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For the past five years, Apple Creek has been stocked with
trout in the spring and fall. One of the questions asked when
the stocking program began was whether or not trout would
survive in the stream during the warm summer months. In the
summer of 2005 there was no evidence that rainbow trout
stocked that spring survived past August. But in the past four
summers, rainbow and brown trout have survived the warm
weather and low rainfall of summer in Wayne County. For all
years from 2006-2009, trout have been spotted and caught in
Apple Creek by fishermen during July, August and
September.
Last summer (2008) and this summer (2009), three Hobo
water temperature loggers were deployed in one to three feet of
water in separate locations in Apple Creek at Grosjean Park. The
loggers automatically record water temperatures at regular
intervals. In 2008 they were set to read at 10-minute intervals;
in 2009 at 30- minute intervals. A third year of data will be
collected next summer (2010). When the three years of data are
collected, summer-time water temperatures will be analyzed,
evaluated and submitted to staff in the ODNR Division of
Wildlife. One possible outcome is that the DOW may expand its
put, grow and take brown trout stocking program to include
Apple Creek.
An analysis of data from August of 2008 regarding survival
of trout in Apple Creek is encouraging. It is generally considered
that temperatu (See the Full Article...) |