# Stillwater Rainbow Trout



## QueticoMike (Sep 25, 2008)

I just heard that someone caught 3 rainbow trout out of the Stillwater river on Saturday. Did the DNR stock some trout in the river or is it a possible overflow from a private pond stocking maybe? Anybody else catch any or know anything about this?

Fish on.......


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## wader (Dec 9, 2004)

Sounds like BS to me, but someone may have dumped a few in. I don't believe the state stocks it. If they are in there, fish em up. They won't make it thru the summer.


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## squid_1 (Jun 2, 2005)

Here is where they come from. When it floods the fish make it to the stillwater. There have been reports of rainbows being caught for a couple of years now. http://mertensiasprings.org


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## jacmec (Sep 28, 2008)

I would throw that up as bs as well, but it is possible. ODNR does not stock the Stillwater, but a trout fishing club is located near the Stillwater. A good flood would get into one of their stocked ponds, but I don't think the water got that high this year or even last year.


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## QueticoMike (Sep 25, 2008)

You people who think this is BS can believe what you want. A friend of mine who lives on the Stillwater told me this morning that her husband and a buddy of his caught 3 rainbow trout out of the Stillwater river. They were very surprised by the catch and so was I hearing about it, but she or her husband have no incentive to lie about such a thing. Trust me, this guy is an avid outdoorsman and he knows what a trout is. If she tells me he caught a trout out of the river I believe her. I assumed either they were stocked or they were in there from a run off this year.


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## IMBOW (May 27, 2008)

Last fall (October 20th of 2008) I was fishing a favorite pool in the stillwater catching smallmouth. And this is what I pulled out. I would guess this rainbow trout was 14 inches. The pool where I caught this fish is fed by gravel pit runoff and I am guessing there is a chance they stocked rainbow in the gravel pit. Who knows. I attached a photo of the fish.


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## IMBOW (May 27, 2008)

Mike,

No big deal. As fisherman, we can get pretty excited when someone says something we "know" is not true. There is another post by some guy saying he caught smallmouth at Kiser and of course everyone jumped on him. 

One other thing they might be wrong about and that is whether the Stillwater can sustain trout year 'round. Some of the creeks that feed it are true spring fed creeks with temperatures in the 50's. If the trout find the pools where the creeks feed in, they might make it through the year.

Nice fish picture in your signature block. Muskie?

Dan


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## chrsvic (Apr 20, 2005)

Rainbows have been caught out of the GMR before also (below the Tait station dam.) The rivers are all connected together downtown, anything is possible. I caught a few saugeye out of the stillwater once.


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## Ajax (May 16, 2008)

Asian carp, Oscars, Alligators, Eels, and trout. Nothing surprises me after reading this board and looking at the pics.


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## pendog66 (Mar 23, 2005)

just the stocked lakes being flooded, i caught one on the lower stillwater around this time last year. the picture is in the gallery


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## Salmonid (Apr 14, 2004)

I was involved with Mertensia Springs Trout Club in the early planning stages and can tell you they are coming from there, he has permission to not only stock his ponds which are within a 8 ft rise of the river BTW but also Ludlow Creek and we all know bows are migraters and will head downstream just as soon as possible after stocking. I might add that as someone else stated, the whole Stillwater valley is fed by true spring creeks and I know of at least 5 ponds stocked with trout in the area that are all on small spring creeks feeding the Stillwaer, there have always been a few trout around on the Stillwater as far back as I can remember, ( late 70's) and there is also another small private hatchery raising trout and a another small trout club in the area. If you want to catch them, target the spring creek mouths in late july/august and they will be stacked in there like firewood. 

I have a friend who has caught dozens of rainbows on the lower GMR over the years at a particular creek mouth that is a cold water stream. he gets them while carp fishing with corn, go figure......

Salmonid


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## jacmec (Sep 28, 2008)

Sorry didn't mean to offend you or anything. I have fished the Stillwater for about 4 years now and have never caught a rainbow and this is the first of hearing one being caught. I have payed attention to the mertensia springs ponds and in particular how close the water gets to them in the spring. I have never seen the water line hit the ponds. I do not doubt in the least bit that the river could support trout through the summer months. So again, I learn something new. Did not know that permission was given to stock Ludlow creek. Completely changes this situation.


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## Fishing Flyer (May 31, 2006)

I stopped in the Orvis by the Dayton Mall a few weeks ago and was surprised to learn that the Mad is not the only trout producing stream in the area. There are a few others, including the upper Stillwater, that produce according to Orvis staff.


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## fishhuntnfire (Oct 24, 2007)

I too have caught trout out of the stillwater. For the past 6 yrs i usually catch about 20 or 30 a year including one in the middle of july from the englewood dam north spillway. Have also caught a 4 lb walleye or saugeye ( think it was a saugeye) last year. the saugeye and most of the trout all come from the same area that seems to be pretty deep. question: does loramie creek feed into the stillwater or gm and if it does both would that put saugeye in the stillwater and explain why i caught one? the trout ive known about the saugeye was a pleasant surprise.


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## jimnrg (Aug 6, 2008)

I contacted Mertensia Springs about a membership last fall($10,000 initiation and $2,000 annual dues too pricey for me) and was informed that Ludlow creek was indeed stocked with trout by them.


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## Crankb8 (Jan 1, 2009)

This is the first I've heard of rainbows in the Stillwater, but there's been reports of Browns ever since Mertensia Springs opened. I saw a pile of Brown trout carcasses myself at a bridge site where someone had dumped them after cleaning them. I'm assuming they were caught nearby.
Truthfully, I'd be surprised if the Rainbows could tolerate the Stillwater much after the first of July, except in small, specific areas. It gets low and WARM and causes plenty of heat stress on smallmouth, which are native to the stream.
Loramie Creek dumps into the GMR just north of Piqua and that contributes to the GMR's saugeye population, along with Indian Lake. Years ago they stocked Saugeyes in the GMR itself, but that has since stopped. I suppose its possible that the saugeye could migrate up into the Stillwater, but I can't see them getting above the West Milton dam without some help from humans.


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## Mr. Smallie (Mar 25, 2005)

I remember when they first stocked Mertensia Springs about 3 or 4 years ago (maybe more?) and within a couple of weeks we had a massive flood on the river. Virtually all of the Mertensia area was underwater. I do know that some of those Rainbows made it up to the dam in Covington. One person caught 2 in the same day. I really don't see how the trout would survive the summer though.


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## eatwhatyoukeep (May 2, 2005)

I know someone who belongs to a trout club, not sure which one. But he said that their ponds flood at times. It might not be necessary for the river to reach the top of the pond dam for a few fish to escape


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## pendog66 (Mar 23, 2005)

i usually catch one every year in march or april. Never in the summmer tho


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## meisjedog (Oct 4, 2010)




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## fishhuntnfire (Oct 24, 2007)

the trout population on stillwater at englewood dam and north is pretty decent. went twice in ludow creek/stillwater couple weeks ago and caught 19 rainbows and 1 brown trout first time and bout 13 rainbows second time. i have also on occasion caught them at various locations on stillwater. if you know the few deeper areas they can be quite easy to catch throughout the year. good luck too all.


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