Hatchery-Supported Trout Waters Open on April 1

[NCangler]

RALEIGH, N.C. (March 20) - The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission will open approximately 1,120 miles of "Hatchery-Supported Trout Waters" in 25 western North Carolina counties at 6 a.m. on April 1. The season will run until one-half hour after sunset on Feb. 28, 2007.

While fishing Hatchery-Supported Trout Waters, anglers can harvest a maximum of seven trout per day, with no minimum size limits or bait restrictions.

Hatchery-Supported Trout Waters, identifiable by green-and-white signs, are stocked repeatedly from March until August every year. Many of these waters are stocked monthly, although some heavily fished waters are stocked more frequently.

This year, the Wildlife Commission will stock more than 750,000 catchable-sized trout in streams designated as Hatchery-Supported Trout Waters. The ratio of stocked fish for most streams is 40 percent brook trout, 40 percent rainbow trout and 20 percent brown trout. Ninety-six percent of the stocked fish average 10 inches in length while the remaining fish exceed 14 inches in length.

The trout are grown in four Mountain region fish hatcheries operated by the Commission. Fish are distributed along hatchery-supported streams wherever public access for fishing is available, according to Carl Kittel, coldwater production coordinator with the Commission.

For a detailed list of all Hatchery-Supported Trout Waters, visit the Commission's Web site, http://www.ncwildlife.org/pg02_Regs/pg2b3.pdf.

For trout fishing maps and weekly stocking summaries on Hatchery-Supported Trout Waters, visit the Commission's Web site, http://www.ncwildlife.org/pg03_Fishing/pg3b1.htm. Note that stocking information appears online for only seven days, and updates are posted only when fish are stocked.