Winter trout stocking in community fishing program ponds in Cabarrus and Mecklenburg counties

Fisheries Research Fact Sheet Winter Trout Stocking in Community Fishing Program Ponds in Cabarrus and Mecklenburg Counties February 2018 The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) stocks over 880,000 Brook Trout, Rainbow Trout, and Brown Trout annually. These fish are stocked into streams, rivers, and reser¬ voirs across 26 counties in western North Carolina. Throughout the history of this program, stockings have been limited to waters that could support the physical habitat requirements of trout for enough time to maintain fishing opportunities during designated fishing seasons. Trout typically require waters that maintain tem¬ peratures of 70° F or less. These conditions are readily available in many western North Carolina streams and rivers for most of the year. In contrast, water temperatures in the range that support trout are only found in December through March in Piedmont streams, lakes, and ponds. In the fall 2016, trout were stocked into selected ponds in or adjacent to the traditional 26 county region of the existing trout stocking program; several of these ponds were also in the Com¬ munity Fishing Program (CFP). The CFP is a statewide program that uses annual stockings of Channel Catfish in spring and summer months to provide fishing opportunities in small water- bodies across North Carolina. The CFP is managed as a put-and- take fishery and angling opportunities in colder weather months are more limited than during the warmer months of the stocking season. By using hatchery- reared trout, biologists wanted to pro¬ vide late fall and winter fishing opportunities, which would create year-round fishing opportunities at these sites. In 2017, two lakes were added in the Piedmont Region: Frank Liske Park in Cabarrus County and McAlpine Park in Mecklenburg County. These lakes were selected because they already were incorporated into the CFP and were located near high-density population centers. Map of trout stocking locations in Cabarrus and Meck¬ lenburg counties. The red triangle indicates McAlpine Park and the red circle indicates Frank Liske Park. Project Objectives: • To provide additional winter fishing opportunities in selected CFP ponds in the Piedmont Region of North Carolina using hatchery-reared Brook Trout, Rainbow Trout, and Brown Trout. N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission Inland Fisheries Division www. ncwildlife.org