Anglers will see larger trout stocked this spring

Spring is coming early. While the water still may be cold, it will be perfect for the thousands of trout to be released in ponds and lakes across Nebraska in March.

The warming temperatures aren’t the only thing for anglers to enjoy. This spring, the rainbow and cutbow trout (rainbow/cutthroat hybrid) to be released will be of larger size, many near or exceeding 12 inches.

The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission is continuing to seek valuable input from trout anglers, particularly those who fish put-and-take lakes. Information from this voluntary survey will be used to continue informing future trout management and stocking decisions. A survey is available at OutdoorNebraska.gov. Search “trout stocking reports.” Information from this survey will be used to inform future trout management and stocking decisions.

The following is a schedule for rainbow and cutbow trout set to be stocked, including quantities. The schedule can change because of weather or unforeseen circumstances:

Week of March 3

Lake Ogallala, Ogallala, 3,300 (cutbows); East Branch Verdigre Creek, Royal, 200

Week of March 10

Carney Pond, O’Neill, 750 (cutbows); Ponca State Park Pond, 1,500 (cutbows); Kramer Lake, Bellevue, 2,000; Fremont State Recreation Area No. 18, 2,000; Ta-Ha-Zouka Park Lake, Norfolk, 1,500 (cutbows); Pawnee Park West Lake, Columbus, 1,000 (cutbows); Neligh Park Pond, West Point, 500 (cutbows); Gracie Creek Pond, Burwell, 1,000; Rotary Club Lake, Auburn, 470; Humboldt City Park Lake (west), 200; Pawnee City Pond, 200; Stanton Lake, Falls City, 200; Auble Pond, Ord, 600; Elm Creek, Elm Creek Wildlife Management Area, Red Cloud, 500; Heartwell Park Lake, Hastings, 360; Suck’s Lake, Grand Island, 500; Holmes Lake, Lincoln, 1,750; Victoria Springs SRA Lake, Anselmo, 1,000; North Morrill Pond, Morrill, 1,500; Middle Morrill Pond, Morrill, 200; Riverside Park Pond, Scottsbluff, 700

Week of March 17

East Branch Verdigre Creek, Royal, 200; Neligh Park Pond, West Point, 400; Weeping Water Park Pond 1, 750; Steinhart Park East Pond, Nebraska City, 400; Holdrege City Lake, 810; Oxford City Lake, 200; Plum Creek Park Lake, Lexington, 660; Bethphage Pond, Axtell, 200; Fort Kearny SRA No. 6, Kearney, 900; Windmill SRA No. 2, Gibbon, 880; Geneva Pond, 200; Louisville SRA Pond No. 1A, 500; Lake Halleck, Papillion, 1,200; Gretna Crossing Pond, Gretna, 200; Lake Helen, Gothenburg, 1,000; Holmes Lake, Lincoln, 1,750; David City Park Pond West, 450; Rock Creek Lake SRA, Parks, 1,500; Bridgeport Middle Pond SRA, 1,600; Bridgeport Northwest Pond SRA, 1,400; Terry’s Pit, Terrytown, 500

Week of March 24

East Branch Verdigre Creek, Royal, 200; CenturyLink Lake, Eugene T. Mahoney SP, Ashland, 2,000

Week of March 31

East Branch Verdigre Creek, Royal, 200

For information on fish stocking online, including upcoming trout stocking dates, visit OutdoorNebraska.gov and search “Fish Stocking Database.”