Bring on the rainbeaux trout!

Sydney Dobson took this trout in one of the BREC ponds

Sometime this week, the first stockings of rainbow trout will be made in several small lakes and ponds across Louisiana, either by parish agencies or as part of Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries "Get Out and Fish" community fishing program.

The trout are stocked as put-and-take, with a daily limit of four (4).  In conjunction with the stockings, LDWF holds fishing tournaments at each of their community lakes. A list of GOAF lakes can be found on this webpage: click here.

Louisiana joins over 30 other states that have wintertime stockings of the popular coldwater species in small lakes and ponds where bank anglers have easy access. It provides a very active fishery at a time when warmwater species are fairly dormant. Whatever trout survive harvesting will likely die sometime in late March or early April when the water temperatures get too warm.

Fly anglers across the state, regardless of skill level, can be found at these ponds once the rainbeaux trout arrive. While corn, marshmallows, powerbait and other "commie tackle" might work for the first week, once the trout become acclimated to the food life of the pond, they quickly revert to those bugs. Advantage fly fishers!

Our neighbors over in Texas also have a community fishing program, with trout stockings from early December through February.  This winter, Texas Parks and Wildlife plans to stock 343,000 trout in 158 lakes and ponds. For anyone traveling to the Lone Star state over the holidays, check out this list to see if a local water has rainbows: click here.