City ponds become winter trout destinations in southern Minnesota
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Weekend conditions are looking good for ice anglers. And for southern Minnesotans looking for a closer place to ice fish for rainbow trout, they don’t have to go all the way up north.
Earlier this week, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources stocked winter trout at Hiniker Pond in Mankato. Rainbow trout yearlings traveled down a tube that stretched down a small slope, where eventually they ended up in the pond through a hole augered into the ice.
There’s about 2,500 trout that were stocked for the opener. Scott Mackenthun, area supervisor at the Waterville fisheries station for the DNR, said this practice only started about a few years ago. Hiniker Pond is one of only two locations in 32 counties of its regional office in most of southwest Minnesota where winter trout is available for anglers.
“They're each three quarters of a pound a piece, on average, so there's some really nice fish out here,” Mackenthun said. “They're at a size that are perfect to land on your dinner plate and provide a little bend in your rod. So it's kind of the best of both worlds.”
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A new future
Hiniker Pond was a former gravel pit the city of Mankato purchased in the 70s. Claudia Hicks, facilities recreation coordinator, said the city originally planned to turn the gravel pit into a stormwater retention pond at the time.
“It was lovingly known as ‘the pit’ for many years,” Hicks said. “It was a place where teenagers would come and swim. Some recreation lovers really wanted to see this become a park and be a place where people could continue to swim, and they ended up being successful. So, it was made a park in the late 70s or early 80s, and it’s been treated as such ever since.”
The DNR has been stocking Hiniker Pond since 1981 with summer seasonal fish. But, Hicks said it was only a few years ago that the agency reached out to the city about interest in putting rainbow trout with the intention for ice fishing, though there were some concerns about making sure all the fish were caught before the water warms.
Hiniker Pond is over 20 feet deep with steep sides and the site is about 20 acres. It’s an ideal spot for winter trout fishing since the fish favor cold, clean water. Hicks said she’s been pleased with the high turnout for opening weekends, especially since there’s limited indoor winter recreation opportunities in Mankato.
“It’s great to have more localized options for recreation in all seasons,” she said. “We really want to open up opportunities outdoors, so [we’re] encouraging people to snowshoe or cross country ski on our trails, but then also utilizing our ponds in a new way in the winter time. …you don’t feel like you have to leave your home to still have a good time.”
The winter trout season starts Saturday, Jan. 17. It’s an opportunity for anglers in southern Minnesota to go winter trout fishing without having to travel up north. Parents and children won’t need a fishing license or a trout stamp for “Take Your Kid Ice Fishing” this weekend.
