KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. – Trout stocking in some southeast Oregon waterbodies will be delayed this year as ODFW crews adjust stocking schedules to make up for fish that were lost due to a novel parasite recently detected in several hatcheries.
Most of the fish lost will be backfilled with surplus fish from other facilities. But as these surplus fish were not intended to be stocked so early, they are still undersized (less than 8 inches) and not ready for release.
ODFW has moved some trout to the Klamath Hatchery to get faster growth from the facility’s warmer water but growth is still delayed. Many of the early stockings planned for April will not occur until later to give the fish time to grow.
The trout stocking schedule has been amended to reflect these changes, with fish now planned for stocking the last week of May, when they will reach legal size. ODFW will begin stocking trophy size trout the week of April 29 to get some fish out. While less fish will be stocked, these fish will be much larger.
Anglers should refer to the online schedule for stocking dates, https://myodfw.com/fishing/
