Nebraska Game and Parks staff described recent hatchery improvements and said the agency is stocking larger trout this spring to improve angler experience.

Tony Baroda, fisheries division administrator, said the agency completed pond-lining work at the North Platte Fish Hatchery to conserve water and improve nutrient retention and fish growth. “We’ve done a large-scale lining project ... and we’re seeing early improvements already in our growth,” Baroda said, noting initial comparisons showed better growth for walleye and saugeye in lined ponds compared with unlined ponds.

Baroda said the agency stocked more than 57,000 trout across 46 water bodies during March and planned an additional 28,000-plus trout in April. He said several put-and-take trout fisheries received slightly larger fish this year after internal research and an angler survey prompted the change. “If you have been out at some of our put-and-take trout waters this spring, you might notice a little bit of a difference in size,” Baroda said.

Matthew Perion, assistant administrator for fish hatcheries, described production factors for trout growth: keeping fish longer in the hatchery and increasing feed rates under favorable water temperatures can produce larger fish. “Depending on the water temperature, we can actually feed them at a higher rate and get them to convert a little bit more quickly,” Perion said.

The agency noted hatchery staff and five hatchery facilities across the state support trout production and that stocking details (locations, species and counts) are posted on the OutdoorNebraska.gov fish stocking page after stockings occur.

No formal agency votes or policy changes were made during the webinar; staff encouraged anglers to provide survey feedback on the put-and-take program via a QR code and online links cited during the presentation.