ATLANTIC salmon have returned to Eycott Hill Nature Reserve, near Penrith.
A spokeswoman for Cumbria Wildlife Trust said it was the “first known record at this site in recent recording history”.
An electrofishing survey carried out at six points across the Naddles and Barrow Becks - five of which fall within the boundary of Eycott Hill - found Atlantic salmon at four of the locations. In a 2015 survey, there were none.
The wildlife trust spokeswoman said the sites which tended to show larger increases in salmonids and overall fish numbers were those which had received greater levels of management.
She said practices such as tree planting and the introduction of riparian fencing could benefit fish populations by allowing vegetation to recover, providing shade and habitat for fish and their eggs.
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