How do fish get from lake to lake?

[JT26]

I can understand how fish are spread thrpigh the ocean, but not lakes and ponds. I just asked my self that today after catching fish in a storm pond this morning.

I heard it was from birds....

[mallard83]

This could be a few different things. Most likely someone took it upon themselves to stock a certain body of water themselves with fish of there choice or sometimes fish can travel through some pretty skinny little creeks and ditches to another body of water. And I have heard this travel by bird thing before but cannot confirm its truthfulness.

[gpc]

Bucket biologist, or the midnight stocking cart is some names we give to people who take it upon themselves to stock certain bodies of water with certain species of fish. But I dont think thats how most of the lakes get species of fish that arnt supposed to be there. I think its more natural than anything. But I am not sure how this naturally occurs. I have heard about birds, either eating a fish and pooping out fish eggs, or flying over a body of water and dropping a fish into the lake full of eggs. But either way I cant see this happening a whole lot. Hopefully we can get some more scientific answers on the topic.

[EastsideRedneck]

Hmmm... maybe I should stock some channel cats this way in Beaver and Pine. Just kidding- kinda. Sorry JT, I know this is off topic but does anyone know how to persuede WDFW to stock a particular fish in a local lake?

As for the question at hand I would venture to say that they move to new bodies of water via storm-fed streams or flood waters.

[felts_jf]

I know I have caught fish at one body of water where you know there is a over load of a certain fish and take it to another body of water, Just make sure if its a personal pnd or something you have permission to do this.