Supplemental Feeding as a Tool in the Development of a Quality Wild Rainbow Trout Fishery

Southwest Virginia offers a plethora of fishing opportunities for wild trout (Brook Trout Salvelinus fontinalis, Brown Trout Salmo trutta, and Rainbow Trout Oncorhynchus mykiss) in headwater and large valley floor streams. However, low productivity in most area streams, including the South Fork Holston River, limits growth leading to populations where individuals seldom exceed 25 cm. The Buller Fish Hatchery, located in Smyth County, Virginia, offers anglers a unique 1.6‐km special‐regulation catch‐and‐release trout fishery on the South Fork Holston River limited to single‐hook artificial lures. Historically, this section was dominated by wild Rainbow Trout that seldom reached 25 cm. A supplemental feeding program was initiated by the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources in March 2015 in hopes of significantly increasing the size distribution of Rainbow Trout. This limited feeding program improved the size distribution within the first year, and 24% of Rainbow Trout exceeded 30 cm. Annual monitoring (2015–2018) documented that 17–34% of Rainbow Trout collected at the treatment reach exceeded 30 cm, with densities varying from 215 to 554 fish/km for fish greater than 30 cm. Relative weight greater than 100 shifted from 0% of the population in 2014 to 8–25% of the population in 2015–2018. Rainbow Trout size structure and relative weight remained unchanged during the survey period at the control reach and were lower than at the treatment reach once supplemental feeding began. Annual costs associated with supplemental feeding at this reach were calculated at US$1,271/year and averaged $2.34/fish (>30 cm) within the catch‐and‐release area. Results suggest that supplemental feeding can be an effective tool for improving wild trout size structure in low‐productivity waters. Feeding was not cost prohibitive and was within Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources budget guidelines.