MDC offers winter trout fishing at two St. Joseph lakes

St. Joseph, Mo. – The Missouri Department of Conservation’s (MDC) on Nov. 1 stocked rainbow trout in two St. Joseph lakes to provide anglers a close-to-home fishing opportunity. MDC put 1,200 trout in Krug Park Lagoon and 800 trout in Everyday Pond. The trout are stocked for catch-and-release fishing until Feb. 1. After that, anglers with proper permits can keep up to four trout per day.

Everyday Pond is on the west campus of Missouri Western State University. Krug Park Lagoon is in the north St. Joseph, just off St. Joseph Avenue. The trout were raised at MDC’s Bennett Spring and Chesapeake fish hatcheries and stocked in partnership with the university and with St. Joseph Parks, Recreation, and Civic Facilities Department.

Anglers generally use flyrods, spinning rods, or spin casting rods and reels to fish for trout. Light line is recommended. Lures such as flies, spinners, and jigs will attract the hard-fighting cold-water fish. Trout are not native to Missouri. But during winter the water temperatures are cool enough and dissolved oxygen levels high enough for trout to survive.

During the Nov. 1 to Jan. 31 catch-and-release portion of winter trout fishing, only flies and unscented artificial lures may be used by anglers. Natural baits such as worms, scent baits, corn, hot dogs, shrimp, and chicken livers may not be used during the catch-and-release season on these specified waters. Scented soft plastic lures are also prohibited.

Starting Feb. 1, anglers with valid fishing permits and a Missouri trout permit may keep up to four trout at these lakes. All Missouri residents over age 15 and under 65 must have a valid fishing permit, and all non-residents over age 15 must have a fishing permit.

For information about winter trout fishing at Krug Park Lagoon and Everyday Pond, call MDC’s St. Joseph office at 816-271-3100.

For more information on trout fishing throughout Missouri, visit http://mdc.mo.gov.