Steven, Author at Catch Grow Cook

Trout fishermen that do not live in rural areas of the country or have a nearby river need to rely on hatchery stocking schedules. These schedules will show you, and anyone else smart enough to check, when and where the trout are stocked. This will let you plan out your fishing trips ahead of time and increase your odds of landing some trout. Here are the top resources I use when determining when and where to fish for trout. 1. Department of Natural Resources / Fish and Wildlife Website The first and best resource is to use your state’s Department of Fish & Wildlife website. In Oregon, the Department of Fish & Wildlife (ODWF) posts their stocking schedule online so anyone can see which areas have stocked trout. Most states publish a similar schedule on their website that shows the locations, date/times, and amount of fish being stocked. I have compiled a list of the stocking schedules by state down below. 2. Local Tackle Shops Go where the experts and enthusiasts go. You can pickup more than just fishing gear at your local tackle shop – in most cases you can learn about what fish are biting, what bait they’re eating, and where to find them. Employees see a lot of anglers everyday so they are bound to hear some good fishing stories that they can share. 3. Facebook Groups This is where I learned of nearby fishing spots when I moved up to Portland Oregon. I just searched for local fishing groups on Facebook and joined and saw where people were posting photos of their fish. This Facebook group is specific to just Trout Fishing in Oregon but in the Suggest Groups section on the right you can see that there are groups for Turkey Hunters, Jetty Fishing, Bass Fishing, and more. This is truly where you can get a better sense of where people are catching fish. Not to mention you can comment and ask what they used for bait, what time the fish was caught, and join in your local fishing community. Fish Stocking Schedules by State AlabamaAlaskaArizonaArkansasCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareFloridaGeorgiaHawaiiIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineMarylandMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNew YorkNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaOhioOklahomaOregonPennsylvaniaRhode IslandSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahVermontVirginiaWashingtonWest VirginiaWisconsinWyoming