Here is the IDNR news release concerning the Trout stocking at Banner Lake. Good Fishing everyone.

DES MOINES - Banner Lakes at Summerset State Park will become the only central Iowa trout fishery when it receives its first stocking of Iowa rainbow trout during the park dedication on Thursday. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources will initially stock 2,500 of the one-half pound hatchery raised trout along with a few of the trophy sized brood fish.

Marion Conover, chief of the DNR's fisheries bureau, said the fish will be stocked in the larger basin in the park and that two follow up stockings later this fall and winter will allow anglers a different type of fishing experience in central Iowa.

"We are hopeful that central Iowa anglers will jump at the chance to go trout fishing close to home," Conover said. "This type of fall and winter trout fishing experience has proven to be popular at lakes in Mason City and Waterloo and we expect it to be successful here, too."

Anglers who want to fish for the trout are required to purchase the trout privilege for $11 in addition to an Iowa fishing license. This is a regulation change that began last year. Previously, only anglers keeping trout were required to pay the trout fee.

"We have had such an increase in the number of people fishing for trout and not keeping them who were using the resource but not contributing to the program. We had to make the change to continue to provide the popular fishery," Conover said.

The daily bag limit for trout is five and the possession limit is 10.

For more information, contact Conover at 515-281-5208.