The state is hoping to stock 100,000 fish in Lake Erie in 2024, and the process has already begun.

The S.O.N.S. of Lake Erie received their annual allotment of brown trout. Over the winter, they will raise the fingerlings and then stalk them in Erie Bay next March, just before trout season begins.

In past years, the S.O.N.S. have been given 600 fish. This year, they upped it to 1,000.

“The brown trout do not spawn naturally. We do not have the right type of streams in Erie County that will permit very many trout to spawn by themselves, so this is simply a matter of put and take fishery,” said Jack Bock, hatchery manager for S.O.N.S. of Lake Erie.

All of the fish came from the state hatchery which is located in Linesville.