ABSTRACT: Salmonid fishes are not native to Missouri or any portion of the Ozarks, likely due to the region’s southerly latitude, low elevation and resulting scarcity of cold streams. The first salmonids were introduced in Missouri in 1878 when Pacific salmon were released. In the decades that followed, a number of species of trout, salmon and grayling were indiscriminately stocked throughout the state. Most releases were into waters unsuitable for tout and only a few populations of rainbow trout were established in springs or spring-influenced areas that maintained cold water temperatures throughout the summer. By 1937, when the Missouri Department of Conservation was established, trout hatcheries had been built near a number of large springs. Trout stocking was restricted to springs or stream sections adjacent to spring inflows that were suitable for trout survival. Hatchery production, and resultant stocking, gradually increased and created a demand for trout fishing and trout harvest. In the 1970s, the first restrictive harvest regulations were established. Initially, these restrictions applied to populations containing mostly hatchery trout, but later, to populations of naturally-reproducing trout. In 2003, the Missouri Conservation Commission approved a comprehensive trout management plan that resulted in hatchery expansions, habitat assessments, a statewide trout angler survey and a review of management approaches. Today, about 300 miles of Missouri streams are considered suitable for “coldwater sport fishery” and about half are actively managed for trout fishing by the Missouri Department of Conservation. The fisheries vary from intensively stocked “put and take” areas, to streams managed exclusively for naturally-reproducing rainbow trout. An important trout fishery is also found in Lake Taneycomo, a “tailwater” below Table Rock Lake. Seasonal trout fisheries, mostly in small municipal impoundments, have increased in number in recent decades.
AUTHORS: Blake Stephens, Missouri Department of Conservation
ABSTRACT: The cool springs of the Missouri Ozarks support dozens of riverine trout fisheries across the southern half of the state. These introduced fisheries provide year-round angling opportunity unique from the trout parks that produce these fish. Missouri’s trout management areas consist of three categories, the blue, red and white ribbon areas, each with a different management approach, stocking regime (if any) and regulations. This presentation references the twenty management areas that encapsulate Missouri’s ribbon system and the history of river trout management since the state’s first trout plan adoption in 2003. Management challenges and successes associated with these stream segments will be discussed as well including some examples of specific projects and programs that have moved Missouri’s riverine trout program from surviving to thriving.
ABSTRACT: The Meramec River in eastern Missouri is a north-flowing Ozark stream that has a section that is heavily influenced by ground-water contributions from a major spring, which provides limited salmonid habitat. In the riverine section which is fed by both spring branch and Ozark stream discharges, Brown Trout were introduced, a put-grow-and-take fishery was established, and has been enjoyed by anglers since the 1980s. Brown trout annual survival post-stocking has declined in recent years and several management strategies have been adjusted trying to regain some of the fisheries' previous success. Efforts have included adjusting rearing and stocking strategies, movement and mortality investigations, and ongoing water temperature evaluations. The issues facing this fishery are many, and climate change appears to be threatening its limit habitat. This presentation will provide an overview of past research efforts, results, and future management direction for this unique type of salmonid habitat.
ABSTRACT: Bennett Spring State Fish Hatchery in Lebanon, Missouri, is undergoing a significant multi-year renovation, funded and approved unanimously by the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) Commission. This project aims to modernize the hatchery, which has been vital for trout production for over a century, by enhancing infrastructure such as a new water intake structure, raceway reconstruction, and water quality improvements. Despite temporary disruptions in fish production, fishing will continue with trout supplied from other hatcheries in the MDC Coldwater system. This renovation not only supports local recreation and tourism but also contributes to the economy, with over 140,000 anglers visiting annually, generating an estimated $187 million in economic impact. The project reflects MDC's commitment to preserving outdoor traditions and ensuring future generations can enjoy fishing at Bennett Spring State Park.
AUTHORS: John Schulte, Missouri Department of Conservation; Andrew Glen, Missouri Department of Conservation
ABSTRACT: Missouri’s Urban Winter Trout Program (WTP) successfully provides close-to-home trout angling opportunities for residence of urban population centers near Kansas City (KC), Springfield, and St. Louis (STL). The WTP stockings have been administered and funded by the Missouri Department of Conservation, which stocks community and agency-owned lakes across Missouri’s major metropolitan spaces. This talk provides a brief overview of the MO WTP, including stocking efforts, and recent insights into the region’s urban trout recent angler opinion and demographic surveys.
Community partner WTP lakes are stocked exclusively through the Community Assistance Program (CAP) which is a contractual agreement through which MDC agrees to monitor, stock, and maintain fish populations within the enrolled lakes. MDC’s WTP annually stocks 46 community lakes, November through February, with over 100,000 Rainbow Trout (RBT) and Brown Trout (BT) averaging a minimum 304-mm. Trout are primarily raised and distributed by state-agency owned cold-water hatcheries at Shepherd of the Hills, Montauk, Bennet Springs.
Continued interest in MO’s WTP has again been demonstrated by urban anglers from across the state through the recent WTP angler participation survey. During 2023 MDC conducted a preliminary trout angler survey on 8 urban trout lakes in three regions (KC, Central, STL) to better understand angler usage, demographics, and inform recruitment efforts. Survey results from across participating regions showed most cooperating anglers; consumed what fish they caught, preferred traveling < 20 miles to trout fish, and KC anglers strongly supported expansion of trout angling opportunities. The survey inversely showed a clear need for better survey accommodations for non-English and ESL speaking anglers in future efforts.
