Area trout anglers can expect to find catchable fish in several bodies of water opening day, including the Waupaca and Crystal rivers.
Wisconsin’s inland trout season opens Saturday, May 2, and the state Department of Natural Resources has stocked brook, brown and rainbow trout in hundreds of lakes and rivers throughout the state.
Area waters with recently stocked trout include:
• Waupaca County: Waupaca River, 400 adult browns and 1,451 yearling rainbows; Crystal River, 580 yearling rainbows; South Branch, Little Wolf River, 484 yearling rainbows; North Branch, Pigeon River, 484 yearling rainbows; Skunk Lake, 484 yearling rainbows; Bass Lake, 725 yearling rainbows; and Little Long Lake, 435 yearling rainbows.
• Waushara County: Johns Lake, 435 yearling rainbows; Spring Lake, 967 yearling rainbows; and Redgranite Quarry, 290 yearling rainbows.
• Portage County: Sunset Lake, 1,451 yearling rainbows; Spring Lake, 895 yearling rainbows; Thomas Lake, 774 yearling rainbows; and Springville Pond, 871 yearling rainbows.
• Outagamie County: Appleton Memorial Park Pond, 242 yearling rainbows.
• Winnebago County: Unnamed lake, 193 yearling rainbows.
• Shawano County: Middle Branch, Embarrass River, 1,741 yearling rainbows; Red River, 725 yearling rainbows; Korth Lake, 484 yearling rainbows; and Homme Pond, 580 yearling rainbows.
• Marathon County: Little Wolf River, 333 yearling brookies; Black Creek, 167 yearling brookies; Fourmile Creek, 333 yearling brookies; Freeman Creek, 278 yearling brookies; and McGinnis Creek, 278 yearling brookies.
About 350,000 catchable rainbow, brown and brook trout – 190,000, 65,000 and 95,000, respectively – will be stocked before the May 2 opener, according to the DNR.
Most of the fish were raised at the Nevin, Osceola and St. Croix Falls state fish hatcheries, while additional fish were raised and stocked through cooperative rearing agreements with fishing clubs.
About 70,000 fish will be stocked in urban fishing waters, small lakes and ponds cooperatively managed with local municipalities and used as a place for fishing clinics and kids’ fishing areas.