Brook troot populations in Colorado beaver ponds

Summary A habitat inventory and evaluation of the brook trout populations from 57 beaver ponds in Colorado permitted comparisons of stunted and non-stunted populations of fish and the environmental conditions under which the populations occurred. High standing crops of small fish were usually present in ponds with favorable spawning areas. Seep ponds with few gravel or sandy areas did not favor spawning. As a result, a smaller number of larger fish were recovered. Four-to five-inch stunted trout reached maturity at the end of their second growing season while non-stunted trout matured at the end of their third and fourth growing seasons at lengths of seven to eight inches.