Accotink Trout — Just Stocked!

The trout truck arrived Friday and the fish and fishermen were there Saturday. Fisherman Bill Boatman picked up five rainbows on Saturday using a Berkley Trout Worm. It's a little white scented plastic worm that's just a little bigger than a piece of overcooked spaghetti.
Fishing is $10 for adults, who also must have a regular Va. freshwater license, no trout license required here as it is at some other urban fishing sites. This is probably the last stocking as this year's program ends April 20.

Rules: http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/trout2008.htm

Accotink Trout in April

Accotink Creek at Lake Accotink, near Springfield, VA is another place to fish for winter trout. The Fairfax County program differs from the state urban trout programs. Here you have to have a state fishing license and a one-day pass from the lake marina and it costs $10, $9 for kids over 10. For that money, you would expect to have some very dependable fishing. All reports indicate it's not especially dependable fishing. It's nice to visit, but the best fishing is the day the fish are put in the creek and, especially at the dam, the day after, when many fish have adjusted to the new waters and are ready to strike. The stockings are every two weeks on Fridays. The next is set April 4, 2008, and it's possible this will be the season finale. This is a 20-year tradition here, and there's a crowd waiting every time, and they actually help with a bucket brigade, releasing the buckets of trout. Unlike other urban fishing lakes, here the fish seem to be mostly caught within three days of stocking, although you do have a chance of catching a trout on any day. One possibility you rarely find anywhere: fishing with corn, you could catch either trout or carp.
The lake itself has the standard species (no trout), but has silted so much since the dam was built in 1943, it appears most of it is about two feet deep or less. A three year dredging program is in its final year with a goal of removing 161,000 cubic yards of silt, but much of the lake still looks very shallow. It's still a good lake for small bluegills and sunfish, with occasional bass and catfish, and plentiful carp.

"Winter Only" Trout Near You

One relatively new idea that continues to expand is the “winter” trout, also sometimes called the (seemingly contradictory) “Urban Trout” program. In many areas where waters are too warm in summer for trout, state agencies or sportsmen’s groups stock trout in the winter.

(Photo) This was taken inside the beltway of Washington, DC in November, 2007. A tiny lake in Alexandria, Virginia called Cook Lake along Eisenhower Avenue is stocked with trout each month in winter, starting November 1. The limit is four trout per day. This gentleman had no problem catching his limit of rainbow trout using lures for two and Power Bait, sold in jars, for the others. What may be most interesting is, in this metropolitan area of five million, he was the only person fishing at the lake that weekday afternoon. A trout fishing license is required.

These are fun to catch, and in certain cities, the trout normally associated with a day-long drive to the mountains to streams and lakes are instead right around the corner.
Hatchery trout are a little less exotic than the wily natural trout of the great crystal mountain streams, but they will bite on those carefully hand-tied trout flies and other fabled lures at the tip of a fly rod handed down from generation to generation.
However, the hatchery trout have had it a little easier growing up. They’ll also bite very quickly on a kernel of corn on a size six or eight hook (use a larger hook if you don’t want to keep the fish. They’ll be less likely to swallow it). Another popular bait is called Power Bait, a dough sold in a jar. The most effective way of fishing is to put the bait on the hook and add a split-shot sinker (these are very small sinkers that you pinch onto the line with your fingers) for weight. Cast the line to one of the deeper areas and let it sit right on the bottom. Wait until you see your line moving, then reel in the trout.
If you choose to eat them, these fish are very tasty.
In many areas you do need to purchase a special trout fishing license to fish these winter trout waters, so check the laws. Enter your state and the words fishing license in a search and the link to your regulations will pop up.