MOUNT VERNON – Local Vernon anglers should mark April 1 on their calendar as that’s the date the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife plans to stock Ariel Foundation Park’s lakes with rainbow trout.
The ODNR will stock 71 public lakes and ponds across the state with trout starting on March 15 at Adams Lake in Adams County. The Division of Wildlife will stock approximately 80,000 trout from March through May, ODNR said.
Ohio’s state fish hatcheries raise the rainbow trout until they measure between 10 and 13 inches, when they are released by the Division of Wildlife.
The state set the daily catch limit for inland lakes at five trout per angler with no minimum size limit.
Anglers age 16 and older must have an Ohio fishing license to fish in-state public waters. An annual resident fishing license costs $25. A one-day fishing license costs $14. Licenses and permits can be purchased online at wildohio.gov, through the HuntFish OH app and at participating license sales agents.
Sales of fishing licenses support operation of Division of Wildlife hatcheries, ODNR said.
For information about the trout releases and any scheduling updates caused by weather, visit wildohio.gov or call 800-945-3543.
The Sport Fish Restoration program, a partnership between federal and state governments, the fishing industry, anglers and boaters, also supports its operations. Through the purchase of rods, reels, fishing tackle, fish finders and motorboat fuel, anglers pay an excise tax. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service administers and disburses these funds to state fish and wildlife agencies. ODNR’s Division of Wildlife said it uses these funds to acquire habitat, produce and stock fish, conduct research and assessment surveys, provide aquatic education and secure fishing access.
