Fisher King

Kody King of Montpelier has a lot to celebrate after setting the new "certified weight" state record for tiger trout. King was fishing his home waters of Montpelier Reservoir when he landed the 29-inch monster trout. King decided to keep the fish, thinking he might well have a record. The fish weighed in at 8.47 pounds, easily beating the previous record of 4.8 pounds held by Gatlynn Mayes caught from Becker Pond in 2020.

Tiger trout are a hybrid cross between brown trout and brook trout, produced in fish hatcheries and stocked in a select few waters across Idaho. They are occasionally stocked as predators to help take advantage of overpopulated smaller fishes such as yellow perch or shiners. Under the right conditions, this can produce some trophy fishing opportunities, and the chance to catch a unique looking trout.

Use the Idaho Fishing Planner at idfg.idaho.gov/ifwis/fishingplanner to learn where you can catch a tiger trout. Find "fish stocking records," then filter by species.

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Martin Koenig is the natural resources program coordinator for the Idaho Department of Fish and Game.