Winter’s chill brings a positive to St. Joseph – winter trout fishing. The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) on Nov. 1 stocked rainbow trout in the Krug Park Lagoon and in Everyday Pond on the Missouri Western State University campus.

MDC’s Community Assistance Program provides winter trout fishing in partnership with cities and counties. The Krug Park stocking is a partnership with St. Joseph Parks, Recreation, and Civic Facilities Department. Trout at Everyday Pond is a partnership with Missouri Western State University.

The lagoon at historic Krug Park was renovated by the city in recent years. That enabled MDC to stock the pond with fish. The winter trout program gives anglers a chance to catch a cold-water species close to home. Trout are not native to Missour, but water temperatures are cool enough and oxygen levels high enough in winter for trout to survive.

MDC stocked 1,200 pan-sized trout in Krug Park Lagoon, plus 11 lunker trout. The fish were raised at MDC’s Bennett Spring Fish Hatchery. The lunkers are brood stock no longer needed at the hatchery.

Everyday Pond received 800 trout and 10 lunkers. The pond is on James McCarthy Drive between Faraon Street and MDC’s Northwest Regional Office in St. Joseph.

Anglers with a valid Missouri fishing permit can fish for the trout at both sites on a catch-and-release basis until Feb. 1. After, Feb. 1, anglers with valid fishing permits and a trout permit may keep up to four trout daily. The four-trout limit is the total taken daily from any waters, anglers cannot keep four trout from one lake and four from another. From Nov. 1 through Jan. 31, only artificial lures may be used, live or scented baits are not allowed. All Missouri residents over age 15 and under 65 must have a valid fishing permit, and all non-residents over age 15 must have a fishing permit.

For information about winter trout fishing in St. Joseph, call 816-271-3100.

For more information on Missouri’s outdoors and MDC programs, visit http://mdc.mo.gov.