Believe it or not, fish managers actually tried to transplant cherry salmon to US waters. Like most out-of-basin efforts to introduce "foreign" salmonids, it failed.




Nonindigenous Occurrences: This species was planted in the North Branch of the Boyne River, a tributary of Lake Michigan in Charlevoix County, Michigan, by the Michigan Department of Conservation in 1929 (Parsons 1973). Cherry salmon were stocked into Hewitt Lake and Puget Sound in the state of Washington circa 1974 (University of Washington Fish Collection 1996; Courtenay et al. 1991).


Means of Introduction: Two hundred 18-month old fingerlings were intentionally stocked in Michigan by the Michigan Department of Conservation. Stocked in Washington.

Status: Failed in Michigan. Presumably failed in Washington.

Impact of Introduction: Unknown.

Remarks: Voucher specimens: Washington (UW 21588).

Salmo g or Smalma, either of you around when they tried stocking these in Puget Sound back in 1974?
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"Let every angler who loves to fish think what it would mean to him to find the fish were gone." (Zane Grey)

"If you don't kill them, they will spawn." (Carcassman)


The Keen Eye MD
Long Live the Kings!