Delaware’s DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife recently announced that its spring 2012 downstate trout season will begin Saturday, March 3 with the opening of two ponds stocked with rainbow trout. Tidbury Pond near Dover in Kent County and Newton Pond outside of Greenwood in Sussex County will open for trout fishing beginning at 7 a.m.
According to officials, the ponds will receive 2 stockings of trout, including a few trophy-sized trout weighing more than 2 pounds.
Newton Pond, a restored borrow pit, will be stocked for its third year. The 10-acre site was renovated using Federal Aid in Sportfish Restoration funds and features a boat ramp for car top boats and canoes with no gasoline motors allowed, a fishing pier and plenty of shoreline access to allow anglers to spread out.
Currently, anglers fishing in Newton Pond are allowed catch and release fishing only for largemouth bass and bluegill. The trout, however, are fair game and according to DNREC, fishermen are encouraged to keep up to six rainbow trout, as they are a cold water species and can only survive while water temperatures in the pond remain cool.
Tidbury Pond is owned and managed by Kent County Parks and Recreation, and anglers are asked to be respectful of the vegetation and fences erected to protect landscaped areas. Newton Pond is owned and managed as a state wildlife area by the Division of Fish and Wildlife.
Each pond will initially be stocked with about 300 pounds of rainbow trout, average size 11 to 13 inches. Some “trophy-sized” rainbows weighing 2 pounds and measuring well over 14 inches also will be included. Stocking will be repeated Thursday, March 15 with the same amount of fish in each pond.
Beginning in April, thousands of rainbow and brown trout will be stocked in six designated trout streams in northern New Castle County: White Clay Creek, Christina Creek, Pike Creek, Beaver Run, Wilson Run and Mill Creek.
All of the streams will receive a heavy stocking just prior to the season opener on the first Saturday in April. Trout stocking will continue on a regular weekly basis through the end of April.
source: DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife