Conn Post 4/14/06 Trout Stockings

1. Freshwater anglers spent much of the week gearing up for Saturday's trout season opener. By the 6 a.m. start time, the state Department of Environmental Protection expects to have about 410,000 trout awaiting fishers in 97 lakes and 200 rivers. Before planning your trip this weekend, review the following list of stocked waters along with last year's trout stocking numbers.
2. Lakes and ponds stocked with trout in Fairfield and New Haven counties are Ball Pond, 4,595; Baumer's Pond, 600; Black Pond, 6,650; the Branford Supply Ponds, 700; Candlewood Lake, 16,970; Fountain Lake, 500; Hop Brook Flood Control Pond, 4,730; Lake Mohegan, 1,630; Nells Rock Reservoir, 1,180; Picketts Pond in Osbornedale State Park, 850; Prospect Park Pond, 890; Quonnipaug Lake, 4,550; Lake Saltonstall, 2000; Saugatuck Reservoir, 4000; Scoville Reservoir, 1,550; Squantz Pond, 4,250; Starrett Pond, 1,160; Lake Stibbs, 690; and the Twin Brooks Park Ponds, 420.
3. The rivers and streams receiving trout are the Aspetuck River, 600; Beacon Hill Brook, 600; Bladens Brook, 500; Branford River, 3,260; Byram River, 500; East Swamp Brook, 400; Eight Mile Brook, 550; Farm River, 4420; Farmill River, 3,485; Hammonasset River Trout Management Area (TMA), 4,410; Hop Brook, 1,550; Indian Hole Brook, 300; Kettletown Brook, 650; Little River, 1,270; Long Meadow Pond Brook, 400; Long Swamp Brook, 200; Mianus River TMA, 3,080; Mianus River Open Section, 2,245; Mill River TMA (Fairfield), 1,340; Mill River Open Section (Fairfield), 1,080;
4. Mill River Open Section (Hamden), 6,445; Muddy River, 2,945; Naugatuck River, 8,280; East Branch of the Naugatuck River, 2,230; Nonnewaug River, 1,470; Norwalk River, 9,570; Pequonnock River, 7,905; the West Branch of the Pequonnock River, 350; Pomperaug River, 10,375; Pond Brook, 1,330; Pootatuck River, 1660; Quinnipiac River, 1,470; Race Brook, 300; Saugatuck River Flyfishing Only Section, 1,650; Saugatuck River Open Sections, 7610; West Branch of the Saugatuck River, 1,050; Sprain Brook, 600; Weekeepeemee Brook, 1,350; and Wepawaug River, 1,105.
5. Trout parks get very heavy helpings of trout. The regional trout parks are Black Rock State Park Pond, 6,220; Great Hollow Pond, 5000; the Mill River in Sleeping Giant State Park, 4,400; Southford Falls State Park Pond, 5,450; and Wharton Brook State Park Pond, 4,960.
6. Many anglers travel north into Litchfield County to enjoy the scenery and fisheries. Some of the more popular destinations are the Blackberry River, 2,885; Colebrook Flood Control Pond, 5,240; East Twin Lake, 15,130; Highland Lake, 12,800; Mohawk Pond, 3,175; Mt. Tom Pond, 5,250; Stillwater Pond, 1,835; Tyler Pond, 3,450; Hogsback Reservoir, 3,100; West Hill Pond, 14,800; West Side Pond, 2,440 and Wononscopomuc Lake, 8,550.
7. The Farmington River System is the most heavily stocked river in the state. Anglers will find 10,260 trout in the open sections of the river and 18,775 trout in the TMAs. The West Branch of the Farmington River will get 8,850 trout in the open sections and 18,090 in the TMAs. Likewise the Housatonic River TMAs were stocked with trout. Flyfishers should enjoy 2,000 trout in the Bulls Bridge TMA and 3,000 fish in the Cornwall TMA.