Fish stocking available through Chemung Conservation District

Gillian Friebis
·2 min read

CHEMUNG COUNTY, N.Y. (WETM) — Chemung County residents who want to stock their ponds can now order fish through the Chemung County Soil and Water Conservation District.

Pond owners with Farm Fish Pond Licenses can use the form on this webpage to order 4 to 6-inch rainbow trout, largemouth bass, and channel catfish; 3 to 5-inch black crappie and bluegill sunfish; and 1 to 2-inch fathead minnows. Those with the required New York State permits can also order 10 to 12-inch triploid grass carp by contacting the conservation district office. There is a 10-fish minimum for each species, and stocking rates and prices for each species are available on the form.

The conservation district is reminding people to consider the size of their pond, if there’s already an established food chain, which species will compete with each other for food, the potential for fish population growth with future breeding, and other environmental factors before choosing which and how many fish to order. According to the district, most ponds will support all of the warm-water fish offered through its spring stocking program. Rainbow trout tend to thrive in colder waters with abundant oxygen.

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People interested in stocking their ponds through this program are advised to follow the stocking rates listed on the form because overstocking can lead to stunted growth. Additionally, pond owners should consider stocking fatheads, crayfish, or other species if there isn’t an established food chain in the pond they’ll be stocking.

Fish order forms are due on Friday, April 26, and fish will be delivered to the Chemung County Soil and Water Conservation District, located at 851 Chemung St. in Horseheads, between 10:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. on Friday, May 10. After picking up the fish, the conservation district recommends floating new fish in bags in the water they’ll be introduced to so they can acclimate to the water temperature before they’re released.

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