How to Read the USDA Trout Production Report — Sales by Size, Eggs, Outlets, Losses and Distributed Fish
NASS Trout Production, 2025: sales $102 million excluding eggs (-6%); 12-inch-plus trout 25.3 million fish (+11%); estimated value of fish distributed: $154 million (+2%).
Key figures (Trout Production, February 2026)
As of 4 November 2026, 00:50 KST; most recently published report: Trout Production from the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), with 2025 trout sales by size, egg sales, outlets, losses and fish distributed. The publication listing confirms the February 27, 2026 release; the NASS release-day page lists the same date; the publication page lists the report as annual, and the publication listing displayed no next release date when checked at 00:50 KST; the sources used give no time of day. Primary source: https://esmis.nal.usda.gov/sites/default/release-files/795798/trpr0226.txt[1][2][3]
| Indicator (United States; each row compares 2024 with 2025) | Previous period (2024) | Current period (2025) | Change vs previous | Change vs year ago: same as previous for an annual series | Evidence type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Value of trout sold, excluding eggs (1,000 dollars) | 108,383 | 102,012 | down 6% (text); -5.9% (calculated) | same comparison | levels and published change: USDA NASS primary statistical record; calculated %: this page's calculation |
| Value of trout sold, including eggs (1,000 dollars) | 123,921 | 118,193 | -4.6% (calculated) | same comparison | levels: USDA NASS primary statistical record; calculated %: this page's calculation |
| Trout 12 inches or longer sold (1,000 fish) | 22,695 | 25,255 | up 11% (text); +11.3% (calculated) | same comparison | levels and published change: USDA NASS primary statistical record; calculated %: this page's calculation |
| Trout 12 inches or longer, average price (dollars per pound) | 2.51 | 2.40 | down 4% (text); -4.4% (calculated) | same comparison | levels and published change: USDA NASS primary statistical record; calculated %: this page's calculation |
| Trout 12 inches or longer, sales (1,000 dollars) | 99,663 | 95,203 | down 4% (text); -4.5% (calculated) | same comparison | levels and published change: USDA NASS primary statistical record; calculated %: this page's calculation |
| Trout 6 to 12 inches sold (1,000 fish) | 3,510 | 2,635 | down 25% (text); -24.9% (calculated) | same comparison | levels and published change: USDA NASS primary statistical record; calculated %: this page's calculation |
| Value of trout distributed (1,000 dollars) | 150,846 | 154,236 | up 2% (text); +2.2% (calculated) | same comparison | levels and published change: USDA NASS primary statistical record; calculated %: this page's calculation |
| Losses of trout intended for sale (1,000 fish) | 10,325 | 9,928 | -3.8% (calculated) | same comparison | levels: USDA NASS primary statistical record; calculated %: this page's calculation |
Comparison basis: in the table above, values are in thousands of dollars, counts in thousands of fish and the 12-inch price in dollars per pound, as labelled in each row. The text gives whole-percentage changes; this page's calculated changes for the selected rows are rounded half up to one decimal. The 2024 values are as printed in this report. The report, publication page and release-day page are all from USDA and count as one source.[1]
In three lines
1. The annual NASS Trout Production report gives U.S. trout sales by size, egg sales, sales outlets, losses, and fish distributed by public and other hatcheries.
2. In 2025, trout sales (excluding eggs) were worth $102 million, down 6%, while sales of trout 12 inches or longer rose 11% to 25.3 million fish.
