Nebraskaland Magazine
Starting with the news release:
LINCOLN, Neb. – Rainbow trout are being stocked in city ponds and state park and recreation area lakes across the state by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. These stockings will enhance fishing opportunities this fall and winter.
Stocking schedules can change on short notice for a variety of reasons. The following is a tentative stocking schedule, including quantities:
Week of Oct. 5 – Grabel Pond No. 1, Fort Robinson SP – 1,200; Grabel Pond No. 3, Fort Robinson SP – 400; Laing Lake, Alliance – 1,500; Bridgeport SRA northwest lake – 700; Lake Carter P. Johnson, Fort Robinson SP – 2,500
Week of Oct. 13 – Crystal Cove Lake, South Sioux City – 4,500; Bridgeport SRA northwest lake – 700; North Morrill Pond – 2,000; Middle Morrill Pond – 450; South Morrill Pond – 400; Riverside Park Pond, Scottsbluff, 900; Hitchcock Park Pond, Omaha – 450; Towl Park Pond, Omaha – 300; Holdrege City Lake – 2,000; Fort Kearny SRA Lake No. 6 – 1,200; Curtis golf course pond – 150; Oxford City Lake – 300; Humphrey Pond, Ogallala – 600; TaHaZouka Park Lake, Norfolk – 1,500; Pawnee Park west pond, Columbus – 1,500; Niobrara SP Pond, 1,000; Grove Lake WMA, Royal – 1,500; Standing Bear Lake, Omaha – 3,000; Lake Halleck, Papillion – 1,200; Fremont Lakes SRA No. 2, Fremont, 5,000
Week of Oct. 19 – Steinhart Park Pond, Nebraska City – 800; Weeping Water Park Pond – 1,500; Central Nebraska Veterans Home pond, Kearney – 300; Gracie Creek, Burwell – 1,000; Bessey Pond, Halsey – 600; Auble Pond, Ord – 1,500; Heartwell Park Lake, Hastings – 810; Such’s Lake, Grand Island – 585; Bowling Lake, Lincoln – 400; Holmes Lake, Lincoln – 3,000; CenturyLink Lake, Eugene T. Mahoney SP – 1,500; Optimist Lake, Auburn – 800; Stanton Lake, Fall City – 200; Pawnee City Lake – 300; Humboldt City Park Lake – 600; Melham Park Lake, Broken Bow – 875; Ansley City Pond – 1,000; David City Park Pond – 600; Lake Helen, Gothenburg – 2,000; Windmill SRA Lake No. 2, Gibbon – 600; Plum Creek Park Lake, Lexington – 750; Birdwood WMA, North Platte – 4,000; Benson Park Pond, Omaha – 1,050; Fontenelle Park Pond, Omaha – 1,200; Standing Bear Lake, Omaha – 3,500
Week of Nov. 9 – Crystal Springs Park middle lake, Fairbury – 1,200
Week of Dec. 7 – Standing Bear Lake – 3,750; Holmes Lake – 3,000; Bowling Lake – 400; Birdwood WMA – 4,000
Week of Dec. 14 – CenturyLink Lake – 3,500; Standing Bear Lake – 3,750
The following rainbow trout stockings took place in September:
Week of Sept. 1 – Ponca SP Pond – 1,500; Lake Ogallala, 4,000; Grove Lake WMA sandpit, Royal – 50
Week of Sept. 7 – Keller Park SRA No. 4, Brown County – 200; Keller Park SRA No. 5, – 400
Week of Sept. 14 – Minnechaduza Creek, Valentine – 500
Week of Sept. 21 – Elm Creek, Webster County – 500
Week of Sept. 28 – Bridgeport SRA middle lake – 2,000; White River, Fort Robinson SP – 1,000; Gilbert-Baker WMA Pond, Harrison – 600
Fishing for trout is a great way to introduce children to fishing because simple and inexpensive equipment may be used. A spinning or spin-cast rod and reel with a hook baited with a worm will work well. Add a split shot a couple of feet above the hook and a bobber a couple of feet above the split shot. Spinners, salmon eggs, dough baits and artificial flies also can catch trout.
If you are just getting into fishing and want more details, a helpful resource is Game and Parks’ Going Fishing Guide, available at OutdoorNebraska.gov/howtofish. For information on Fish Stocking, including the dates pf upcoming trout stocking, OutdoorNebraska.gov/fishstockingreports.
Visit OutdoorNebraska.gov/fishing for more information on fishing in Nebraska.
Let me add some comments: First, the dates given are the closest estimate of when those stockings will occur. We will not be giving any more details other than what is listed. With the stupid coronavirus, we do not want to be attracting crowds. Sorry.
Secondly, if you want additional tips on catching them, cleaning them, check out one of my old blog posts: Fall Trout Stocking, 2017.
Lastly, I am going to say it again. . . . We are NOT stocking these fish so folks can fill their freezers with trout. We stock these catchable-size rainbows in urban and parks waters around the state to provide relatively easy fishing opportunity close to beginning anglers, especially kids. I realize there are a variety of folks that like to take advantage of the opportunity to catch these fish. If you do, you better have a kid, a new angler, with you. While you are at it, enter them in the Take ‘Em Fishing Challenge.
