PROVIDENCE - The Department of Environmental Management says that although it is too warm for ice fishing, trout and salmon have been stocked for winter anglers, and the weather is good for shore fishing.

Staff from the Department's Division of Fish and Wildlife stocked about 1,000 trout in several locations throughout the state during the last week of December. Trout were stocked in Olney Pond in Lincoln, Stafford Pond in Tiverton, Barber Pond in South Kingstown, Meadowbrook Pond in Richmond, and Carbuncle Pond in Coventry.

Division staff also stocked about 35 to 50 surplus domestic Atlantic salmon broodstock - all that were available this year - in Carbuncle Pond in Coventry. Despite a previous DEM news release to that effect, a number of anglers are under the incorrect impression that salmon were also stocked in other locations.

The salmon, mostly between five and 12 pounds each, are from the US Fish and Wildlife Service's North Attleboro, MA National Fish Hatchery. A current fishing license and a Trout Conservation Stamp are required to keep or possess a salmon. The daily creel and possession limit for domestic Atlantic salmon is two fish as part of the daily trout limit, which currently stands at two per day.

Tests by the US Fish and Wildlife Service indicate that domestic Atlantic salmon produced by national fish hatcheries in the Northeast do have low levels of PCB contamination, but the PCB levels do not exceed existing federal consumption safety levels. To protect public health, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, in conjunction with the Environmental Protection Agency, recommends that those eating these salmon restrict themselves to one meal per month.

As the winter season progresses, anglers should check with individual communities about safe ice conditions on local ponds before ice fishing, as DEM does not monitor ice conditions in local communities. For ice conditions at Olney Pond at Lincoln Woods State Park, they can call DEM's 24-hour ice safety hotline at 222-2632.

Ice must have a uniform thickness of at least six inches before it is considered safe by DEM. It generally takes at least five to seven consecutive days of temperatures in the low 20s before ice may become safe. Even then, the strength of the ice is determined by a number of factors such as the size and depth of a pond, presence of springs or currents, and local temperature fluctuations. DEM has an ice safety guide that can be found online on its website, www.dem.ri.gov, by clicking on "Parks and Recreation" under "Programs".