KDWPT

MEADE–Hatchery staff members were tubing largemouth bass this morning at the Meade Fish Hatchery.

Bass are brought into a climate-controlled building in late winter to produce offspring earlier than fish in the wild. These “early spawned” fish will get a competitive advantage in our Kansas reservoirs for better bass fishing in the future.

The Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism operates four hatcheries – at Farlington, Meade, Milford, and Pratt — and each contributes to supply the varied needs of Kansas anglers. The system produces approximately 39.5 million fry, 3.5 million fingerling, and 385,000 intermediate fish for stocking in Kansas public waters annually. Species included bluegill, channel catfish, crappie, largemouth bass, northern pike, rainbow trout, redear sunfish, sauger, saugeye, smallmouth bass, striped bass, wiper, and walleye.

Meade Fish Rearing Station is located eight miles south and five miles west of Meade in Meade County in southwest Kansas.