By DAVID CAMPHOUSE
Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) stocked Pittsfield’s King Park pond with rainbow trout ahead of Illinois’s trout fishing season that kicked off Saturday.
“The rainbow trout are stocked as part of the Illinois catchable trout program,” IDNR District Fisheries Biologist Blake Ruebush said.
Ruebush said that IDNR stocks the pond with approximately 200 rainbow trout, which he said are typically harvested within the first two weeks of the season.
According to Ruebush, rainbow trout don’t typically survive at water temperatures above 75 degrees, and the only place to find them in the region year-round is at Siloam Springs.
“It’s a unique fishing opportunity to fish for rainbow trout that wouldn’t otherwise be available in this part of the world.”
Ruebush indicated that approximately 75 kids were in attendance for the opening trout fishing day at King Park Saturday.
QUMA provided fishing supplies for kids, and IDNR had giveaway bags.
Submitted photo
Cale Chapple and his father, Wes, are all smiles after they caught one of the bigger trout at the Fishing Day at King Park Saturday morning. The weather was nippy, but approximately 80 fishermen braved the cold and wind to try their hand at the event. The lagoon was stocked last week with 150 lbs of trout most between 1.5 lbs. and 3 lbs. Fishing was prohibited at the lagoon until Saturday’s event. It is now open to all.
Submitted photo
Max and Brenda Middendorf were honored Saturday morning in ceremonies held in celebrating Fishing Day in Pittsfield. The Middendorfs, of Pittsfield, have been instrumental in building and keeping the program going. Despite the cold weather.