3. The value of fish distributed for restoration, conservation, enhancement or recreation rose 2% to $154 million.[1]
What the report says (in NASS's words)
"The total value of fish sales received by trout growers in the United States totaled 102 million dollars for 2025, down 6 percent from 2024." "The number of trout 12 inches and longer sold during 2025 totaled 25.3 million fish, up 11 percent from the previous year." "The average price per pound was $2.40, down 4 percent from the previous year." "For trout 12 inches or longer, 69.0 percent were sold to processors."[1]
For trout 1 to 6 inches: "The average value per 1,000 fish was $336 during 2025, compared to $252 in 2024." For distributed fish: "The estimated value of fish distributed totaled 154 million dollars, up 2 percent from 2024." For losses of trout intended for sale: "Disease accounted for 82 percent of these losses."[1]
Size definition. Per the report's terms, trout 12 inches or longer are grown commercially for food and usually weigh from three-fourths of a pound to one and one-half pounds; 6- to 12-inch fish are usually stockers, and 1- to 6-inch fish are usually considered fingerlings.[1]
Reading in pairs
Value excluding vs including eggs. The text's $102 million is the value excluding eggs (102,012 thousand); including egg sales of 16,181 thousand the 2025 total is 118,193 thousand. The three size categories add to 102,012 thousand (95,203 + 5,790 + 1,019, this page's sum).[1]
Price per pound vs per 1,000 fish. Trout 12 inches or longer and 6 to 12 inches are priced per pound, while trout 1 to 6 inches are valued per 1,000 fish ($336 in 2025), and eggs per 1,000 eggs. Prices across size categories therefore are not on the same unit.[1]
Count times price vs published sales. For trout 12 inches or longer, 39,617 thousand pounds times $2.40 gives $95,080.8 thousand against published sales of $95,203 thousand, and 492,865 thousand eggs at $32.80 per 1,000 gives $16,166 thousand against $16,181 thousand (this page's calculations). The report notes: "Due to rounding, total number or live weight multiplied by average value per unit may not exactly equal total sales." "Due to rounding, total number of eggs multiplied by average price per 1,000 eggs may not exactly equal total sales."[1]
More fish, lower value. The number of 12-inch-or-longer trout sold rose 11.3% while their total live weight was nearly unchanged (39,676 to 39,617 thousand pounds) and the price per pound fell 4.4%, so sales value fell 4.5% (this page's calculations). In this report, no explanation of the price change is provided.[1]
Census states vs other states. "In the twelve published states, trout production estimates are based on a census of all known active producers and therefore, have no sampling variability." "However, since all operations in the other states category are not included in the sample, survey estimates are subject to sampling variability." State detail is often withheld (D) to avoid disclosing individual operations, so the Other States rows combine minor states and withheld states. "Estimates for the previous year are subject to revision when current estimates are made." In this report, no numeric error measure is provided.[1]
Verified facts
Each fact is labelled with its evidence typeEach fact in this section carries its evidence type — either cross-checked against independent sources, or confirmed from a single authoritative record.
U.S. trout sales excluding eggs were worth $102 million in 2025, down 6 percent from 2024.[1] 1 source · authoritative record
U.S. sales of trout 12 inches or longer totaled 25.3 million fish in 2025, up 11 percent, at an average $2.40 per pound.[1] 1 source · authoritative record
69.0 percent of U.S. trout 12 inches or longer sold in 2025 went to processors at the point of first sale.[1] 1 source · authoritative record
The estimated value of trout distributed in 2025 was $154 million, up 2 percent from 2024.[1] 1 source · authoritative record
Statements and readings
Not counted as facts — each item shows what kind of statement it isFrom here on: statements not counted as facts — single-source reports, the issuing body’s own statements, and this page’s own readings, each labeled.
The number of trout 12 inches or longer sold rose 11.3% in 2025 while their sales value fell 4.5%.[1] This page’s own calculation or reading · This page's calculation from the NASS Trout Production report
Including egg sales, the value of U.S. trout sold in 2025 was $118,193 thousand, 4.6% below 2024.[1] This page’s own calculation or reading · This page's calculation from the NASS Trout Production report
Timeline
What this page could not establish
These are questions this page tried to answer and could not. The gaps are left open rather than filled with a guess.- Why did the price of large trout fall in 2025?
- How large are sampling errors for the other states?
- Model
- claude-opus-5
- Time
- 11/04/2026, 00:50
- Body characters
- 6,527
- Sources
- 3 sources adopted
- Model
- ChatGPT (checked sources on the web)
- Time
- 11/04/2026, 00:57
- Verdict
- Revision required
Show revision history (3)
| 11/04/2026, 09:00 | First authored (claude-opus-5) | Created |
| 11/04/2026 | First version. Read in full the USDA NASS Trout Production report of February 2026, including value, sales by size, egg sales, point of first sale, loss and distribution tables, terms and definitions and methodology, plus the publication page and the NASS Reports by Release Day page; quotations are complete sentences matched against the source text. | Updated |
| 11/04/2026 | Revised after review: the summary names the distributed figure as the estimated value of fish distributed; the outlet FAQ and the processors statements now say they refer to the point of first sale. | Updated |
Frequently asked
How much were U.S. trout sales worth in 2025?
$102 million excluding eggs (102,012 thousand), down 6% from 2024, or 118,193 thousand including egg sales, according to the NASS Trout Production report of February 27, 2026.[1]
How many large trout were sold in 2025?
25.3 million trout 12 inches or longer, up 11%, at an average $2.40 per pound; 69.0% went to processors at the point of first sale.[1]
What were the first-sale outlets for 6- to 12-inch trout?
In 2025, at the point of first sale, 55.8% went to recreational stocking, 14.5% wholesale to other producers and 11.2% to government agencies.[1]
How many trout were lost in 2025?
9.93 million trout intended for sale (9,928 thousand), and disease accounted for 82% of these losses.[1]
What does distributed trout mean in the 2025 report?
Trout distributed for restoration, conservation, enhancement or recreational purposes, primarily by State and Federal hatcheries; their estimated value was $154 million.[1]
Does the trout report have sampling error?
Partly: the 12 published states are a census with no sampling variability, while the other states are sampled and subject to sampling variability; in this report, no numeric error measure is provided.[1]