Fishing in Colorado can take the committed high into the mountains. Some of the highest alpine lakes in the most remote area, near little-to-no bodies of water, somehow have Mountain Lake Fish ready and waiting to be caught. So how do the fish actually get into these high, isolated lakes? MinuteEarth dove in to find the answer, and it’s pretty shocking.
There’s three main ways these fish get into the lakes. The first is due to weather, with high rains having the potential to connect these lakes to other bodies of water with small streams, creating pathways for Mountain Lake Fish. The second way is by falling in from the sky. Wildlife agencies will literally drop fish from planes to create food and fishing opportunities in the mountains.
The third option is likely the wildest. The Mountain Lake Fish could have been pooped out by some animal. Specifically, mallard ducks like to munch on fish eggs, and for every 1,000 eggs that a duck eats, about 2 will survive the digestive track. With ducks traveling hundreds of miles between eating and pooping, it’s very possible that these animals will transport baby Mountain Lake Fish to high alpine lakes without any knowledge of doing so.
