Seasonal Variations in Relative Weight of Lake Trout (Salvelinus namaycush), Kokanee Salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka), Rainbow Trout (Onocorhynchus mykiss), and Brown Trout (Salmo trutta) in Blue Mesa Reservoir, Colorado
Madeline Midas, Asia Williams, Cindy Cooper, and Michael Courtney

TL;DR
This study documents seasonal changes in the body condition of four fish species in Blue Mesa Reservoir, revealing species-specific patterns of weight gain and loss linked to feeding habits and environmental factors.
Contribution
It provides the first detailed analysis of seasonal relative weight variations in cold water fish species using multi-year data in a reservoir setting.
Findings
Lake trout lose body condition from spring to fall.
Kokanee salmon gain body condition from spring to fall.
Rainbow trout lose condition between summer and fall.
Abstract
Blue Mesa Reservoir is the largest body of water in Colorado and is located on the western slope of the Rocky Mountains at an elevation of 7520 feet. Blue Mesa Reservoir contains recreationally important populations of lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush), kokanee salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka), rainbow trout (Onocorhynchus mykiss), and brown trout (Salmo trutta). A management challenge in recent years has been the overpopulation of lake trout, which has led to a steep decline in abundance of kokanee salmon (a preferred food source) followed by a steep decline in body condition of the lake trout. Relative weight, Wr, is commonly used to assess body condition and prey availability of fish in a variety of ecosystems, but its seasonal variability has not been well documented in cold water species. Relative weight is 100 times the actual weight of a fish divided by expected weight (or standard…
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Taxonomy
TopicsFish Ecology and Management Studies · Fish Biology and Ecology Studies · Transboundary Water Resource Management
