“That will hopefully refine our methods for supporting a naturally reproducing population of LCT,” said Heki. Recently, a new weir has been installed which will allow for the Lahontan National Fish Hatchery Complex to better manage and protect the trout that are migrating from the lake into Glen Alpine Creek. “From a conservation standpoint, I don’t think it’s an immediate goal … there’s always hope that you can tweak a system a little bit and make room for a native species, but that’s longer term.”Īmong the obstacles facing a naturally reproducing population at Fallen Leaf Lake are nonnative species of rainbow trout, which can hybridize with Lahontan Cutthroat Trout, leading to a loss in population. “I don’t think it would be a high priority in the next decade, because you can have populations supported in Fallen Leaf Lake and Lake Tahoe, which the genetics show historically there were these little subgroups,” she said. “We don’t know a lot about how they historically used these systems, but they would migrate up to where you have perennial cold water for spawning, incubation, and rearing, into those tributaries.”Ĭurrently there are no plans to enable the fish to move beyond Lake Tahoe Dam, something Heki said isn’t a priority for conservationists at this point. “The goal in the next five or so years is to have passage all the way from Pyramid to Tahoe,” said Heki. There are several other structures that are fish barriers, according to Heki, between the border and the Lake Tahoe dam. Bureau of Reclamation, and will likely be completed the fall of 2020, allowing the Lahontan Cutthroat Trout to begin migrating farther upstream to the California-Nevada border. Ground is set to break on the Derby Dam Fish Screen Project next Wednesday, according to the U.S. If next year is a good water year, Heki said she expects to see more than 1,000 migrating Pilot Peak Lahontan Cutthroat Trout and possibly up to 2,000 of the fish.Īs of now, one of the major obstacles in keeping the fish from their historic migration route from Pyramid up the Truckee River and its tributaries and toward Lake Tahoe is the Derby Dam, located roughly 20 miles east of Reno. The amount of trout that have been migrating from Pyramid Lake up the Truckee River have also increased, going from a few dozen in 2013 to a record set this year of 775 migrating fish. The hatchery stocks 30,000 to 35,000 of the fish annually in Fallen Leaf Lake, and about 225,000 in Pyramid Lake, which now has roughly 900,000 fish in it. There are now roughly 900,000 of the fish in Pyramid Lake and the Truckee River. Today, Heki said trout of nearly 30 pounds have been caught. The historic population of Lahontan Cutthroat Trout was known to be long lived, and large in size, reportedly reaching up to 40 pounds and possibly larger. The Lahontan National Fish Hatchery Complex has been stocking the Lahontan Cutthroat Trout in Fallen Leaf Lake since 2002 and in Pyramid Lake since 2006. “It’s a pretty significant conservation story that everyone has been a key player in, from our program, to fishermen, to researchers and other partners - the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe,” said Heki. Fish & Wildlife Service, by extracting DNA samples from museum mounts of the original lake population, which later confirmed a match.ĭue to conservation efforts and work done by the Lahontan National Fish Hatchery Complex and other groups, the Lahontan Cutthroat Trout now exist in the hundreds of thousands in Pyramid Lake, the Truckee River, and Fallen Leaf Lake. There are additional pull out spots along the road up to where there’s a gated road on the left.In the early 2000s, Mary Peacock, a conservation geneticist from the University of Nevada, Reno, confirmed the fish population from Pilot Peak was the Lahontan Cutthroat Trout, according to the U.S. The trail wanders through the meadow and then reaches the lake. Drive past the campground and you will see a small trail head. Just past Camp Richardson, turn left onto Fallen Leaf Lake road (FS road 1212). An easy relaxing hike, the meadow itself is surrounded by Aspen stands and Conifers allowing you to get a little outside exercise AND enjoy some fall colors.ĭirections: From South Lake Tahoe, take Hwy 89 north. One of the best vantage points to see its fall colors is in Frederick’s Meadow. If the glaciers would’ve kept moving, Fallen Leaf Lake would’ve been a bay of Lake Tahoe instead of its own body of water. This lake was created by two glaciers from the Glen Alpine Valley. Tallac, the most recognizable peak in the Lake Tahoe basin, Fallen Leaf Lake sits nearly 152′ above the Lake Tahoe shoreline.
Fallen Leaf Lake – Glacial History and Aspen Beauty Camp Shelly – Image taken by Richard Thelen
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