Oklahoma Wildlife Officials Still Not Stocking Trout

First posted on 10-22-2008

High water temperatures result in continued delays for Lower Illinois trout stockings.

The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation continues to withhold the regular stocking of trout in the Lower Illinois River below Tenkiller Reservoir. Biologists say the water temperature is just too warm to support the fish right now.

The department discontinued stocking the river on August 12 and officials were hoping to resume this month.

According to Jim Burroughs, east central region fisheries supervisor for the Wildlife Department, heavy spring rains and a stretch of high temperature days combined to create unusually warm water in Tenkiller Reservoir.

That warm water is what is released into the Illinois through turbines that generate electricity for the area.

“This has been a very unusual year,” says Gary Peterson, east central region fisheries biologist for the Department. “Temperatures need to be 65 degrees or lower in the tailrace during power generation before regular stockings can begin again.”

Department officials continue to monitor water temperatures and, although they are beginning to cool, it is happening at a very slow rate.

Biologists with the department say that trout already in the water before temperatures warmed to near lethal limits have a better chance of adapting to the temperature fluctuations and may be able to find springs and other spots where colder water temperatures are present.

While trout fishing is clearly very slow, anglers are still having success at the Lower Illinois River catching largemouth bass on topwater lures in the backwaters and weed beds. Striped bass fishing is good on cut bait, and catfish angling is fair on cut bait along the bottom of the river.