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March 16, 2012
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| Tom Murtagh (right) of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and Kyle Spinks of the Tualatin Hills Park & Recreation District hand off a net full of rainbow trout for release into Progress Lake in Beaverton. (click to enlarge) |
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Progress Lake in Beaverton, Oregon, is the newest addition to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife's trout stocking program. (click to enlarge)
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CLACKAMAS, Ore. – Anglers now have a new urban fishery to explore, thanks to a joint effort of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, Tualatin Hills Park & Recreation District, and Oregon Wildlife Heritage Foundation.
Progress Lake, a four-acre lake in Beaverton, was stocked with more than 1,000 10-inch rainbow trout this week, the culmination of months of planning and facilities construction on the part of the three collaborators.
“We’re always excited when we are able to bring new fishing opportunities on-line in urban areas like this,” said Tom Murtagh, ODFW district fish biologist in charge of the project. “Urban fisheries have special challenges, and with the help of our partners we were able to make this work.”
Progress Lake is located in “new surburbia” next to the Progress Ridge Town Center, a shopping center located between Scholls Ferry Rd. and SW Barrows Rd. in South Beaverton. The lake is an old rock pit that has been filled with water to a depth of about 60 feet. The Tualatin Hills Park & Recreation District Board worked with the shopping center developer to construct an ADA accessible sidewalk and viewing platform along one shore of the lake. The Oregon Wildlife Heritage Foundation donated $18,000 for construction of a floating fishing platform.
The lake is deep enough that it will likely set up a thermocline at the bottom cold enough to support rainbow trout during the summer months. Trout need water cooler than 70 degrees to thrive, which can be a problem in shallower waters, according to Murtagh.
“We see a lot of potential for recreation opportunity at Progress Lake,” said Murtagh.
Progress Lake brings to 110 the number of sites in the ODFW’s Northwest Region where the department releases a total of more than 1.2 million hatchery-reared rainbow trout. ODFW releases rainbow trout ranging in size from “legals” about eight inches long to “trophies” that can weigh in excess of 10 pounds. The planters are produced by ODFW trout hatcheries at Alsea, Nehalem, Scio, Eugene, Oakridge and Maupin.
The Northwest trout stocking program covers 11 counties, including Clackamas, Clatsop, Columbia, Lane, Linn, Marion, Multnomah, Polk, Tillamook, Washington, and Yamhill. The cost of the program is covered primarily through the sale of Oregon fishing licenses.
The 2012 trout stocking schedule is posted on the ODFW Web site at https://myodfw.com/fishing/species/trout/stocking-schedule.
Weekly updates can also be obtained by calling 971-673-6000, Option 2.
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