Each year, around 450 brown trout are stocked in Chimney Top Creek. Biologists were seeing some good signs of fish holding over from year to year, which led them to believe the water may be able to sustain and "grow" fish for longer than just a season. Therefore, regulations are now in place to protect some of these trout. The new restrictions limit anglers to a 16-inch minimum-size limit and to harvest only one trout per day. Only artificial baits may be used.

This is very similar to Paint Creek in Johnson County. The same regulations are in place for all trout on the section of the creek from the state Route 40 Bridge downstream to the first U.S. Route 460 bridge crossing. Holdover trout there led biologists to implement trophy regulations in 2005. Around 600 rainbows and 300 browns are stocked there each year.

Our other trophy trout water is the 2-mile stretch of the Dix River below the Herrington Lake Dam, which is designated as a trophy brown trout location. In this section of the river, anglers may only use artificial baits and are governed by a 15-inch minimum-size limit and a three-fish daily creel limit on brown trout.

Rainbow trout may be caught and possessed under statewide regulations. The tailwaters receive 1,000 brown trout and 4,600 rainbow trout in stockings from March through November each year.

TROUT WATERS STATEWIDE
Each year, literally dozens of streams, tailwaters, and lakes are stocked with trout to produce a put-grow-take fishery. Most all of these locations receive rainbow trout, while some of the streams and tailwaters receive brown trout as well. Some of the locations have special regulations, but most are open under statewide regulations.

Rainbow trout stocking usually begins in the spring. Some waters are only stocked for up to three months, while stocking continues on into the fall for other locations. Brown trout are usually released in only a single stocking each year.

The annual fishing guide lists all of the waters stocked, along with the numbers of rainbow and brown trout being released, and the months in which they are stocked. The exact total of fish released will vary, according to hatchery production and conditions at the water being stocked.

Monthly schedules of stocking dates are available by calling the KDFWR at 1-800-858-1549 or visiting their Web site at www.fw.ky.gov. Stockings for streams in the Daniel Boone National Forest are not announced.