'Lots of moving pieces': Kansas wildlife officials release tentative fall channel catfish stocking schedule

TOPEKA (KSNT) - State wildlife officials say they are preparing to stock lakes and reservoirs with channel catfish across Kansas this fall.

KSNT 27 News spoke with Dan Mosier, senior manager of aquaculture with the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP), about when channel catfish will start being stocked for fall 2023. He said there are "lots of moving pieces" with the distribution of intermediate channel catfish in Kansas from local hatcheries.

The timeline for the harvest of the catfish and their subsequent stocking is tentative at the moment. Mosier said the following hatcheries will be releasing catfish for stocking across Kansas this fall, though the dates of the releases could change in the future:

• Milford Fish Hatchery
  • Sept. 19-21
  • Stocking primarily in northeast and some northwest Kansas areas
• Pratt Fish Hatchery
  • Late September or early October
  • Stocking in south central and north central Kansas areas
• Woodson Rearing Pond
  • Oct. 9-11
  • Stocking primarily southeast with some distribution in south central and northeast Kansas areas
• Meade Fish Hatchery
  • Oct. 17-18, Oct. 24-25
  • Stocking primarily in southwest and west Kansas areas

For more Kansas Outdoors, click here. To keep up with breaking news in northeast Kansas, click here.