During the season — which will run through Feb. 28, 2017 — anglers can harvest up to seven fish per day, with no minimum size limits or bait restrictions. 

The stocked waters, managed by the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, are marked with green-and-white signs and stocked from March through August each year. This year, nearly 916,000 trout will be stocked, with 96 percent averaging 10 inches long and the other 4 percent about 14 inches. 

At noon each day, updates on stocking locations are posted at www.ncwildlife.org/Fishing/HatcheriesStocking/NCWRCStocking.aspx.

Many miles of stocked waters are privately owned, with the Commission urging anglers to be respectful of private property, clean up litter, not block driveways, close gates after use and report wildlife violations to 1.800.662.7137.

Help out with stocking

Volunteers are invited to get in on the action with a trout-stocking event on the West Fork of the Pigeon River at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, April 7, meeting in the parking lot along N.C. 215 just south of Lake Logan. 

Volunteers will spend about three hours stocking 1,200 pounds of fish in this event organized by Trout Unlimited Cataloochee in cooperation with the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission. The fish will start biting about an hour after stocking, so bring a rod along — as well as a clean 5-gallon bucket for the stocking itself. 

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