Brown Trout Stocking

[Grant Hall]

As some of you may know, MDC has been stocking brown trout for many years in the North Fork River as well as other streams throughout the state. I am an avid smallmouth angler in this stream and want to see them grow nice and fat as quickly as possible. MDC is a great agency and I agree with most things they do, however I do disagree with this decision and here's why...

Brown trout are not native to Missouri, from Europe actually, and have had documented negative effects on native species. One that comes to mind first is the native brook trout in the Smoky Mountains. Brown as well as rainbow trout has severely impacted growth rates of this species and catching one nowadays that is more than 6 inches is a trophy.

My question is how does MDC know how this will affect smallmouth? I don't believe there are any studies showing the effect of brown trout introductions on smallmouth growth. I'm sure this is probably due to a funding issue associated to a high profile, economically important species. We know that browns are piscivorous (fish eating) and also eat the smallmouth's favorite meal (crawfish). So how do we know this wont negatively impact the already slow growing smallmouth in the stream already? Many fisherman love the brown trout being there and I can't deny that they are fun to catch. However, where do us fisherman draw the line on protecting our native species?

As I said earlier, MDC is great, but I don't think browns are right for this stream. So what do you guys think? I'd like to hear the other side of the story besides the usual "They fight hard" or "They're good eating". I feel this is an important conservation issue and I'd like to hear your perspective .

[ozark trout fisher]

I don't know the North Fork River very well, so it could be an exception...but in almost all cases, any water where trout are going to grow and survive in high enough numbers to seriously impact smallmouth bass populations are probably not very good smallmouth bass habitat anyway. There is certainly SOME overlap between trout and smallie habitat, but it's primarily in stretches of river that are marginal for both.

If anything, I find there is often a stretch of stream below good trout water and above decent smallmouth water that is relatively dead in terms of game-fish. The most dramatic example of this is on the Current River, where there is a long stretch from Akers down to about Pullltite that is anywhere from bad to decent for smallmouth, but still a bit too warm for trout. It's less obvious on most other rivers, where you have a fairly gradual transition zone-but I think while there is some overlap, it's not enough to be a systemic issue.

I share your concern for native species being displaced by trout, especially large browns which can turn into an apex predator. I think it's worth looking into.My guess is that there are impacts, but smallmouth bass would not be near the top of the list in most cases. If you're looking for a reason not to continue the brown trout program, I've heard some discussion on their potential impact on Ozark Hellbender, of all things. I don''t have a clear idea how credible/big of a deal that is in reality.

In a broader sense, trout in the Ozarks are an ethical quandary I struggle with. I am pretty much driving the "native species should get the priority" bandwagon, but trout have long since stolen my heart to a degree where rationality is a lost cause. My solution is to quietly keep fishing for them until someone decides to stop backing the hatchery trucks up to the river. Then I'll get a lot more serious about the wild ones.

[stlfisher]

Trout have also been stocked in waters mostly devoid of smallmouth after dams have been built. In these streams is not trout that have any real tangible effect on smallmouth population it is the damns and habitat change that force smallmouth to move. Trout were stocked after. In order to restore these smallmouth streams to what they were historically you would have to tear down the damns (which would be fine with me), but otherwise you just have mostly empty stretches of water with poor fishing ( I'd rather have trout than nothing). The remaining streams as OTF mentioned were marginal or poor fisheries at best. Trout fill a void in these stretches. I look at it as maximizing the opportunities in the water we have. I am trout guy, but I doubt a trout could out compete a smallmouth for food items in the rare instances they could coexist in comfort. In some California lakes Largemouth grow huge feasting on them.

[ozark trout fisher]

I am trout guy, but I doubt a trout could out compete a smallmouth for food items in the rare instances they could coexist in comfort.

Funny that you mention that. A much more vigorous version of this debate is going on in reverse both in the Northeast and in areas of the mountain west. In those cases, non-native smallies are the ones outcompeting trout. It's gotten to the point where there is an active smallmouth removal program on one western Colorado stream (much to the chagrin of the angling subculture that built up around them in the area.) In another body of water (or more accurately, a remote network of streams and natural lakes) I fished in the Adirondacks, a mixture of smallmouth and largemouth bass (introduced illegally) are outcompeting a rare, native strain of brook trout, to the point where it is hovering dangerously close to extirpation and anglers are encouraged to load up all the bass they can catch. I can attest that was (from a pure numbers standpoint) both some of the best bass fishing I've ever had, and also the worst.

It's just funny how these things can work in reverse sometimes, though I'm not necessarily implying this is relevant in the Ozarks. It goes without saying the conditions are radically different here than either of the locales I was just talking about.

