This afternoon, Bob Noble Park Lake in Paducah received a stocking of 2500 rainbow trout.  The rainbow trout average 8-12 inches long.

The Paducah Parks Services Department and the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources are partners through the Fishing in Neighborhoods (FINs) program.  The FINs program started in 2006 with Paducah joining the program in 2009.  The goal of the FINs program is to provide high quality fishing opportunities near cities of all sizes.

As part of the FINs program, the 5.5 acre Bob Noble Park Lake receives four yearly stockings of channel catfish and three annual stockings of rainbow trout.  Since trout prefer cold water, the Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources stocks them during the cool months of February, March, and November.  The department stocks catfish during the warmer months of March, April, May, and August.

Daily limits for each angler fishing a FINs lake include five rainbow trout, four catfish, one largemouth bass over 15 inches, and 15 bluegill or other sunfish.  A statewide fishing license is required for anglers who are 16 and older.  Licensed anglers who want to keep their trout must have an additional trout permit.  The trout permit is included in the $5 senior license for those anglers age 65 and older, as well as the sportsmen’s license.  Anglers under the age of 16, whether they live in Kentucky or elsewhere, do not need a fishing license or trout permit.

For more information on Kentucky’s FINs program and its 34 lakes across the Commonwealth, including lake maps and directions, fish stocking schedules, and fishing regulations, visit the department’s website at http://fw.ky.gov/ and click on the “Fishing in Neighborhoods” logo on the right side of the page.   

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