The state wildlife agency (TN) stocks our local river with trout in December every year. I've yet to take advantage of it but am wondering basically how far the trout will travel and how long it would take. I've heard of anglers hanging out by the truck as the fish hit the water, but I'm more interested in catching them closer to my favorite spots which are about 20? 30? miles downstream.
Posted Dec 6, 2012, 10:51 AM UTC
another thing to consider (and i live in WA so i could be completely wrong about trout in TN) is that they are much less active in the winter. that being said, i have fished streams in the summer where i've caught obviously hatchery fish (thin, scratches, rubbed down fins) about 15 miles upstream of the only place they get planted. but that's only one stream, in the summer, in washington lol. just tossing my 2 cents in
i also think the native fish population influences it a lot, i.e. a lot of the stocked trout will either be caught/starve from inability to catch food if there is a strong native fish presence within a month or so of them being stocked
I disagree with splatterhead, I've caught stocked trout at various locations some quite far from their known stocking spots. Having said that I do know that stocked trout don't travel nearly as far as native bred trout. Besides that most trout that are stocked by the DNR or other state agencies aren't usually legal size so they may still be fun to catch but they'll probably be small. And what self respecting angler no less trout fisherman waits by the stocking truck... No good blessings from the trout gods will come of that.
Whether or not you disagree with splatterhead, he offered a link to an actual study by fish and game, using radio transmitters in the stocked fish.
The point was that "on average" they moved x amount. Sure, you can catch a trout miles away if one decided to move, but the average distance was apparently 205 meters.
Yes, ONE study done in a state that isn't even in the same climate zone let alone the same drainage basin as the OP's stream. Hardly evidence of anything happening in the trout waters of Tennessee. I've been fishing trout waters in the Midwest since I could walk, and coincidently my passion for these beautiful creatures drove me to pursue my current career as a wildlife biologist more specifically an Ichthyologist who studies...you guessed it..trout, specifically remnant populations of native eastern brook trout Salvelinus fontinalis. Now I offered my opinion yes but an opinion based on experience and built upon a firm understanding of both stocked and un-stocked trout behavior in the waters of Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, Kentucky, Virginia and Tennessee. So maybe next time sir you could exercise a little prudence and leave a comment that actually answers the OP's question, or at least attempts to, and not just piggyback on someone who while perhaps misplaced at least tried to help.
Thank you all for your comments, I will probably try some spots that are within a mile or so to start with. Maybe the trick is just not to go the weekend of the stocking and give the crowds time to disperse. For me the issue is not one of self-respect (not a problem!) but I've heard that the anglers are shoulder-to-shoulder, crossing lines and so on on the big day.
Thanks again.
Stocked trout don't move very far according to research. This PDF from South Dakota shows that stocked trout moved an average of 205 meters from their stocking spot.
Hanging out by the truck is probably the best route.