Program allows anglers to keep trout caught in Jackson's Rotary Lake starting Monday

Anglers are expected to line Jackson's Rotary Lake in the pre-dawn hours Monday for a chance to catch and keep trout in Jackson City Park.

In its sixth year, the Catch and Keep program gives anglers the opportunity to catch up to four trout daily from the lake for free. While the program is scheduled to continue until Oct. 31, Jackson parks and recreation director Shane Anderson expects anglers to catch most of the trout by the end of February.

"What's impressed me about the program is I see someone at the lake I haven't seen in years or even before they come out to fish for the trout," Anderson said. "They tell me the reason they come is because of this program. The goal of this is to use Rotary Lake as an interesting recreational way but also an added feature in the winter for park use."

One thousand pounds of trout were stocked in the lake weeks before the Catch and Release program, which allows anglers to catch the trout but requires them to release their fish back into the water. That season runs from Nov. 1 to Jan. 31.

Anderson estimates about 900 fish are in the lake. Eighty percent of the fish are 10 to 13 inches long, while 20 percent are 14 to 24 inches.

Anglers from 16 to 64 years old must have a valid Missouri fishing license. A trout permit is needed if anglers wish to keep their trout. The park is open 6 a.m. to midnight each day.

The program is possible through shared costs between the city and the Missouri Department of Conversation. The cost is about $3,000.

For more information about the program, call 204-8848.

bblackwell@semissourian.com

388-3628