Trout opportunities available Saturday

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The Mankato Free Press Sun Apr 06, 2014, 06:14 AM CDT

Trout opportunites available Saturday

WATERVILLE — Anglers looking for a little open water relief from this extended winter might consider heading to one of the area’s trout fishing venues next Saturday when the Minnesota stream trout season begins.

In the immediate area, Paul’s Creek, also known as the St. Peter trout ponds, near St. Peter, will be stocked with 1,500 yearling rainbow trout on Friday, April 11.

Subsequent stockings of trout will be done at that site on Friday, April 18, (1,500 fish); Friday, May 2, (1,000 fish); Friday, May 16, (1,000 fish).

Another area trout fishing venue is at Seven Mile Creek. That stream is stocked annually with brown trout fingerlings. By the time they grow to catchable size, they essentially are “wild” and can be particularly challenging to catch in that small stream environment.

Other trout fishing venues in the area traditionally stocked for the opener include Fort Ridgely Creek at Fort Ridgey State Park and Spring (Hindemann) Creek north of Sleepy Eye on Highway 4 and east on County Road 29.

Licenses and trout stamp validation are needed by all anglers 16 years of age. Fishing hours for stream trout on inland waters are from one hour before sunrise until 11 p.m. each day. All stream trout must have head, tail, fins and skin intact when being transported.

The daily and possession limits for trout is five with no more than one measuring over 16 inches.