Month-and-a-half removed from Kansas trout fishing season

TOPEKA (KSNT) – Kansas wildlife officials are dialing back the state’s trout fishing program as costs continue to climb.

Kansas wildlife commissioners gathered on June 26 this year to discuss several items, including making changes to the special trout fishing program. Anglers may see increased costs with the program and a decrease in the number of fish stocked due to a continued increase in prices associated with stocking Kansas lakes with trout.

Commissioners voted in favor on June 26 of changing the trout season dates from Nov. 1-April 15 to Dec. 1-March 31, representing a loss of around a month-and-a-half of time, and switched Shawnee Mission Park and Kill Creek Park lakes from Type I trout waters to Type II trout waters. Anglers are required to have a trout permit when fishing for trout during the season at both of these lakes now.

State wildlife employees stock multiple bodies of water across Kansas each year with rainbow trout to offer anglers a different fishing opportunity than what they are typically used to. Many of the fish that aren’t caught die off each year during the summer as temperatures rise and need to be restocked.

“The trout program offers a unique opportunity for anglers to enjoy in the winter,” said Bryan Sowards, fisheries division director with the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP). “Due to their affinity for cold water, trout often thrive during this time and are more easily caught by anglers than some of our other sport fish. As the season progresses, we encourage anglers to keep what they catch because in most locations trout will be gone by June as higher water temperatures above 75⁰F leads to significant mortality of this cold water species.”

Sowards said the cost of purchasing trout to stock in the state’s lakes continues to go up. The KDWP reports that, in 2013, the state spent around $175,000 on trout, while a decade later, in 2023, the cost jumped up to $275,000.

“We do not know the reasons, but prices have been increasing each time we go out to bid for trout,” Sowards said.

Sowards said commissioners are now considering a bump in costs on trout licenses that anglers purchase before they can participate in the program. Trout licenses are currently sold at $12.00 apiece but may increase by more than $5.00 in the future. Statistics from the KDWP show the program only recovered about half of the costs for the program from licenses from 2020-2023.

“A regulation increasing the trout permit fee from $12.00 to $17.50 is currently making its way through the state’s regulatory promulgation process,” Sowards said. “One of the final steps is for the Kansas Wildlife and Parks Commission to vote on this change; however, we do not yet know when that will occur. KDWP will continue evaluating the trout stocking program and its users to find palatable solutions to the rising costs.”

The KDWP, in response to rising costs, has dialed back the number of trout it stocks in Kansas. A major price hike in 2015-2016 caused one of the largest recent decreases in trout stockings in the Sunflower State.

Anglers can still fish for trout without the need for a permit once trout season ends. However, anglers will still need to have a valid state fishing license.

“There are 30 different trout water bodies strategically located throughout the state, and there’s likely one near you,” Sowards said. “The Mined Land Wildlife Area, unit #30, offers trout opportunities year-round as the deep, cold water facilitates summer survival. The Kanopolis Seep Stream, located below the Dam at Kanopolis Reservoir, provides a unique “trout stream” experience due to its engineered riffle complexes and the constant flow of water from the reservoir. The middle section between power poles 9 and 16 of the Kanopolis Seep Stream offers artificial lures only and appeals to fly fishermen and women as a great way to test their skills with this technique.”

You can learn more about Kansas’ trout fishing program by clicking here. You can purchase a trout fishing permit by using this link.

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