3,800 pounds of trout were deposited into this JoCo lake, so get fishing poles ready

Debra Skodack
·3 min read

Jim Lancaster stood on the edge of Shawnee Mission Lake last week to get a glimpse of what he plans on catching in the months to come.

Lancaster was among the more than 100 fishing enthusiasts attending the spring ritual of the stocking of trout Feb. 21.

In less than 45 minutes, about 3,800 pounds of trout were deposited into the 120-acre lake, located within Shawnee Mission Park at West 79th Street and Renner Road in Shawnee.

“I want to see if they are what they say they are,” Lancaster said of the event. The 83-year-old Leawood resident said he has been fishing Shawnee Mission Lake for 30 years. He has his favorite spots — reachable by canoe. Lancaster said about five years ago he caught his best: a 12-pound trout.

That’s larger than the trout that went into the lake last week.

About 85% of the fish that went into the lake are three-fourths to 2 1/2 pounds, said Matt Garrett, natural resource manager of Johnson County Park & Recreation District.

On Feb. 24, the ceremonial siren wailed at 8 a.m. to usher in the spring trout fishing season.

Up to four trout can be caught in one day, with no limit on length, Garrett said. To enliven the sport, a few trout are tagged. Those who catch a tagged trout get a gift card from the park district.

“It’s just some interest for the anglers,” Garrett said. “It’s the thrill of the chase.”

In Olathe, 1,600 pounds of trout were stocked last week in Kill Creek Lake, 11670 Homestead Lane.

Additional stockings will happen in the spring at both lakes, including 600 pounds of trout into Kill Creek Lake and 1,400 pounds into Shawnee Mission Lake. In October, both lakes will be stocked again.

“We make sure it’s a sufficient amount to keep anglers happy,” Garrett said. “We are making sure they are getting the value of their permit.”

Some trout rose to celebrity status at the stocking of Shawnee Mission Lake last week. Eager audience members took advantage of their close encounter of the fish by taking photos on their cellphones.
Some trout rose to celebrity status at the stocking of Shawnee Mission Lake last week. Eager audience members took advantage of their close encounter of the fish by taking photos on their cellphones.

For years, raising and getting the trout to the lakes has been the job of Crystal Lake Fisheries Inc., a family-owned company that has been in operation since 1950 in Ava, Missouri.

Everything about the business has been refined over the years, said David Emerson, the son of the Crystal Lake’s founders.

That includes what the trout eat and, ultimately, taste like for the consumer.

“We have found what works great,” Emerson said. “Our fish have some zip in them.”

Crystal Lake also has specially designed 10-wheeler trucks that carry the trout in 2,300 gallons of water in 10 tanks. The tanks have an elaborate oxygen and aeration system monitored with a set of 10 gauges in the truck’s cab.

It’s critical the system works perfectly, not only to keep the trout alive during transport.

“It keeps them spunky and ready to be fished,” Emerson said.

To get the fish to the lake, trout and water are shot through a 30-foot plastic sleeve. Several trout are pulled out during the process to be paraded by hand to an admiring crowd. Those trout rise to celebrity status, with eager anglers snapping cellphone photographs.

Lancaster was satisfied with what he saw last week. He expects to reach his usual yearly catch of about 100 to 150 fish.

He likes to smoke the trout.

“Because it’s damn good eating,” he said with a grin.

For more information about fishing at Kill Creek Lake and Shawnee Mission Lake, go to jcprd.com and search for permits.