Rainbow Trout Stocking

Everyone wants to know when the rainbow trout are arriving…but it’s a secret.!

The Rainbow Trout Stocking program at BREC has been a Baton Rouge Tradition for more than a decade. Please take a moment to learn more about our program and our fishing regulations.

Rainbow Trout Stocking Schedule and Locations

Every year BREC chooses 3-4 ponds around the parish to stock with adult Rainbow Trout. Each year these stocking locations change to provide an opportunity for all people within the parish to catch these feisty fish. We only do this stocking once a year because it is the only time that these northern natives can survive in our warm waters. 

Frequently Asked Questions

How will I know when the fish arrive?
This webpage and the  BREC Conservation Facebook Page at facebook.com/brecconservation will be updated. You may even hear about it from your local news station. (P.S. If you call us to try and get it out of us we will gladly tell you everything you’d like to know about our ponds and fishing for Rainbow Trout…except where and when they will be stocked.)

How will I know if there are still Rainbow Trout to fish?
Rainbow Trout last about a month after stocking takes place. We suggest getting out a week or so after we announce the stocking to give them time to acclimate to the pond and start biting

Do the Rainbow Trout survive in the cold weather?

Yes! They are a northern species that are designed for cold waters with high dissolved oxygen content. When the water temperatures reach above 75 degrees there is little likelihood that they will survive. That being said, in some of our deeper ponds they could survive until early spring if they are not fished out. Generally, our trout do not last very long because they are so popular. We have never had a problem with trout dying when water temperatures rise because the public has done such a great job of fishing them out before that can happen.

Rainbow Trout Fishing Regulations

If you come out to a BREC pond to fish for trout, make sure you have a current Louisiana Fishing License and are aware of all Louisiana State Fishing Regulations (available for download a the link below).

Reminders:

• Catch and release as many fish as you would like.
• Take home is 4 Rainbow Trout per person/per day.
• Cast netting for Rainbow Trout within a BREC park is not allowed.
• Pick up all bait containers and fishing line/hooks before leaving.
• Several of our ponds have monofilament recycling stations to stash your used or tangled line.
• Look for the white PVC pipe to recycle your fishing line.

All About Rainbow Trout

The Rainbow Trout or Oncorhynchus mykiss is a trout species native to cold-water tributaries of North America. Adult freshwater stream Rainbow Trout average between 1 and 5 lbs. but can get much larger when living in a pond. Coloration varies but generally they are blue-olive green with a broad reddish stripe along the lateral lie, from gills to the tail most vivid in males and with dark black spots along the length of the body. Freshwater Rainbow Trout are used to cold waters with gravel riverbeds where they spawn. They are predators with a varied diet of larval, pupal and adult forms of aquatic insects, fish eggs, adult forms of terrestrial insects such as ants, beetles, grasshoppers, crayfish, shrimp and other crustaceans.

How to Fish for Rainbow Trout

Rainbow Trout are great gamefish and can be caught using a variety of angling methods and live and dead bait. Trout are a favorite among fly fisherman but can be caught with just about any kind of pole just be ready for spectacular leaps and hard fighting once you hook them. AS for bait we have had success with a variety and half the fun as an angler is trying different things out. Remember that these fish were raised in a hatchery on pellet feed so sometimes power bait in various colors…or even colored mini-marshmallows (seriously we’ve seen it work). But live bait such as minnows, mealworms, red worms, maggots and night crawlers should also do the trick on any given day. For those that are more into artificial lures, consider using an in-line spinner or spoon lure to drive those trout crazy. Please take a moment to read our Rules and Regulations below and follow all Louisiana State Fishing. Regulations when fishing for Rainbow Trout. Cast netting of any kind is strictly forbidden.

How to Eat Rainbow Trout

Everyone probably has a favorite method, but trout makes a great meal with a mild, somewhat nutty flavor. Farmed rainbow trout is considered one of the safest fish to each and are noted for high levels of vitamin B and they’re just all-around tasty. You can cook rainbow trout after cleaning, but you can leave the skin on to hold the meat together better. If you are looking for a good recipe no one knows better than the people up in Missouri where we get our fish. Visit their page for great trout recipes! http://www.crystallakefisheries.com/trout-recipes/

 

 

How We Stock the Ponds

Check out a stocking from 2015 to see how the stocking takes place