Of the more than 6 million trout that are released into Oregon waters every year, by far the largest are the ones that will be released over the next two months in Willamette Valley lakes and pond.
Starting this week, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife will release 238 of the nearly 3,000 super-sized brood trout that will be stocked at popular fishing holes from Eugene to Portland from now through the middle of January.
The fish are part of the trout rearing program at Roaring River Fish Hatchery near Scio, ODFW’s primary trout propagation facility. The brood stock – fish the hatchery uses for eggs – is comprised of 2-, 3- and 4-year-old trout used to produce the millions of smaller trout that are released at 96 Northwest Oregon locations from March through early December.
Although trout can continue to produce eggs for many years, at age four they reach what hatchery managers consider the point of diminishing returns, according to Tim Schamber, manager of Roaring River hatchery. So these fish are removed from the hatchery system and taken to local fishing holes to make room for the next generation of brood stock.
This year brood stock weighing from 3 to 18 pounds will be released at least nine and possibly more locations across the Willamette Valley. Venues tentatively scheduled to receiver brooders include Junction City Pond near Eugene, Waverly and Timber Linn lakes near Albany, Walter Wirth Lake and Walling Pond near Salem, St. Louis Ponds near Gervais, Sheridan Pond in Sheridan, Henry Hagg Lake near Forest Grove, and Mt. Hood Pond in Gresham.
