Fully stocked hatchery readies for fishing season

Fully stocked hatchery readies for fishing season

The Fish Hatchery at Powder Mills Park is fully stocked and expects to release 18,000 trout throughout the 2006 fishing season. The fish, including 1,800 two-year-old and 500 three-year-old brown trout, will be released in the stretch of Irondequoit Creek that passes through Powder Mills Park. This is the second year that the hatchery has increased the number of fish it will raise and release into area waterways.

The Fish Hatchery is open all year long. Visitors are invited to learn how hatchery operations positively affect the local environment.

There are almost 22,000 fish currently being raised at the hatchery including:

10,000 brown trout yearlings, approximately 9-11 inches long
2,300 two-year-old brown trout, approximately 15-18" long
514 three-year-old brown trout, approximately 18-25" long
9,000 steelhead fingerlings, approximately 5-8" long.

The hatchery will begin to stock the fish just before the official start of trout season - April 1. Not all of the fish being raised are expected to be released.

Hatchery staff are on duty Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. most weekends. The hatchery phone number is 585-586-1670.