However, there is still a clear need for expanded insight into agency efforts and the processes that benefit and are supported by the WTP, as to help better inform program reach and service to urban residents and underserved communities.
AUTHORS: Joseph E. Kaiser, Arkansas Game and Fish Commission; Christy Graham, Arkansas Game and Fish Commission
ABSTRACT: The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission and US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) primarily stock two strains of Brown Trout Salmo trutta into Arkansas’ trout fisheries. Those strains include the Plymouth Rock and Crawford strains, which were considered average regarding hatchery and post-stocking performance according to historic evaluations conducted for the USFWS’s Strain Registry. In 2021, we began a contemporary evaluation of both strains on the Spring River trout fishery located in north-central Arkansas. The evaluation coincides with current strategies used for managing Brown Trout on Spring River which include annually stocking approximately 10,000, 229-mm fish and regulating harvest with a daily limit of one fish over 356 mm. From 2021 to 2024, we uniquely marked all Brown Trout stocked in Spring River (2021-22 = Crawford; 2023-24 = Plymouth Rock). We collected and tagged Brown Trout seasonally (every 3-5 months) beginning in June 2021 to track growth and survival rates of each strain. We also collected data on seasonal diets, water temperatures, and Rainbow Trout stocking rates to incorporate into the current evaluation.
AUTHORS: Shane Bush, Missouri Department of Conservation
ABSTRACT: Lake Taneycomo was built in 1913 and is Missouri's oldest hydroelectric reservoir. The lake is riverine in nature, 22 miles in length and encompasses 2,080 surface acres. Prior to 1958, Lake Taneycomo supported one of Missouri's best warm-water fisheries. This changed in 1958 when Table Rock Dam, located in the headwater of Lake Taneycomo, began discharging cold hypolimnetic water into Lake Taneycomo. The discharge of cold water changed Lake Taneycomo into a cold-water environment, providing optimal conditions for trout. Rainbow trout were first stocked into Lake Taneycomo in 1958 and brown trout were first stocked in 1980. By the late 1960s, largely through the introduction of Gammarus pseudolimnaeus, rainbow trout were exhibiting growth rates up to 0.7 inch per month. Large rainbow trout were abundant, and the lake quickly earned a national reputation for producing trophy rainbow trout. By 1986, the G. pseudolimnaeus population had declined by approximately 90% and few rainbow trout larger than stocking size were present. This prompted an extensive 8-year study by MDC that led to regulation changes in 1997. These regulations have had a positive impact on both electrofishing and angler catch rates, as well as size structure of rainbow trout lakewide since they were implemented. At present day, 560,000 rainbow trout and 15,000 brown trout are stocked into the lake annually, making Lake Taneycomo Missouri's largest and most popular trout fishery. Additional work is currently being conducted to evaluate stockings of a new strain of brown trout into the lake, including triploid brown trout which resulted in two new state record brown trout being caught in 2019.
AUTHORS: Nick Peterson, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
ABSTRACT: Community science has proven to be a remarkable tool for fisheries research and management in Minnesota waters of Lake Superior. The Minnesota DNR initiated three cooperative research projects that utilize volunteer anglers to collect samples from economically and ecologically important salmonids (steelhead Rainbow Trout, Coaster Brook Trout, Brown Trout, and salmon) to better understand the genetics and feeding ecology of the Lake Superior fish community. Angler collected samples increased the number, as well as spatial and temporal extents, of tissues and diet items for analyses. This effort provided novel insights into population genetics and feeding habits of multiple species, with significantly less resources (time and monetary commitments) from the state. Public education and outreach from these projects strengthened relationships between Minnesota DNR and fisheries stakeholders and improved public support for proposed changes to Rainbow Trout hatchery production, stocking, and management in Minnesota waters of Lake Superior. I will explore the processes and partnerships essential for implementing these projects, the valuable insights gained from involving anglers, and the critical role these programs have played in enhancing the resilience of fisheries in Minnesota Waters of Lake Superior.
AUTHORS: Sasha Tetzlaff, US Army ERDC-CERL; Aron Katz, US Army ERDC-CERL; Mark Johnson, US Army ERDC-CERL; Jinelle Sperry, US Army ERDC-CERL
ABSTRACT: Detecting environmental DNA (eDNA) of numerous organisms from the same samples has been revolutionized by metabarcoding. However, utilizing the vast amounts of data generated from metabarcoding to predict occupancy probabilities for co-occurring salmonids and their parasites is currently rare. Using established vertebrate and invert metabarcoding assays on replicate stream water samples collected on Fort McCoy, Wisconsin, we assessed ecological correlates of occurrence for eDNA of native brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis), its major ectoparasite (gill lice, Salmincola edwardsii), and non-native brown trout (Salmo trutta). Gill lice DNA occupancy was positively associated with brook trout biomass determined via electrofishing conducted near eDNA sampling sites, suggesting gill lice occupancy is dependent on host density. Leveraging site-specific molecular operational taxonomic units identified from metabarcoding, DNA occupancy of trout and gill lice was often positively predicted by species richness of aquatic insect orders trout commonly feed on, which are also environmental quality indicators. Thus, high-quality habitats that environmentally sensitive salmonids and their primary prey rely on may promote higher fish occupancy rates, further facilitating the spread of fish parasites. We suggest our methodological framework could be broadly implemented to enhance understanding of factors impacting distributions of co-occurring salmonids and their parasites to support management and conservation efforts.
