MASON CITY – The Iowa Department of Natural Resources will release trout in seven locations this winter in areas that would not support them during warmer months.
These winter stockings are a great place to take kids to catch their first fish. A family friendly event is paired with most of the stockings to help anglers have success and fun while fishing.
The popular program is supported by the sales of the trout fee. Anglers need a valid fishing license and pay the trout fee to fish for or possess trout. The daily limit is five trout per licensed angler with a possession limit of 10.
Children age 15 or younger can fish for trout with a properly licensed adult, but they must limit their catch to one daily limit. The child can purchase a trout fee which will allow them to catch their own limit.
Winter stocking events are dependent on favorable weather and ice conditions. Check the DNR Trout Fishing website at www.iowadnr.gov/trout for possible changes.
2019 Winter Community Trout Stocking Schedule
Jan. 12, Blue Pit, Mason City, at 11 a.m.
Jan. 12, Bacon Creek, Sioux City, at 1:30 p.m.
Jan. 19, Scharnberg Pond, Spencer, at Noon Jan. 19, Big Lake, Council Bluffs, at 2:30 p.m.
Jan. 19, Moorland Pond, Fort Dodge, at 11:30 a.m.
Jan. 26, Lake Petocka, Bondurant, at Noon
Feb. 2, Ada Hayden, Ames, at Noon
I was at blue one day in the past when the stocking truck arrived and if I was the state dnr guy I would have driven away, he couldn’t hardly get the net to the water, people wouldn’t move and when he did get the fish dumped in there was 50 poles in the hole. kind of like “shooting fish in a barrel” now tell me what fun that is. I was there for awhile and after some had caught their 5 in 30 seconds they left and low and behold 20 minutes later here they come back and get another 5, where is the dnr to make sure this doesn’t happen. think the law states, 5 possession in one day. Maybe Jan 12th there needs to be a plain clothes dnr officer watching things and writing some tickets