ELKINS, W.Va. — The West Virginia Division of Natural Resources will begin the fall trout stocking on Monday, October 15th. The annual event is delayed by a week from the traditional dates. It’s also a week later than the schedule which was printed in the DNR’s 2018 Wildlife Calendar.
“We do apologize for that, but the calendar went to the printer before we made the decision,” said Jim Hedrick, head of the West Virginia DNR’s Trout Program.
Traditionally the fall trout stocking began the day after Columbus Day and stretched for two weeks. However, this year, it was delayed by a week. According to Hedrick it was a change for biological reasons and one he hopes will remain in place for the future.
“Stream flow will not be an issue this year, but most years it is and our hatchery staff have to pick and choose where they stock trout in the streams. They’ll often have to pick pools and won’t be able to put them in every water,” explained Hedrick. “The other thing we’ve run into in the last couple of years is the water temperature is still very warm. We’ve had some fish to die after the stocking and we don’t want that to happen either.”
Additionally, the Columbus Day schedule often put pressure on hatchery managers to get the trout out the door at times before they were ready.
“If brood stock start to spawn a little later, which fluctuates year to year naturally,” said Hedrick. “A lot of times our staff has a hard time getting all of that spawn and then getting those fish out to the anglers. Another week gives them a little more time.”
Typically the brood fish which are at the end of their cycle for spawning are released in the fall to make way for the up and coming brood stock for future years. As water temperatures drop through the fall months and into the winter, it’s the hoped by the agency those trout not caught will make it all the way to the following spring. Normally conditions are right for that to occur.
Historically the fall trout stocking was created to give sportsmen an extra opportunity. It coincided with squirrel season, which at one time was the biggest hunting season in West Virginia. The stockings allowed sportsmen to hunt in the morning and fish in the afternoon in the high mountain counties. Since then, the interests of sportsmen have certainly changed, but the popularity of the fall trout fishing has not waned.
The waters on the fall stocking list rarely change from year to year, but Hedrick said for 2018 there have been two additions. Cacapon State Park Lake has been added to the list. The lake is spring fed and keeps the right temperature to support trout. The agency has also added the North Branch of the Potomac in the Barnam area in Mineral County.
“That was not on the fall stocking schedule and to be honest with you, I don’t know why,” said Hedrick. “That’s a perfect location, the water is always cold, so we want to take advantage of it because we know conditions will always be right at that location.”