[stlfisher]

Funny that you mention that. A much more vigorous version of this debate is going on in reverse both in the Northeast and in areas of the mountain west. In those cases, non-native smallies are the ones outcompeting trout. It's gotten to the point where there is an active smallmouth removal program on one western Colorado stream (much to the chagrin of the angling subculture that built up around them in the area.) In another body of water (or more accurately, a remote network of streams and natural lakes) I fished in the Adirondacks, a mixture of smallmouth and largemouth bass (introduced illegally) are outcompeting a rare, native strain of brook trout, to the point where it is hovering dangerously close to extirpation and anglers are encouraged to load up all the bass they can catch. I can attest that was (from a pure numbers standpoint) both some of the best bass fishing I've ever had, and also the worst.

It's just funny how these things can work in reverse sometimes, though I'm not necessarily implying this is relevant in the Ozarks. It goes without saying the conditions are radically different here than either of the locales I was just talking about.

You do raise a good point that I think is often overlooked. If one assumes that trout are pushing out smallmouth then that would make trout the dominate species....probably a view most smallmouth anglers would find blasphemous (and so would I BTW). It is one of the reason's I never understood the logic of this argument. I find it difficult to believe that trout could out compete a bass species and your post does illustrate and example of that. It is interesting that they are coexisting in certain waters in the Northeast, though that is probably the exception and not the norm.

[Gavin]

It has no effect on the smallmouth fishing IMO. Trout only thrive in water that is too cold to provide good bass fishing. The Akers to Pulltite stretch on the Current is a good example. They don't stock trout on that reach and there just aren't many game fish there. Great trout fishing up river, great bass fishing below there but they just don't want to be in that middle stretch.

[Brian Sloss]

I don't see smallies getting forced out of habitat by trout (obviously an unscientific observation). An example is Greer spring on the 11 Point. During the spring, summer and early fall trout are by far the dominant species at the spring mouth. Once the weather changes in the fall and the winter starts to set in, the smallies move in and the trout run away. I have fished 3 out of 4 days during that transition and the rapid change was amazing. First day we caught about 60/40 trout to smallmouth, 2nd that raito reversed and on the third it was 80/20 smallies to trout. A week later you might catch one or two trout all day in that hole and everything else was smallies.

[jdmidwest]

I agree with Brian, the trout compete with smallies on the 11 Point for food and have crowded them out. Same goes on the Spring River in Arkansas. They feed on the same minnows and crawfish for the most part. Trout numbers are artificially increased vs natural reproduction in smallies. Smallies lose. And so do other native species like the pickeral and walleye to some extent.

Most Ozarks streams were Prime Smallmouth streams originally before introduction of non native trout of any species. All trout in MO have been introduced, not just the Browns. Maybe before or near the last Ice Age, trout may have inhabited our streams naturally. But in the current time, all current trout strains have been brought in on a train from either the east or west coast and stocked, or some other man made form. The big dams changed the water temps below them and smallies moved out of those areas because the water was colder than what they thrive in. Spring fed rivers are close enough to optimal temps for smallies, they have existed in those long before trout were introduced.

[ozark trout fisher]

Spring fed rivers are close enough to optimal temps for smallies, they have existed in those long before trout were introduced.

I'd challenge that assertion. Certainly spring-fed rivers often are excellent smallie habitat...but not the type of "spring-fed" water that stays at a more or less constant temp (high 50s to low 60s) year-round. Unless I'm mistaken those areas are not nearly as amenable to successful spawning or growth of bass that do end up in the area. Of course these areas form a nice thermal refuge (in reverse of the way that term is usually meant) during the winter, but other than that my guess is that populations were always marginal in most sections of river that are currently good trout water. It's been mentioned a few times, but the stretch of the Current between Akers and Pulltite serves as a nice "control" meaning that it's water that is heavily spring-fed, maintains a relatively constant temperature, yet is not stocked with trout. Sure enough, you have the poorest fishing anywhere along the river there. That's not conclusive proof that smallies never did well on other stretches of trout stream, but it's a decent indication that we're not suppressing a ton of high quality water by stocking trout.

One could make an argument that our current trout streams should be like that....quiet stretches of river with not a whole lot going on in terms of fishing. There would almost certainly be some native species (not to mention the ambiance) that would benefit. I'd be okay with that. But I don't think we're suddenly going to add miles of good smallmouth water by getting rid of trout. The (admittedly limited) evidence we have doesn't support that.

[Chief Grey Bear]

I agree with Brian, the trout compete with smallies on the 11 Point for food and have crowded them out. Same goes on the Spring River in Arkansas. They feed on the same minnows and crawfish for the most part. Trout numbers are artificially increased vs natural reproduction in smallies. Smallies lose. And so do other native species like the pickeral and walleye to some extent.

Most Ozarks streams were Prime Smallmouth streams originally before introduction of non native trout of any species. All trout in MO have been introduced, not just the Browns. Maybe before or near the last Ice Age, trout may have inhabited our streams naturally. But in the current time, all current trout strains have been brought in on a train from either the east or west coast and stocked, or some other man made form. The big dams changed the water temps below them and smallies moved out of those areas because the water was colder than what they thrive in. Spring fed rivers are close enough to optimal temps for smallies, they have existed in those long before trout were introduced.

I agree 100%. Except maybe the part about the dams. Unless you are talking about the chain of dams on the White.