How long to wait after stocking?

[RealtreeByGod]

I'm going to start hitting ponds up for stocked rainbows this winter/spring.

 

How many days after stocking should I attempt to fish? Will the shock of being added and changing water cause the fish to be lethargic for a few days? Does weather matter? 

[Jig Man]

I don't have first hand knowledge but a guide on Lake Taneycomo in MO told me the average trout only stays in that lake for 7 days so I'm go fish.

[Gundog]

I've seen trout hit just minutes after being stocked. Don't think it matters. Go fishing now if you can. 

[Scott F]

Check the local regulations. In my area, they close the stocked lake to fishing for a few days after the fish are released.

[WVU-SCPA]

Some will eat minutes after they are stocked.  They have basically been programmed to eat in the hatchery so when they are put in new habitat it doesn't take long if they weren't over stressed.

 

Float stocked 1/2 mile section of stream with 250 fish in ideal trout feeding conditions.  Decided to fish it as soon as we were done and ended up catch and releasing almost half that number.  Didn't feel very sporting. 

[Crestliner2008]

Why wait? You can catch them minutes after they are dumped in. I pay no attention to what the trucks are doing and just go fishing when I can. Stockies are easy.

[redmeansdistortion]

Get out there ASAP.  Stockers will hit anything those first couple of weeks as they are used to being fed pellets.  Once they wise up the bites don't come as often.

[Bluebasser86]

The sooner the better. I'd cast at them as they came out of the truck if I could. They're hungry and dumb as they're getting dumped into the lake. That's why our lakes are usually closed for a week after stocking so they aren't all caught too fast. One lake doesn't close and I pulled into the marina minutes afte they dumped them. We caught over 60 in a couple hours before we had to leave, it was nuts.

[roadwarrior]

Hmm...

 

I am not much of a fan of stockers, but you can catch THEM ALL right out of the truck.

 

[redmeansdistortion]

17 hours ago, roadwarrior said:

Hmm...

 

I am not much of a fan of stockers, but you can catch THEM ALL right out of the truck.

 

They are a hoot to catch on ultralight gear though.  When the Michigan DNR loads up our streams, the fish are just barely below keeper size.  I don't fish stockers too often unless I take my wife out with me.  She likes to catch fish, but she don't have the patience to walk miles of riverbank to catch a big steelhead or two, or even worse, get skunked.  If we are out there for an hour without a bite, I get the stink-eye which usually means "take me home" lol.  When it's myself or taking a friend or two, we will be out there from dawn to dusk, catching fish or not.

[slonezp]

On 1/10/2019 at 9:17 PM, Gundog said:

I've seen trout hit just minutes after being stocked. Don't think it matters. Go fishing now if you can. 

I was fishing the trout opener at a 200 acre lake. Fishing is off limits for a week prior to stocking. A truck pulls up, they stick a large diameter hose on the bank and dump "leftover" trout into the lake. I limited out on 5 casts using a mepps spinner.