fulton, sharp counties · trout and cutthroat trout also are stocked annually in the river. in...
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A yolk sac remains attached to the sac fry for about 10 days, depending on water temperature. When its nutrients have been absorbed, it will dissipate, and the trout begin to swim up for available food. Hatchery staff then move the
fry to hatch house tanks, where they are fed a high protein, commercial feed hourly for three months. The frequent feedings ensure maximum growth and a high adaptability to artificial feed. Feeding times are reduced to three times a day as the fish mature. At 3½ months, or 3 inches long, the fish are moved to outdoor raceways. Each raceway is 60 to 80 feet long, 3 feet deep and holds up to 25,000 trout.
Arkansas Trout Species
Female
SPRING RIVER TROUT WATERSFulton, Sharp counties
Mammoth Spring is Arkansas’s largest spring and the second largest spring in the Ozark Mountains. A national natural landmark, the spring flows 9 million gallons of water hourly. forming a 10-acre lake. It then flows south as the Spring River. Mammoth Spring State Park on the east edge of the city of Mammoth Spring is next to U.S. Hwy. 63, 16 miles north of Hardy, Ark., and 2 miles south of Thayer, Mo.The Jim Hinkle Spring River State Fish Hatchery is 2 miles downstream from the park. The hatchery stocks more than 134,000 rainbow trout annually at nine access sites along the Spring River. Public access areas are stocked weekly throughout the year. Fee sites are stocked weekly from March to October. Fingerling brown trout and cutthroat trout also are stocked annually in the river. In addition to a fishing license, anglers 16 and older must have a trout permit to retain trout. Licenses and permits may be purchased by phone (800-364-4263), online (www.agfc.com) or from local businesses.A copy of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission’s Arkansas Fishing Guidebook containing current fishing regulations, is available at Jim Hinkle Spring River State Fish Hatchery or Mammoth Spring State Park. The hatchery is open to the public 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Monday-Friday, and can by reached toll-free at (877) 625-7521. Overnight camping is not permitted on AGFC public access sites.
Map provided by Arkansas State Parks
Additional information is available at www.arkansasstateparks.com/mammothspring/
or by calling 870-625-7364
Trout grow about 1 inch per month while in the raceway. Once they are 8 inches long, which takes about five months, they are moved to the hatchery’s silos. These cylinder-shaped, in-ground silos are 13½ feet deep and 17½ feet in diameter. Each silo holds up to 13,500 trout. The trout remain in the silos for five to seven months, until they reach an average length of 11 inches.
Brook Trout• Light wormlike markings on
dark green upper body• White-and-black edges on
front of lower fins• Crimson spots with blue
halos and yellow spots
Brown Trout• Sides usually have orange
or red spots with halos• Tail slightly forked with faint
or no spots• Abdomen usually yellow• Golden brown to silver
Cutthroat Trout• Black spotting heavier
toward tail• Tail spotted, forked• Fin never white-tipped• Red-orange slash marks on
the underside of the jaw
Rainbow Trout• Tail spotted, forked• Fins often white-tipped• Pink streaked sides• Black spots over entire
body
Male
Kype
Male and female trout between two and three years old are collected between October and January. Adult males have a hook shape, called a kype, on an elongated lower jaw.
Hatchery staff artificially spawns the eggs by applying pressure to the abdomen of the fish and mixing the eggs from females with the milt from males. Incubation times in the wild vary depending on water temperature. However, eggs at the hatchery are placed in incubation jars that are maintained at 53 degrees Fahrenheit. The eggs hatch in about 28 days. Newly hatched trout, called “sac fry,” have yolk sacs which provide nutrients directly to the intestines.
How We Produce Trout
At 11 inches, the trout are harvested and loaded into distribution trucks for stocking around the state. Hatchery trout will grow from a sac-fry to an 11-inch trout in 12-14 months. More than 90 percent of the fish stocked by the hatchery are 11-inch rainbow trout.
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tu63289
Main
MAMMOTHSPRING9
2nd
Riverview
River Access Road
342
Weathe
rstone R
oad
Access
Bayou Access Lane
Bayou
Road
SaddlerFalls Road
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River Oaks Trail
Man
y
Road
Isla
nds
Rock Road Valley
Wolf
Circle
Hollow
tu63
tu63
tu62
tu412
Main
Spring
Riverview
Sout
h
ForkSpring
Rive
r
Fulton CountySharp County
HARDY
CHEROKEEVILLAGE
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Myatt Crk
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Rev 5/2011
!Û Jim Hinkle Spring River Hatchery
ÆÏ Mammoth Spring State Park
%# Private/Fee Trout Stocking Site
%# Public Trout Stocking Site
!Û Mammoth Spring National Fish Hatchery
!y Hardy Beach AccessPaved Ramp, Playground, PicnicConcrete Courtesy Dock
SPRING RIVERTROUT STOCKING
SITES
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0 1 20.5
Mile
s
Information is intended for reference purposes only. Always consult the AGFC Guidebook and adhere to boundary signs and other on-site indicators.
11a
US Hwy 63 Bridge In Mammoth Springand Mammoth Spring State Park Dam
2
Lasseter Access - No Ramp0.7 Miles from AR 9 off Riverview Road
Cold Springs Access: Hwy 63 - 0.5 MilesPaved Ramp and Mobility Impaired Pier
3
5
Bayou Access: Paved Ramp, Dirt ParkingHwy 289 - 3.5 MilesSpring River Origin 5.9 River Miles
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Hwy 63 - 2.3 Miles on Weatherstone Road
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Hwy 63 - 2.9 Miles on Many Islands RoadSpring River Origin 11 River Miles
4
Dam 3 Access: Paved Ramp and ParkingFishing Jetty, Foot Trail to Main ChannelHwy 63 - 0.8 Miles Spring River Origin: 3.2 River Miles
8
Hwy 63 - 2.5 Mileson River Oaks Trail
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Hwy 63 - 1.8 Miles on River Oaks Trail and Saddler Falls Road