
Alessandra Valles looks out at Goldwater Lake while waiting for fish to bite on Oct. 16, 2023. She was enjoying a day out on the lake with her babysitters. (Photos by Kevinjonah Paguio/Cronkite News)
Left: Dan Esh, a fisherman visiting from Pennsylvania, catches a rainbow trout at Goldwater Lake near Prescott on Oct. 16, 2023. “Out here, the fish are very healthy and they’re a good fighting fish,” Esh says. Right: Alessandra Valles looks out at Goldwater Lake while waiting for fish to bite on Oct. 16, 2023. She was enjoying a day out on the lake with her babysitters. (Photos by Kevinjonah Paguio/Cronkite News)
“They stock these lakes with trout and it’s just a great time,” he said. As soon as Lyons finished releasing the fish, Esh was able to catch several trout.
Kevinjonah Paguio expects to graduate in May 2024 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and a minor in global studies. He has interned at the Reynolds Center for Business Journalism, is now an intern with AZ Big Media and has freelanced.
Roxanne De La Rosa expects to graduate in May 2024 with a master’s degree in mass communication studies. De La Rosa has interned as a nonprofits reporter and produced the Storyteller Project at the Arizona Republic. She is a producer for Arizona Horizon at Arizona PBS.