According to Jay Barfield, southeast region fisheries technician for the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, the supplemental stocking will provide an additional 8,000 rainbow trout measuring about 11 inches each in length. This is in addition to stockings that take place regularly every two weeks in the Lower Mountain Fork River. Barfield said a regular stocking also is scheduled for the same day as the supplemental stocking.

"Collectively, over 10,000 trout will be placed into the river," Barfield said about Nov. 19. "Stream flow conditions will dictate specific stocking locations."

The additional rainbow trout are being provided to the Wildlife Department by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to help offset the impacts caused by Broken Bow Dam on the LMFR. Wildlife Department personnel will transport the fish from the Norfork Fish Hatchery in Arkansas and then release them into the LMFR trout fishery for anglers to enjoy. The stockings will take place under the direction of Barfield and Jared Vanderpool, fisheries technician at the Wildlife Department’s Manning Hatchery.

To view the regular, bi-weekly trout stocking schedule and specific regulations for all the state’s trout waters, including the LMFR, log on to wildlifedepartment.com.

News Source: Oklahoma WCD - Nov. 16, 2009