This regulation is in effect from Oct. 1 until March 31, except at Swift Camp Creek where the regulation remains in effect until May 31. Swift Camp Creek receives an additional stocking of trout in April each year.

Trout streams receive a lot of fishing pressure, and in some areas the stocked fish would be quickly caught out. The seasonal catch-and-release regulation is in place to keep trout in the water longer and to allow anglers more opportunity to utilize these stocked fish; it also gives these trout a little more time to increase in size.

After the catch-and-release season concludes, anglers may fish these waters under statewide regulations.

One of our better streams in this program is the 9.8-mile section of Rock Creek, which is designated as seasonal catch-and-release.

Rock Creek totals about 18.6 miles, starting at the Tennessee state line and then flowing north through McCreary County into the Big South Fork. The seasonal catch-and-release portion begins at the Bell Farm Bridge and continues upstream to the Tennessee border.

This creek gets a lot of fishing pressure, so the delayed harvest helps keep a few more trout in the stream for a longer period of time. Bell Farm Bridge intersects the creek at about the midway point, so about half the stream is open under statewide regulations. Rock Creek is stocked with 17,600 rainbow trout from March to December.

Another good seasonal catch-and- release stream is Bark Camp Creek in Whitley County. This stream offers about 3.9 miles of trout fishing in a very nice setting. Bark Camp cuts through forest with a lot of hemlock trees and rhododendron.

Bark Camp Creek receives 3,600 rainbow trout and 500 brown trout each year. The rainbows are stocked March through June and again in October. The brown trout are stocked in a single release, usually in March.

Most of these fish are stocked near where a gravel road crosses the creek, but some fish are actually carried in buckets and released in other locations. A trail parallels the creek both upstream and downstream from the main stocking area. A lot of people fish near the stocking area of this stream, but anglers can get a much more remote feel by hiking a short distance along the trail.

This stream facilitates easy access for the elderly and for kids. It is also very scenic, and anglers can find less-pressured fishing with only a short walk. It is a classic mountainous stream with a rock and gravel bottom with little mud or silt. Bark Camp Creek has pretty consistent ripple pool combinations all the way down its length. Many of these pools are 3 to 4 feet deep, with a few others as deep as 6 feet.

In 2006, two new trout streams were added to the seasonal catch-and-release program. One is Big Bone Creek, which is located in Boone County. The other is Bell County's Clear Creek from its mouth upstream to the state Route 190 bridge. Big Bone receives 3,000 rainbows each year, while Clear Creek receives 2,000. Both creeks are stocked in April, May, and October.