Roughly 2,000 rainbow trout will be stocked in seven different bodies of water by the end of the month. Indiana’s DNR plans to stock two locations in Fort Wayne (Allen County) and one in Huntington (Huntington County) with trout measuring 12-14 inches long.

The DNR plans to stock the remaining locations with trout averaging greater than 7 inches. All trout come from Curtis Creek Trout Rearing Station near Howe in LaGrange County. Anglers 18 and older will need an Indiana fishing license and a trout/salmon stamp to fish for trout. The bag limit for trout in inland waters, which excludes Lake Michigan and its tributaries, is five fish per day with a minimum size limit of 7 inches. There is no closed season for taking trout from inland lakes.

If fish are available, additional stockings will take place at:

• Shoaff Park Pond, Fort Wayne, Allen County

• Spy Run Creek, Franke Park, Allen County

• Oak Lake, Clark State Forest, Clark County

• Johnson Lake, Madison, Jefferson County

• Pinhook Lake, South Bend, St. Joseph County

• Garvin Park Lake, Evansville, Vanderburgh County

For more information about inland trout regulations, visit eregulations.com/indiana/fishing/inland-trout-regulations

Next Level Kendallville trail

On Oct. 12, the Indiana DNR, Next Level Trails (NLT) and the City of Kendallville opened the recently completed Grand Army of the Republic Highway Trail in Kendallville.

The 0.90-mile asphalt multi-use trail was constructed by the city with help from a $428,784 NLT grant. The award was announced in March 2021 as part of the second round of NLT. Partners for the project included Murray Roush Enterprises and Noble County Trails.

“Trails are a vital quality of life investment,” said DNR director Dan Bortner. “The DNR is proud to partner with cities like Kendallville to make important connections within the community and region at large.”

The completed project adds two segments of trail. The eastern segment extends the Dowling Street Trail from Allen Chapel Road to Walmart on U.S. 6. The western segment connects to the existing Fishing Line Trail, a regional trail connecting Kendallville to Rome City.

In April, Rome City was awarded a third-round NLT grant of $880,800 to extend its portion of the Fishing Line Trail by 1.46 miles. The Rome City project is expected to be complete by the end of 2023, bringing the total length of the Fishing Line Trail to nearly 13 miles.

“This project is just the latest ‘link in the chain’ in our efforts to provide residents and visitors to Kendallville resources for them and their families safe and healthy outdoor recreational opportunities,” said Mayor Suzanne Handshoe. “The City of Kendallville deeply appreciates the Indiana Department of Natural Resources’ commitment to those same goals by offering the Next Level Trails Program to communities across the state.”

As part of the Next Level Connections initiative, NLT is the largest infusion of trails funding in state history. The $150 million program is administered by the IDNR and facilitates critical trail connections within and between Hoosier communities.

Including the Grand Army of the Republic Highway Trail, 12 of the 73 NLT projects are complete, totaling 38.7 miles of trail.

Two new trails for Brown County State Park

The Indiana DNR, Next Level Trails (NLT), and Hoosier Mountain Bike Association (HMBA) held an official opening and ribbon cutting of the newly completed West Gate and Gnawbone trails in Brown County State Park on Oct. 7.

“The trails at Brown County State Park attract visitors from all across the state and country,” said DNR Director Dan Bortner. “These two new trails will provide additional mountain biking opportunities for locals and trail tourists alike.”

The trails were the last two of four new trails at the state park constructed with a $200,000 NLT grant awarded to HMBA in May 2019. The grant previously funded the Weed Patch and Limekiln East trails. In total, the grant has helped fund development of around 7.5 miles of new mountain bike trail to complete the renowned trail system. Work supported by the grant has also improved connectivity between existing trails and park amenities, including the campground, nature center, fire tower and Hesitation Point.

The roughly mile-long, beginner-friendly West Gate Trail provides a critical connection between the Weed Patch, Bobcat and Hesitation Point trails. The Gnawbone Trail, a 1.3-mile downhill-only trail, can be accessed from the West Gate Trail. The Gnawbone Trail provides an alternative to the Hobbs Hollow and Hesitation Point trails for intermediate and expert riders to further access the park’s 35-mile-plus mountain bike trail system.

More information about the NLT program is at on.IN.gov/NextLevelTrails.

Mountain bike trails in Brown County State Park are multi-use and are open to hiking and trail running as well as bicycling. Riders should obtain a $5 daily or $20 annual off-road cycling pass before using park mountain bike trails. More information about Brown County State Park is at on.IN.gov/BrownCountysp.

Shelby County man injured in 

tree stand fall

Indiana Conservation Officers are investigating a tree stand accident which occurred in Shelby County Oct. 5.  A little before 5 p.m., officers were dispatched to the area near the 4800 Block of North County Road 575 East for an injured person.

Initial investigation revealed 46-year-old Timothy Balting, of Shelbyville, fell approximately 15-20 feet while attempting to move his hang on tree stand.

Despite his injuries, Balting was able to use his cellphone to call for medical assistance. He was transported by local EMS to Methodist Hospital with back, arm and pelvis injuries.

Balting was wearing a full body safety harness at the time of the accident, but it was not affixed to the tree. Conservation Officers remind everyone using elevated platforms to always wear a full body harness, use a tree stand’s safety rope, never try to put up or remove a tree stand by their self, and to always inspect their tree stand before climbing up into it.

Readers can contact the author by writing to this publication, or e-mail to jackspaulding@hughes.net. Spaulding’s books, “The Best of Spaulding Outdoors,” and his latest, “The Coon Hunter And The Kid,” are available from Amazon.com.