ODFW to Stock Over 55,000 Trout Across Eastern Oregon This April

From the end of March through the beginning of May, 55,375 legals and trophies are bound for lakes, ponds, and reservoirs in the Northeast and Southeast zones of Eastern Oregon, with the first trucks rolling out during the week of March 30.

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife is picking up its trout stocking schedule in Eastern Oregon for April. The stocking is split between two zones: the Northeast Oregon Zone will receive 29,925 fish, while the Southeast Oregon Zone is slated for 25,450.

Closest to home for Union County anglers, the La Grande ODFW office is responsible for four Southeast-zone waters scheduled to be stocked the week of March 30 through April 3. North Powder Pond will receive 2,750 legal-size fish, Haines Pond gets 900, Murray Reservoir east of Unity is set for 2,900 legals, and Highway 203 Pond near Baker City will take the largest early push from the La Grande office: 2,250 legals plus 825 trophy fish. Highway 203 Pond is scheduled for a second identical stocking the week of April 27 through May 1, one of only a handful of waters slated to receive two full runs this spring.

Morgan Lake is closed for the season and will reopen April 22, 2026. The lake is scheduled to be stocked with 500 legal rainbows the week of April 20-24, and 1,750 more the week of May 25-29. Morgan Lake is located just a few miles outside of La Grande and provides the citizens of Union County an inexpensive, easily accessible area for a broad range of outdoor recreational activities, including fishing, camping and nature hikes.

The largest single-site stockings in the Southeast zone come from the Hines Office: Burns Gravel Pond gets 5,750 legals the week of April 6-10, and Bully Creek Reservoir receives 7,000 legals during the week of April 20-24. On the Northeast side, larger regional waters see significant volumes as well. Jayson Jacoby of the Baker City Herald reported that Kinney Lake east of Joseph is slated for 2,500 legal-size fish plus 250 trophies during the week of May 18-22, and Magone Lake north of Prairie City will receive 3,500 fish. Wallowa Lake, Phillips Reservoir near Sumpter, and additional Enterprise-region ponds including Marr Pond, Victor Pond, Honeymoon Pond, Tepee Pond, and Wallowa Wildlife Pond (Weavers) are also on the stocking list.

The fish fall into two categories. There is an 8-inch minimum length for trout, and the daily bag limit is five fish per day, with three daily limits in possession. Trophy trout are stocked in smaller numbers but carry considerably more weight: some top two pounds or more. In the Northeast and Southeast zones, lakes and ponds are generally open year-round, with a few exceptions including Morgan Lake.

ODFW's current weekly report notes: "It's Spring Break for many kids this week and we've been out trout stocking lakes throughout Oregon for your vacation week." The agency's weekly trout stocking schedule is posted and updated at myodfw.com. The schedule is subject to change without notice, and some waterbodies may not be stocked as scheduled because of poor water conditions, with fish diverted to another location; stocking may also happen a week before or after the scheduled date due to logistical challenges.