The fish was a triploid female so it would not spawn, when I cleaned it, it had no visible reproductive organs. 10 years ago or so I have seen trout in Colquitz creek spawning, as well I have caught some very dark fish that are in spawning coloration, its been a few years since they have stocked trout that are able to spawn. So who knows if there are any left with the fishing pressure this lake gets. As for eating it, it tasted better than any other elk lake trout I have eaten, it had a very high fat content, baked some of it and smoked the rest, the smoked trout was very good. After releasing hundreds of trout this spring, I figure why not keep the one big one. In the 3 days before I caught the 9.4lb I had 4 over 3lbs, 2 over 4lbs, 2 5lbs+, and a 6.5lb plus numerous smaller ones. All fly caught and released, unharmed without even a picture.