This week, sixteen more ponds statewide will be stocked with this coldwater species as part of Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries "Get Out and Fish!" community fishing program. Stocking begins on Thursday, January 14th.
Here is a listing of ponds to be stocked:
- Oil Park, Jennings
- Burbank Park, Baton Rouge
- Bogue Chitto State Park, Franklinton
- Grambling City Park, Grambling
- Zemurray Park, Hammond
- Bayou Country Park, Houma
- Girard Park, Lafayette
- Turners Pond, Minden
- Parc Natchitoches, Natchitoches
- Joe Brown Park, New Orleans
- Fort Randolph State Historic Site, Pineville
- Purple Heart Memorial Park, Ragley
- Elmore Mayfield Park, Ruston
- William Polk Park, Vidalia
- Sidney Hutchinson Park, Walker
- Southside Regional Park, Youngsville
Kiroli Park in West Monroe is the only GOAF program pond not to be stocked this year. That is due to park maintenance in progress.
All anglers ages 16 and older must possess a Louisiana fishing license. While there is no legal daily limit, anglers are encouraged to keep four (4) fish per day and release the rest.
Rainbow trout are native to rivers and lakes in western North America, but have been stocked in coldwater environments across America and the globe. In winter, several states stock in community ponds to give anglers an opportunity to catch an active fish when warmwater species are mostly dormant. These fish die off once water temperatures exceed 70 degrees. In Louisiana, depending on pond location and depth, that could be anytime between mid-March and mid-April. However, few if any trout remain in these ponds by March 1st.