DEP Announces Fall Trout Stocking

bigoutdoors · Posted: Fri Sep 25, 2009 4:17 pm Post subject: DEP Announces Fall Trout Stocking

DEP Announces Fall Trout Stocking

Fall stockings and a mild summer mean a great autumn for trout anglers, Trout Parks and TMA’s among the areas being stocked.

Just one of the many trout awaiting anglers this fall.

FALL…when cool, crisp days, clear blue skies, bright white clouds, and vibrant foliage provide a spectacular backdrop for trout fishing! And to complete the picture, the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has begun its annual autumn trout stockings. During September and October, DEP expects to release more than 36,000 trout into selected waters throughout the state. Among the areas scheduled for stocking this fall are twenty-two lakes and ponds, eight Trout Parks, and sixteen rivers and streams including fourteen Trout Management Areas (TMA).

This fall, the DEP will be stocking eight of the designated Trout Parks, and most will be stocked twice. Connecticut’s Trout Parks are managed to enhance fishing opportunities for families and novice anglers. All the Trout Parks are easily accessible and have picnic areas and other amenities nearby. "Our Trout Parks are great places for family fishing outings in the fall," said Susan Frechette, Deputy Commissioner of the DEP. "A family can enjoy the brilliant fall foliage and a day of fishing and picnicking in the refreshing fall weather."

This fall, approximately 36,500 trout are scheduled to be released, of which 12,400 will be large brown trout (greater than 12 inches in length) that are all being stocked in September; 6,100 are standard size (10-12 inch) brown trout, 15,000 are standard size rainbow trout and 3,000 are "yearling" brown trout (7-9 inch). The Trout Parks and rivers and streams including the TMA’s are being stocked in September, and the twenty-two lakes and ponds are scheduled to be stocked in mid-late October.

Plentiful stream flows and cool temperatures allowed a number of TMAs to be stocked earlier in September, and DEP will complete its stockings of the fourteen Trout Management Areas (TMA) this week. These September stockings should provide anglers an opportunity to take advantage of the relatively long day-length and the better weather found in late summer and early fall.

Among the Trout Management Areas (TMA) stocked this fall are the two areas on the Housatonic River. DEP released a total of 9,100 trout (1,000 large brown trout, 5,000 rainbow trout, 3,100 "yearling" brown trout) into the Housatonic River TMA and 2,500 rainbow trout into the Bull’s Bridge TMA. The large brown trout are intended to augment the population of holdover trout in the river this fall, while the rainbow trout and "yearling" browns will enhance the holdover population for next spring.

The West Branch Farmington River (West Branch Reservoir to the West Branch TMA upper boundary) also received its annual Labor Day stocking with DEP releasing 2,500 of the large brown trout (12 inches and larger fish) just prior to Labor Day weekend.

Anglers should be aware that two Trout Parks that are often stocked in the fall, Stratton Brook Park Pond and Southford Falls Park Pond, will not be stocked this year due to planned dredging projects.

Fishing in all sixteen Trout Management Areas is catch-and-release only during the fall. Trout Parks have a two-fish per day creel limit. Regulations vary on many of the other waters being stocked this fall. The DEP advises anglers to check fishing regulations in their 2009 Connecticut Angler’s Guide. Guides are available from many Town Clerks and bait & tackle stores, or by contacting the DEP Inland Fisheries Division (860-424-FISH). The Angler’s Guide, Weekly Fishing Reports and news releases can all be found on the DEP web site at: www.ct.gov/dep.

Below are list of Trout Parks, Trout Management areas, and other locations that are scheduled to be stocked this fall. Fall trout stocking is currently scheduled to be completed by late-October.

TROUT PARKS:

Black Rock Pond
Mohegan Park Pond

Chatfield Hollow
Natchaug River

Day Pond
Valley Falls Park Pond

Great Hollow Pond (Wolfe Park)
Wharton Brook (Allen Brook Pond)

TROUT MANAGEMENT AREAS (TMA):

Bulls Bridge TMA (Housatonic River)
Moosup River TMA

Farmington River TMA (Collinsville to Unionville)
Naugatuck River TMA

Hammonasset River TMA
Salmon River TMA

Hockanum River TMA
Saugatuck River TMA

Housatonic River TMA
Sleeping Giant TMA (Mill River-Hamden)

Mianus River TMA
Willimantic River TMA

Mill River TMA
Yantic River TMA

RIVERS AND STREAMS (see Trout Parks & TMAs for additional locations):

Hammonasset River
Salmon River (Colchester)

Natchaug River
Shetucket River

West Branch Farmington River

LAKES AND PONDS (see Trout Parks for additional locations):

Amos Lake
Crystal Lake (Ellington)
Quonnipaug Lake

Bashan Lake
Gardner Lake
Rogers Lake

Beach Pond
Long Pond
Stillwater Pond

Bigelow Pond
Mashapaug Lake
Tyler Pond

Black Pond (Meriden)
Mohawk Pond
Wauregan Reservoir

Black Pond (Woodstock)
Mt. Tom Pond
West Hill Pond

Cedar Lake
Pattaconk Lake
West Side Pond

Coventry Lake

diggadave24 · Posted: Sat Sep 26, 2009 9:09 pm Post subject:

Nothing in the Naugatuck it figures right across the street from my house that's my luck.