IA DNR: Soggy Trout 'Opener'

More than a few trout anglers were surprised as they skidded and slogged their way down to their favorite cold water stream this week. They beat the stocking truck.

Traditionally, stocking gets underway across northeast Iowa's 'trout country' the first week of April. With icy roads, remnant snowdrifts and soggy stream banks, however, many streams were inaccessible. "Melting snow and ice is making access very difficult or nearly impossible on some streams for stocking trucks," cautions Gary Siegwarth, manager at the Big Spring trout station near Elkader. He suggests early season anglers steer toward streams with good foot access and close proximity to parking lots or adjacent roads.

By midweek, Big Spring crews stocked some of the streams in their region. Some of the more accessible streams in the Manchester area were stocked last weekend. From Decorah, the trucks were rolling on 'opening day'; last Monday. "This is springtime in Iowa. We are going to adhere to our schedule as much as we can," offered Decorah hatchery manager Brian Malaise, as he was pelted by falling rain on a windy, 36-degree morning. There was still snow on the bluffs and hillsides, but several streams were reachable. While one truck headed out on the road, He dipped over 100 nice looking rainbows in Trout Run, as it ran through the hatchery grounds.

Crews from the three hatcheries will stock about 350,000 catchable trout in just over 50 streams throughout nine northeast Iowa counties. Most will be hatchery produced rainbow trout. About 10 percent, though, are brook trout. Brown trout were stocked for years. Now, though, with about 100 miles of streams supporting natural reproduction and with other stretches getting hatchery fingerlings, the big browns you see grew to that size in the stream. Trout anglers pay for the extra work and expense of producing the coldwater fishery through purchase of their $13 trout 'stamp' each year.

And a handful of them were trying to ignore the near freezing rain, last Monday. "I fish all winter. Got my limit last weekend," grinned Ed Macel. "There are old fish in here. I came down one day (late this winter) and there was one, must have been eight-pounds, in here. I couldn't get him to my line, though." Macel was using a home-recipe dough ball; one of a couple different ones he tries.

"A good percentage of the anglers around here fish from November til April," agreed Malaise "About the time we start stocking again, the (Mississippi) River is open again or they go to other streams. "These winter anglers are fishing for holdover trout. They often fight better. A lot of anglers say the fish that have been in the stream for weeks or months taste better, too."

Fisheries biologist Bill Kalishek had been on three Decorah area streams over the last week; catching fish at each one. "A nice 13-inch rainbow on Bloody Run; a 15-inch brown on Otter Creek, with a lot of 10-to 11-inch browns, too," relayed Kalishek.

Now, with those holdover fish being joined by hatchery stocked trout, the lure of the stream is more pronounced. And if you aren't too excited about human company, those northern streams are just for you. The hatcheries stock about twice as many trout per angler seen on those streams. Toward the southern reaches; mostly in the Manchester area, it is not unusual to have 40, 50 even 65 anglers stretched along one stream. Being just an hour and a half from Iowa City, and even closer for anglers from Cedar Rapids, Waterloo and Dubuque, they simply attract bigger crowds.

That's why those hatchery biologists suggest you 'Go North,' for a special angling treat. "The rainbows have that distinct pink streak on the side. The spotting pattern is really noticeable, too," suggests Kalishek. "Nice looking fish."

And more of them, as those rag-tag snowdrifts finally disappear and full stocking gets underway.

Early Trout Tips

high water lures. With most streams running at higher volume this spring-and maybe a little muddy-bright colors seem to work more. "Something silver, maybe bright yellow; a bright, attractive color," suggests Malaise, from Decorah. "You may have to add a little weight to your line, to get your lure down off the top of the fast moving water."
Patience. With snow melt keeping water temperatures in the 40s, it takes newly stocked trout a few minutes or so to acclimate. They've been riding in 50 degree hatchery water. Those few degrees make a difference.
Flexible rods. Trout are tremendous fighters. A rod that bends all the way to the tip will keep more fish on the line; than losing one with a stiff fishing pole.
Unannounced Streams. Like the more remote, northern streams, streams which receive unannounced stockings get little angler pressure. Unannounced streams are shown in the DNR Trout guide, available at most eastern Iowa DNR offices and many sporting goods counters.

Better April spots
Better access means areas such as Little Paint, Paint, Mink, Otter Creeks, Trout Run and Sny Magill should see their regular stockings early in the season. The trout pond at the entrance to Big Spring hatchery is stocked and holding good numbers of trout, too.

The DNR trout stocking schedule is online. Go to www.iowadnr.gov, click on Fishing/Fishing Report, then Trout stocking. You can also try the (recorded) stocking hotline at 563-927-5736.