15,000-plus rainbow trout stocked for 2018 Fort McCoy fishing season

Photo By Scott Sturkol | A U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service employee releases rainbow trout into Sandy Lake on April 30, 2018, at Fort McCoy, Wis., as part of an overall stocking effort in which 15,000 fish were stocked in installation waters. The trout were stocked in time for the new fishing season, which began May 5, 2018, and the fish averaged in size at about 10 inches long. Some fish were even larger, exceeding 17 inches in length. The fish were raised at Genoa National Fish Hatchery of Genoa, Wis. (U.S. Army Photo by Scott T. Sturkol, Public Affairs Office, Fort McCoy, Wis.)  

FORT MCCOY, WI, UNITED STATES

05.08.2018

Story by Scott Sturkol                                                                                        

Fort McCoy Public Affairs Office           

Personnel with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (FWS) Genoa National Fish Hatchery of Genoa, Wis., planted more than 15,000 rainbow trout in several waterways throughout Fort McCoy, including Suukjak Sep, Sandy, Stillwell, and Big Sandy lakes and in Sparta and Swamp ponds.

The trout were stocked in time for the new fishing season, which began May 5, and the fish average size is 10 inches long. Some fish are even larger, exceeding 17 inches in length.

“We have an agreement with the FWS, who raise the fish and certify fish health before delivery and stocking to Fort McCoy,” said Fisheries Biologist John Noble with the Directorate of Public Works Environmental Division Natural Resources Branch. “This year’s fish specimens looked very healthy and good size.”

The Genoa National Fish Hatchery was established in 1932.
The hatchery serves six Midwestern states and rears 23 species of fish to support high-priority federal management, restoration, and threatened and endangered species programs, according to the FWS.

The certification of fish health is completed by the FWS La Crosse Fish Health Center.

Jeff Lockington with fisheries maintenance at the Genoa hatchery said the fish should “adjust well to Fort McCoy waters.”

Noble said rainbow trout are the preferred fish to stock.

Also, stocking fish once a year in the spring allows for better survivability for the trout because of cooler water temperatures, and it saves money from multiple fish-stocking efforts.

“Trout are raised in water that is about 50 degrees (Fahrenheit), so, when the lake water is warmer, these fish need to be tempered by bringing up the water temperature on the fish inside the tank before stocking,” Noble said. “We can have issues with mortality due to temperature stress and shock when stocking in warmer lake conditions, so cooler water temps (in spring) help significantly reduce fish mortality.”

Stocking numbers for each waterway included: Suukjak Sep Lake, 4,220 trout; Big Sandy Lake, 4,100; Sandy Lake, 3,219; Stillwell Lake, 1,280; Swamp Pond, 1,140; and Sparta Pond, 1,140.

Since 2009, Noble said an average of about 3,600 Fort McCoy fishing permits are sold annually.

“Most of our anglers are very fond of catching the rainbow trout, so it’s quite popular,” Noble said.

“For many years now, trout have been stocked in waters on Fort McCoy. The addition of rainbow trout also helps reduce the burden of harvest on other species that are present and reproduce naturally.”

There’s also other types of trout to catch at Fort McCoy, but mainly in streams. Noble said the installation has not stocked trout in streams for nearly 20 years.

“Rainbow trout and other fish will pass through some of the dams but not interfere with the existing trout in streams that are naturally reproducing,” Noble said.

“Our streams are supported by naturally reproducing brook and brown trout, and we have some impressive sizes for brook and brown trout in some of the bigger waters.”

Anglers must have the appropriate Fort McCoy permits and state of Wisconsin licenses to fish on post. This includes a general Wisconsin fishing license, a trout stamp if fishing for trout, and a Fort McCoy fishing permit.

Licenses can be purchased at the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources online at https://gowild.wi.gov. All prospective anglers have to do is create an account at the Go Wild site, select the licenses they need, pay for the licenses, and print them, all online. 

There also will be a free fishing weekend June 2-3 in Wisconsin and at Fort McCoy. No license is needed, but all bag limits and other rules apply.
“And yes, there will likely still be plenty of stocked rainbow trout to catch on Free Fishing Weekend,” Noble said.

For more Fort McCoy fishing information visit the Fort McCoy i-Sportsman website at ftmccoy.isportsman.net.

• Date Taken: 05.08.2018
• Date Posted: 05.08.2018 13:34
• Story ID: 276178
• Location: FORT MCCOY, WI, US
• Hometown: FORT MCCOY, WI, US
• Hometown: GENOA, WI, US