The catfish reared at the Women’s Correctional Center in Lusk reached weights
around three pounds before they were stocked in community fisheries.
More Catfish for Wyoming Anglers
Wyoming Game & Fish Department
Game and Fish collaborates with Women’s Correctional Center to stock community fisheries with catfish.
The Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD) partnered with the State of Wyoming Women’s Correctional Center in Lusk in mid-April to stock large channel catfish raised at the center’s aquaculture facility. Created in 2007, the facility has reared catfish for stocking around the state a couple times since 2020. This year marks the end of the rearing program, and these catfish were stocked in community fisheries in the Casper, Rock Springs, Green River, Laramie, and Sheridan regions. Specific locations can be found online using WGFD’s interactive fishing guide.
Region, Location, Number of Catfish Stocked
Casper, Bryan Stock Trail, 450
Casper, Yesness Pond, 170
Casper, Guernsey Slough, 385
Green River, Sweetwater Kids Pond, 50
Green River, Arrowhead Pond, 50
Green River, Diamondville Pond, 125
Green River, Cabin Pond (Fairgrounds #1), 50
Green River, Boar’s Tusk (Fairgrounds #2), 140
Green River, Rock Springs Pond, 145
Laramie, Sloans Lake, 825
Sheridan, Black Elk Pond, 50
Sheridan, Kleenburn Pond, 200
The stocked catfish averaged three pounds each. To reach this size, the fish were brought in from an Arkansas hatchery in 2023 when they were around eight inches long. The Women’s Center then reared them to their large size at stocking. The WGFD does not have a fish hatchery with water temperatures warm enough to produce the growth rates these fish experienced, so the partnership with the Women’s Center produced an exciting opportunity to stock more large fish around the state.
“This is a very unique opportunity for the department and the fisheries in these communities,” said Travis Trimble, WGFD assistant fish culture supervisor. “Game and Fish is very grateful for all of the hard work that Heidi Atwood and the crew at the Women’s Center have done over the past year to accomplish this.”
Game and Fish sends its thanks to the Women’s Center for its years of partnership in raising catfish. The fish reared at the facility have provided high-quality angling opportunities around Wyoming, including for many beginner anglers who have learned to fish at the community fishing ponds where these fish are stocked.
