12 October 2023
TOPEKA (KSNT) – Shawnee County Parks and Recreation (SCP+R) says it’s gearing up for the fall trout stocking of a local lake.
Mike McLaughlin with SCP+R confirms the fall trout stocking at Lake Shawnee will occur at 3 p.m. on Oct. 25 at the main boat ramp on Beach Drive off of SE 29th Street. Around 7,000 pounds of trout will be dumped into the lake for the public to fish for. This comes not long after a separate release of catfish was put into the lake.
McLaughlin said the lake will be closed to fishing activities from the day of the release to 6 a.m. on Nov. 1 to give the trout time to get used to the environment. Those looking to fish for trout will need to buy a trout permit for $14.50 for trout season which runs from Nov. 1 to April 15.
The stocking of trout in Lake Shawnee is a tradition first set in place in 1979 under then SCP+R Director Ted Ensley. The lake receives trout every spring and fall to give local anglers new fishing opportunities.
This year’s trout come courtesy of the Crystal Lakes Fisheries out of Ava, Missouri. McLaughlin said the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) reimburses SCP+R for the trout under the Community Fisheries Assistance Program.
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