I'm in central Virginia, current surface water temp is 60 - 64. This is the first year that I stocked rainbow, golden, and brook trout. They have been a blast but I know the end is near and I need to start harvesting. What is your best guess when the first will start to die and when they'll all be done for?
Pond is just under an acre, max depth 11 feet, no aeration.
Thanks for the tips - recipes also appreciated - I probably have upwards of 300 pounds of trout now!
Jorge -- Travis (CJBS) gave you the most accurate advice possible.
I am located about 20 miles west of Winchester, VA at about 1300 feet. My 0.7 acre pond is about 9-foot deep, with no aeration. It is on the North East side of a ridge, so we are a little cooler than you. I try to get my trout out by June 1.
If we didn't have the Winchester Apple Blossom Festival this weekend, I'd start heavily harvesting this weekend. It will now be the weekends of May 7th and 14th when we'll get the local youth from 4-H, scouts, church, etc. to come out. We'll have a couple of big fish cook outs.
Pickeled, smoked, fried, or as
Trout Pizza , it is all good.
We remove about 80% of those we put in each October. Some obviously die. Some get eaten by critters. We've had a few survive into July.
No matter, they are incredible fun in the late fall and the spring time for me, the grand kids, and the neighborhood kids.
