Kansas Cuts Trout Season Six Weeks Amid Rising Stocking Costs

Kansas wildlife officials are shortening the state's winter trout fishing season by six weeks due to rising costs associated with stocking rainbow trout. The season, previously running from November to mid-April, will now start December 1 and end by March 31, coinciding with established stocking dates. The Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) noted that the number of trout stocked has declined from nearly 150,000 in 2011 to around 75,000 in 2023, while the cost per fish has more than doubled from $1.50 to about $3.50. This supplemental fishery, which provides anglers a unique winter opportunity to catch trout—species not native to Kansas—faces challenges as trout require cold water temperatures below 67 degrees, and many stocked fish perish in warmer summer months. Additionally, Shawnee Mission Park and Kill Creek Park lakes have been reclassified, requiring anglers to obtain trout permits to fish there. KDWP fisheries director Bryan Sowards emphasized encouraging anglers to keep their catch due to high trout mortality after the season and highlighted the program's importance despite increasing expenses.