The Commission's practice since 1978 has been to announce only the "week of" period that waters would receive inseason stockings. Over the years, however, the Commission has considered a number of ideas for modifying stocking information.  Certain groups - particularly youngsters, beginning anglers and those who don’t have much time to pursue the sport - have been among those identified as potential beneficiaries of more liberal inseason stocking announcements.

In 1997, the Commission introduced a pilot program of announced inseason trout stockings at select public lakes. The Saturday lake stocking program was well received and in subsequent years, expanded to include more waters. That led in 2002 to experimenting with announced stockings during the week on a handful of streams. Public reaction was again favorable. That fall, the notion of increasing the availability of inseason stocking information was identified as a potential opportunity for engaging more anglers by participants at a Trout Summit sponsored by the agency. More waters were included into the pilot program the next two years, including some under utilized waters toward which the agency hoped to direct additional fishing pressure. Based on those successes, the Commission has opted for publicizing the day of stocking on most waters across the state.

• Stocking

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