Rainbow trout to be released into Huckleberry Park Thursday; catch and release begins same day

HANNIBAL, Mo. — Huckleberry Lake Park is scheduled to have 725 rainbow trout, including five “lunkers,” released into the lake on Thursday, Oct. 31. Shelby Lovelace, fishery biologist with Missouri Department of Conservation, said the trout will be transported from Montauk Hatchery that morning.

The rules for trout fishing are:

• Trout must be returned to the water unharmed immediately after being caught and only artificial lures and unscented soft plastics may be used from Oct. 31 to Jan. 31.
• The first day to keep trout is Feb. 1. You may catch and release with a Missouri fishing license, but to keep trout, you need a trout stamp regardless of age.

All other fish species in Huckleberry Park Lake may be caught and kept. The other fish available and daily limits are:

• Largemouth Bass (less than 12 inches or more than 15 inches): 6
• Channel Catfish: 4
• Trout: 4
• Crappie: 30
• All other fish combined: 20

Information on fishing licenses is available on the Missouri Department of Conservation website: https://huntfish.mdc.mo.gov/fishing.

Hannibal Parks and Recreation has a community assistant program agreement with the Missouri Department of Conservation for Huckleberry Park Lake. The Department of Conservation provides 50 percent of the cost of the trout supply, and fishery biologists will monitor the fish stock in the pond.

The lake was renovated in 2019 with the help of a $184,000 Land and Water Conservation Fund grant.

The lake, in the 63-acre park at U.S. 61 and Huckleberry Drive, was leaking water and had bank erosion and accessibility issues. The pond was drained, excavated and lined with clay. It was widened at its north, and the shore was lined with stone rip-rap to control erosion. A sidewalk was constructed around the pond, and a handicap-accessible dock was installed for people with mobility issues.