Anglers have some new opportunities to chase hefty thirteen- and fourteen-inch brook and rainbow trout at four ponds in southern Vermont this winter, thanks to a pilot late season stocking program from the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department.
“This past fall we stocked just over 1,500 trophy trout between Knapp Ponds #1 and #2 in Cavendish, and Lakes Paran and Shaftsbury in Bennington,” said Fisheries Biologist Lael Will. “Our goal is to give anglers a new window from peak foliage right through the winter to go after some really nice fish in waters where winter trout fishing was not an opportunity before.”
The newly stocked trophy trout, raised at the department’s Bennington and Roxbury Fish Culture Stations, are part of a two-year pilot program to study whether fall stocking encourages anglers to get out on waters where fall and winter trout fishing was previously closed or marginal. Starting this month, department fish biologists will be surveying anglers at the Knapp Ponds and Lakes Paran and Shaftsbury to learn about their experiences.
“We have had very enthusiastic feedback from anglers about our recent move to a January 1st opener for winter trout harvest,” said Will. "We are excited to get out this month and hopefully hear from people taking advantage of these new trophy trout fishing opportunities.”
To help anglers make the most of these opportunities, anyone interested in learning the basics of ice fishing for trout is invited to take part a workshop from the department’s “Let’s Go Fishing Program” at Knapp Pond #2 this coming Saturday, January 11, from 8:00 to 11:00 a.m. Registration on the department’s website is required to attend.