Neighborhoods program grows to 34 lakes

Fish stocking underway this month


FRANKFORT, Ky. – The Fishing in Neighborhoods (FINs) program, created to offer better fishing opportunities closer to cities, enters its fifth year with a record 34 lakes in 21 counties scheduled to be stocked with catfish and rainbow trout.
“The program began with just five lakes, but 2009 was our biggest expansion, when 23 lakes were added,” said Fisheries Biologist Dane Balsman, who manages the program for the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. “This year our goal is to stock about 210,000 fish.”
Five lakes in central and northern Kentucky were added to the program this year: Camp Ernst Lake in Boone County; Millennium Park Pond in Boyle County; Whitehall Park Lake in Madison County; and Lake Carlson and Lake Dickerson on the Ft. Knox Military Reservation in Meade County. Balsman said the FINs lakes range in size from about one acre to 29 acres, but most are less than 10 acres in size.
The channel catfish, with some blue catfish mixed in, will average about 13 to 16 inches at stocking, and the stocking size for the rainbow trout will be about eight to 12 inches.
“We sample these lakes every year to check on the bass and bluegill reproduction,” said Balsman. “Some of the lakes have pre-existing populations of other species of sunfish, and we will occasionally stock some larger bass.”
Special creel and size limits are in effect on the FINs lakes: rainbow trout, a daily limit of five, with no minimum size limit; channel and blue catfish, a daily limit of four, with no minimum size limit; largemouth bass, a daily limit of one, with a 15-inch minimum size limit; and bluegill and other sunfish, a daily limit of 15, with no minimum size limit. “This is to spread the harvest out so as many anglers as possible can enjoy good fishing,” said Balsman.
Anglers 16 years of age and older must have a fishing license for these lakes. They must have a trout permit if they wish to keep trout. Anglers under the age of 16, whether they live in Kentucky or elsewhere, do not need a fishing license or trout permit. Anglers who are at least 65 years old can fish and keep trout if they are in possession of a senior/disabled license.
For more detailed information on Kentucky’s FINs program, including lake maps and directions, fish stocking schedules and fishing regulations, visit the department’s website at fw.ky.gov and click onto the “Fishing in Neighborhoods” logo.