The Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ Wildlife Resources Division (WRD) is providing trout anglers some earlier-than-normal winter fishing opportunities. In an effort to create more space in WRD’s trout hatcheries, fisheries personnel began releasing some of the trout they’d normally release in March into select north Georgia streams the week of Jan. 14.

“We try to coordinate our timing so that many of our catchable trout leave the hatcheries in March,” explains (WRD) Trout Stocking Coordinator Perry Thompson. “This creates room for smaller trout to grow to catchable size. However, due to the drought’s continuing low stream flows, some of the trout we’d normally hold until spring will need to be released early to make room to grow our remaining fish,” says Perry.

The streams that will benefit from WRD’s early stocking efforts include: the Tallullah River in Rabun County, Rock Creek in Fannin County, the Toccoa River in Fannin and Gilmer counties and the Chattahoochee River in Forsyth, Gwinnett and White counties.

WRD and U.S. Fish and Wildlife crews will stock these streams over the next few weeks. Because each of these streams is open for year-round fishing, anglers can take advantage of great fishing opportunities long before the seasonal streams open at the end of March.

For more information on year-round trout streams, contact the WRD fisheries office at (770) 535-5498 or visit gofishgeorgia.com.

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