If you have ever waded in a mountain stream in north Georgia, you might think the water could never get too hot. Unfortunately, for trout, that is indeed currently the case. Prolonged high temperatures combined with little rain leads to streams that are too warm for trout stocking, according to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division (WRD).

What does this mean to trout anglers? It means that some streams may not be stocked due to the water being too hot.

“Ideally, you’d like to see water temperatures in a stream no higher than the mid 60’s, but in a number of cases we’re seeing low to mid 70’s,” says WRD Trout Stocking Coordinator Perry Thompson. “At those temperatures, the survival of stocked fish becomes questionable, so we often have to wait until we reach our stocking site and check water temperature before deciding whether we can release fish. If it’s too warm, we have to search for cooler temperatures upstream or stock in another stream altogether.”

Depending on water supply, even trout in the hatcheries are at risk. At the Lake Burton Fish Hatchery for instance, growth of fish is slowed because feeding must be curtailed, and disease outbreaks are more common when it’s this hot.

“About all we can do is reduce the number of trout we’re holding and hope for rain,” says Thompson.

If you are planning a fishing trip to one of north Georgia’s trout streams in the coming weeks and want to find out if the stream is still being stocked, call the WRD Lake Burton Fish Hatchery at (706) 947-3112 any day between 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. For more information on fishing, visit www.gofishgeorgia.com .

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