Estimated read time: 1-2 minutes
MANTUA, Box Elder County — The Mantua Fish Hatchery recently expanded its operations with a new facility designed specifically for producing fish eggs.
This addition aims to enhance the hatchery's capacity to support Utah's fish population.
Before anglers can boast about their big catches, it all begins at the hatchery.
Inside the new facility, fish eggs are carefully produced.
Jared Smith, the manager of the Mantua Fish Hatchery, describes the process as "kind of cool, nerdy stuff."
"What we do is produce nothing but eggs. We ship those out to other hatcheries with warmer water," Smith explained. "They can grow them a lot faster, and then they'll stock them out into public waters."
The new facility, which started operations a few months ago, is a source of pride for Smith.
"We do 6 million eggs every single year. That's 30% of the overall quota for the state, so it's a lot of eggs," he said.
These eggs are primarily for Bonneville cutthroat and rainbow trout, species that are popular among Utah's fishing community.
Smith, who grew up in Mantua and whose father managed the old hatchery, is thrilled to oversee the new facility.
"He came and checked it out, too. He was pretty jealous of what we have here," Smith joked.
New fish hatcheries are a rarity, but this one is dedicated to ensuring Utah's fish population remains healthy.
According to the Division of Wildlife Resources, more than 241,000 fishing licenses were sold in Utah in 2023. With fishing being a popular activity in the state, Smith believes the new facility will help ensure that lakes and ponds across Utah continue to be stocked with trout.
As Smith puts it: "Making memories one egg at a time."
Photos
Show 1 Photo
