Adams Lake, located in the heart of the Ferrum College campus, was restocked with trout on Wednesday, March 13. The restock is done every Spring to offer fishing opportunities for students and the campus community while also serving as an experiential learning resource for Ecotourism, Recreation Leadership, and Natural Sciences courses.
The College purchases the trout from Bracken’s Fish Hatchery in Wytheville, VA, and they are delivered to the lake. The College has been working with Bracken’s Fish Hatchery for about six years, and this year will mark the eighth year of trout stocking in the lake.
“The way they are raised, the trout are born in ponds fed by springs, so they’re healthy, nice fish and more naturalized,” said Aaron Conover, Instructor of Ecotourism and Recreation Leadership.
Most of the trout measure around 14 inches when they are brought to the lake, but some reach up to 25 inches. “This year, we’ve got 250 trout,” Conover said.
The stocking is intended for students, faculty, staff, and their families who can checkout spinning rods and tackle from Norton Outdoor Adventures in the College Fitness Center between 2 pm-5 pm from Monday to Friday. It is worth noting that a fishing license is not required to fish in the lake, and it is catch and release only until after April 1.
While Adams Lake is not open to the general public, there are two upcoming opportunities for the public to visit and fish this Saturday, March 16th from 12pm-2pm as part of the Discovery Day and Panther Strong events and again on Sunday, April 7 from 2pm-5pm.
The class associated with the stocking is REC-109: Outdoor Recreation Sampler, a one-credit class where students explore various outdoor recreation pursuits such as rock climbing, canoeing, kayaking, orienteering, mountain biking, hiking, camping, and fly fishing. The course emphasizes the importance of basic skills, proper equipment use, and safety in an introductory manner.
Students say the course has value beyond the classroom. “For a first-year student, this class could help them get outside and meet new people. If you’re in a major-specific classes, they might not be as big as this one is,” said Cody Gibson, senior.
“You also get to experience something new. A school like Ferrum College is one where you get a unique learning experience, and it’s hands-on learning,” said Joshua Jordan, senior.
Fishing at Ferrum College is restricted to students, faculty and staff only.
