New FishWise Producer Partner - Mt. Lassen Trout Farm, Inc.

Mt. Lassen Trout Farm, Inc. has been producing rainbow trout and steelhead since 1949. Having over 200 years of combined experience in the aquaculture industry, the staff are highly trained and dedicated to producing the highest quality trout available on the market. While the business has historically focused on meeting the needs of the recreational fishing industry, their trout has earned such a reputation for its taste and texture that they are now looking to expand their food business.

Perhaps the most unique feature of Mt. Lassen Trout’s production facilities is the use of cold, fresh spring water that flows from the base of Mt. Lassen. Mt. Lassen Trout produces its own eggs and hatchlings from selectively bred broodstock and, once at the appropriate size, they are placed in earthen ‘raceway’ systems (a Seafood Watch “Best Choice”) to reach market size. These raceway systems are kept at a higher water velocity than most trout farms, creating a trout that is stronger and more muscular with excellent fin condition. When conditions are optimal, Mt. Lassen Trout can produce in excess of one million pounds of trout and steelhead per year.

Typical size at harvest varies depending on what the customer wants. Red meat trout range from 1-2 lbs while steelhead range from 3-6 lbs. There is also a limited supply of ‘King’steelhead that grow to over 15 lbs.

Currently Mt. Lassen Trout only sells whole fish in the round (not gutted) to Pier 45 Seafood who then sort and distribute the fish to customers. These fish are swimming when they are put onto the truck and delivered in fish tanks containing a water and ice slurry. Due to the cost of shipping, Mt. Lassen Trout encourages all customers to buy from Pier 45 where smaller orders can easily be accommodated. Direct delivers will require a minimum order of 500 lbs. Being located in close proximity to the Bay Area, Mt. Lassen Trout is able to deliver fish within hours of them swimming in the grow-out facilities.

In mid-July, a handful of FishWise staff spent the weekend in far Northern California to take a tour of Mt. Lassen Trout Farm, which was initiated by local San Francisco wholesaler, Royal Hawaiian Seafood. The fillets our group enjoyed that night could not have been any fresher, and none of us have any doubt that Mt. Lassen Trout will be a name to look for on restaurant menus and in seafood cases in the future.

For more information please contact Mt. Lassen Trout Farm, Inc.