Western Outdoor Times - Times Spent Outdoors: Priceless!

From Phoenix to Maricopa, eight ponds received their first Community Fishing Program fish stockings during one day between Feb. 10 and 15.

Already since Jan. 1, the expansion of the program formerly known as the Urban Fishing Program has included the first catchable stockings at Pioneer Lake in Peoria and Riverview Lake in Mesa.

The expansion continues with the first of scheduled stockings that will take place every two months. A total of 815 pounds of trout will be delivered to the eight ponds in these following cities:

Gilbert: Discovery Ponds (Discovery Park, 2214 East Pecos Rd.) and McQueen Pond (McQueen Park, 510 N. Home St.).

Glendale: Bonsall Pond (Bonsall Park, 5840 W. Bethany Home Rd.)

Phoenix: Granada Ponds (Granada Park, 6505 N. 20th St.) and Roadrunner Pond (Roadrunner Park, 3502 E. Cactus Rd.)

Scottsdale: Eldorado Pond (Eldorado Park, 2311 N. Miller Rd.) and McKellips Pond (Vista Del Camino Park, 7700 E. Roosevelt St.)

Maricopa: Pacana Pond (Pacana Park, 19000 N. Porter Rd.).

These waters had been stocked by their respective cities.

“The more opportunities for friends and families to get outdoors and enjoy the heritage-rich tradition of fishing, the better,” said interim Community Fishing Program Manager Joann Hill. “It’s just an exciting time to be an angler in Arizona.

Fish stockings are yet to come in March at Maricopa’s Copper Sky Lake. Also, in April, lakes and ponds in Yuma (West Wetlands Pond, Fortuna Lake and Redondo Lake) and Somerton (Council Avenue Pond.) will receive catfish from the CFP. Trout stockings for Yuma area lakes will continue as scheduled in past years.

For more information on the CFP, including maps, fish stocking schedules, regulations and fishing tips, pick up a new and expanded 2014 Community Fishing Guidebook that is available at more than 300 license dealer locations and Game and Fish offices. The guidebooks are free.