Stocking Database?

WDFW stocking information is available to the general public. Some is on their website. For stocking info that isn’t available there you have to contact the responsible biologist.

A quick aside……

Some Trail Blazers are more up to speed on how the various databases work, and how the relationship among the Trail Blazers, Hi Lakers, and the Dept of Fish and Wildlife works. Information on these interactions that you may get from a Trail Blazer will very much depend on who that Trail Blazer is.

As Brian points out, the only reliable source of information is the WDFW biologist for the region you are interested in.

No. 🙂

That was me “boasting”, as you put it. I guess you misunderstood me, or I misspoke when I referred to a database the club maintains itself. We can in fact see the reports submitted by fellow club members, and no, it’s not public. It is neither owned nor maintained by the State. I know you’ve seen parts of it because I’ve been in the room when you’ve submitted a trip report, so I find it odd a) that you ask, and b) that you opted to post anonymously here.

I didn’t mean for it to seem like I had access to any IP the state owns. FOIA makes it so that any citizen has the same access to that data as any other citizen.

Just wondering why it is not available to the public? Doesn’t our tax dollars pay for the fish to have stocked, so shouldn’t we have the right to know what lakes are getting stocked?

Thanks,

Adam

@caveman wrote:

Just wondering why it is not available to the public? Doesn’t our tax dollars pay for the fish to have stocked, so shouldn’t we have the right to know what lakes are getting stocked?

Thanks,

Adam

The Trailblazer database is just a collection of the stocking data already available out on the WDFW website. It’s just better organized. There’s nothing stopping anyone from building their own stocking database with what’s already available here:
http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/plants/

Adam

Just wondering why it is not available to the public?

What is the “it” you are referring to?

Doesn’t our tax dollars pay for the fish to have stocked, so shouldn’t we have the right to know what lakes are getting stocked?

You have it ass-backwards. WDFW volunteers save the state lots of tax dollars. Frankly, the high lake fishery would likely not be possible without the time the volunteers give for free. There are costs involved such as hatchery costs, but they are miniscule compared to the cost of transporting the fish to these inaccessable places. Other states use helicopters and other means…..all of which can be quite expensive. Citizens in this state spend far less of their tax dollars than do citizens of most other mountain states for an equilvalent fishery due this extensive volunteer program. Beyond that, most or all of the costs aren’t even tax dollars, but instead primarily come from fishing license fees.

P.S. If you are not finding stocking information you expect to find, then you are looking in the wrong places, or perhaps an error has occurred. All fish stocking in this state is managed by the WDFW (even private ponds required fish transport permits). As you surmise, all stocking information is available to the public via the WDFW.

I understand that people hike in and volunteer, just thought the info should be public. From what I have read that is all the info is on the State Fish and Game homepage which I have looked at. Thought there might be another one floating around that was just alpine lakes. Don’t get all huffy and puffy there Sandy.

Adam

Don’t get all huffy and puffy there Sandy.

Have no fear….I won’t be responding to you again.

@Little John wrote:

that link doesn’t seem to work any more. Got another link?

Nice – WDFW blew up their web pages in the last day or so.

Try this link:

http://wdfw.wa.gov/publications/search.php?Cat=Fish/Shellfish%20Research%20and%20Management&SubCat=Hatchery%20Reports

Select the “Hatchery Trout Stocking Plan for Washington Lakes and Streams” for the year desired and d/l the pdf file.

why dont you pack some fish in the hills then come back and draw me a map? when your boots are worn out and your car needs fixed, again. then you can come home and reply to posts like this. privliged information? someone bumped there head.
you could always pony up and show up……lame guys super lame.

Not sure bout that tech stuff but I would be glad to explain my feelings in detail. notice I use my real name look me up.
one thing I know for sure is that the highlakes fishery would be superlame without voulnteers.Thanks Guys! We carry a certin moral obligation to the stewardship that we embrace, take it easy. happy hunting.

I agree with little John. Also I do appreciate the effort of the individuals that take time and volunteer to plant lakes for all of us.

Adam

Hi Little John,

I think there has been some confusion floating around in this discussion. When someone submits a specific lake survey report, there are four choices of confidentially one can pick. If you check only the Co-reporters and/or only the WDFW, no one else can see the report except people who are on the same trip with you and/or the bios. Of course you can pick any combination among these choices to enlarge “information distribution circle”. It is your choice.

So, as a result, we as the Trail Blazers members do not have access to every single survey report. But, on the other hand, when each year the club has meetings to discuss which lakes should be continue to be stocked, we try to get every member’s input so that we can make intelligent recommendation to the state biologists for them to best manage the state water for the public.

As the TB members, we do not have special privileges to the survey data. We only have privileges/responsibilities to serve the public as a group of volunteers. And thanks for submitting lake survey reports, which I guarantee you have been treated property based on your and other surveyor’s wishes. I hope you will continue to submit your lake surveys, for they are extremely important for the state to properly manage the resources for the public to enjoy.

Happy fishing!

I think there was a bit too much read into my (formerly private) message that’s been published here. That said, it’s not such a huge deal, just a bit unfortunate.

I gots much bigger fish to fry right now, so I hope y’all don’t mind if I bow out of the discussion. Anyone interested in learning more about how the Trail Blazers work is more than welcome to attend a meeting.