More rainbow trout stocked at Smith Lake dam
Published 1:25 am Monday, July 10, 2017
- The tagged fish have a wire protruding from their abdomen and are safe to consume after cleaning.
With children out of school and families planning summer vacations, anglers were treated to two stockings of rainbow trout in the Sipsey Fork of the Black Warrior River below Smith Lake dam in June.
The fish were stocked at the Alabama Power Company fishing platform on the Walker County side of the river on June 15 and 22.
Twenty-two of the trout stocked in June were tagged with radio transmitters by Auburn University researchers to track their movements.
The movement data will help the Alabama Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries better understand the fate of the fish following the stocking. The research results will also be used to improve this unique fishery.
The tagged fish have a wire protruding from their abdomen and are safe to consume after cleaning. The next scheduled stocking of non-tagged trout is July 20. More tagged fish will be stocked in September and January 2018.
During periods of minimum water flow, anglers can wade the Sipsey Fork or fish from the bank upstream from the Alabama Highway 69 bridge. Angler access is abundant from Cullman County Road 95, which parallels the river, as well as upstream from the Sipsey intake pump station.
Prior to your fishing trip, please review the tentative operating schedule for Smith Lake dam at www.apcshorelines.com/our-lakes/smith or call 1-800-LAKES-11.
For more information about the Sipsey Fork trout fishery, including stocking dates, visit www.outdooralabama.com/sipsey-fork-below-smith-lake.
The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources promotes wise stewardship, management and enjoyment of Alabama’s natural resources through four divisions: Marine Resources, State Lands, State Parks, and Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries. To learn more about ADCNR, visit www.outdooralabama.com.
If you harvest a tagged rainbow trout from the Sipsey Fork, it is important that you keep the transmitter tag and contact Sarah Walsh with Auburn University at szw0099@auburn.edu, or 334-844-4231.
