Stocking to assist recovery of fishery following June fish kill

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR), on Thursday, July 16 will release hatchery-raised northern pike into the Rock River to further assist the recovery of the river fishery following a significant fish kill that occurred in late June.

As many as 4,000 northern pike raised at the IDNR Jake Wolf Memorial Fish Hatchery will be released into the Rock River on Thursday, July 16. Personnel from the IDNR Division of Fisheries will release fish at 1:30 p.m. at the boat access ramp at Castle Rock State Park. The boat access area is on the Rock River adjacent to Ill. Rt. 2 between Oregon and Grand Detour.

Northern pike are a sport fish that are normally found in relatively low densities in the Rock River. The fish to be stocked this week average about nine inches in length and will be expected to distribute themselves over a significant area of the river that was effected by the recent fish kill. The IDNR previously stocked more than 50,000 smallmouth bass in into the Rock River shortly after the fish kill. These and other fish stockings should provide a boost to recreational fishing opportunities on the Rock.

IDNR biologists estimated more than 72,000 fish valued at more than $272,000 were lost in the Rock River fish kill event first reported on June 20-21. The Illinois EPA is working with the Illinois Attorney General