Press release courtesy ODFW

While trout fishing will be closing in most rivers and streams in Oregon on Oct. 31, trout fishing in many lakes and reservoirs throughout the state will be heating up thanks to a supplemental fall stocking program by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.

The agency has been able to supplement its regular stocking program with several thousand larger and trophy-sized trout thanks to a special appropriation from the Oregon legislature. The legislation provided $400,000 for ODFW to purchase additional trout from private hatcheries in order to enhance fishing opportunities throughout the state.

“These fish stocked in October should provide the trout angler with some great fishing well into winter,” said Rhine Messmer, ODFW recreational fishing program manager. “Fall is a time of year when fish are feeding heavily in order to bulk up for the lean winter months, so fishing should be excellent as long as water temperatures don’t get too cool and the weather cooperates.”

This supplemental stocking will resume next spring and will continue through 2011.

The lakes and reservoirs that have been stocked this fall are (by zone):

SW Zone – stocked the week of Oct. 19
            Hyatt Lake
            Lake Selmac
            Expo Pond
            Reinhart Pond
            Applegate Reservoir
            Agate Lake
            Garrison Lake
            Butterfield Lake
            Upper and Lower Empire Lakes

NE Zone – stocked the week of Oct. 12
            Willow Creek Reservoir
            Holliday Park
            Bull Prairie

Willamette Zone
            Walling Pond
            Walter Wirth Pond
            Waverly lake
            Junction City Pond
            Dorena Lake
            Canby Pond
            St. Louis Ponds
            Hagg Lake
            Sheridan Pond
            Huddleston Pond

Central Zone – stocked the week of Oct. 26
            Three Creeks Lake
            North Twin Lake
            Ochoco Reservoir
            Haystack Reservoir
            Shevlen Pond