The Indiana Urban Fishing Program celebrates 10 years of annually stocking channel catfish in urban lakes in order to bring quality fishing opportunities closer to Hoosiers’ backyards. Recently, the DNR stocked a total of 1,875 channel catfish ranging in size from 10 to 14 inches (average 12 inches) in the following locations:

• Meadowlark Park Pond (Carmel - Hamilton County) – 100

• Krannert Lake (Indianapolis - Marion County) – 225

• Washington Township Park Pond # 2 (Avon - Hendricks County) – 100

• Dubarry Park Ponds (Indianapolis - Marion County) – 200

• Garvin Park Lake (Evansville – Vanderburgh County) – 200

• Diamond Valley Park Pond (Evansville – Vanderburgh County) – 225

• Dobbs Park Pond (Terre Haute – Vigo County) – 200

• Northeast Lakeside Pond (Fort Wayne – Allen County) – 175

• Munger Park Pond (Lafayette – Tippecanoe County) – 150

• Robinson Park Lake (Hobart – Lake County) – 300

The lakes are stocked three times from mid-March to the first week of June with catchable-size channel catfish.

Indiana DNR’s urban fishing program offers an exciting way for Hoosiers to experience the joys of fishing close to home. To find out more about the urban fishing program, including tentative stocking dates and quantities, visit bit.ly/INUrbanFishing. View the most recent fish stockings on the DNR fish stocking dashboard at bit.ly/StockingDatabase.

The catfish daily bag limit per angler is 10, and there are no size restrictions. Anglers age 18 and older must have a valid Indiana fishing license to fish at these locations. A license can be purchased at on.IN.gov/INhuntfish.

New state nature preserve

The Natural Resources Commission approved the dedication of Limberlost Swamp Nature Preserve, located across Adams and Jay counties, during its regularly scheduled bi-monthly meeting at Fort Harrison State Park on March 21.

The 719.23-acre nature preserve includes a parking area and more than three miles of walking trails. A variety of birds can be found at the site, including short-eared owls, Northern harriers, waterfowl, migrating shorebirds, Sandhill cranes and bald eagles.

Indiana’s nature preserves provide permanent protection for significant natural areas within the state. The action increases the number of state-designated sites protected by the Nature Preserves Act to 298, representing more than 53,000 acres of protected land.

LARE grants benefit 34 projects

Indiana DNR Director Dan Bortner announced organizations in 23 Indiana counties across the state will receive $864,610 in grants to fund 34 lake and stream projects through the Lake and River Enhancement (LARE) program.

“Indiana’s lakes and streams are a cherished natural resource for all Hoosiers, providing outstanding recreational and fishing opportunities across our state,” Bortner said. “Through Indiana’s LARE program, Hoosiers who get out on the water continue to make a splash in conserving and protecting these waterways, funding more than $20 million in dredging, logjam and aquatic vegetation management projects for Indiana’s lakes and streams over the last two decades. This creates a lasting impact for our state now and for generations to come.”

The grants are funded through the LARE fee paid annually by boat owners when they register their crafts with the Bureau of Motor Vehicles. The user-funded program benefits boaters all over the state. The grants allow for the completion of lake and stream projects difficult for local organizations to fund on their own. Grants are awarded on a competitive basis, and local sponsors share at least 20 percent of the cost.

Grants totaling $620,500 will support 13 sediment or logjam removal projects in 11 counties. Another $244,110 will be used to support 21 projects in 12 counties to combat aquatic invasive plants across 36 bodies of water.

Funded projects for the planning and removal of sediment and logjams help improve recreational access by removing nutrient-rich sediment and woody debris near inlets or in navigational channels, helping prevent bank erosion and the formation of new channels. These types of projects receive the highest priority for LARE funding, and they are only funded for projects focused on large-quantity debris removal.

Aquatic invasive plant control grants help control or manage aggressive non-native species outcompeting native species and dominate plant communities. The grants can also provide economic benefits to lake communities by improving conditions for individuals who fish or boat.

A list of grant recipients and projects by body of water, county, project type and grant award can be found at lare.dnr.IN.gov and clicking on project awards at the top of the page.

Reports on all past LARE-funded projects can be found at larereports.dnr.IN.gov.

Readers can contact the author by writing to this publication, or e-mail to jackspaulding@hughes.net.

Spaulding’s books, “The Best of Spaulding Outdoors,” and his latest, “The Coon Hunter And The Kid,” are available from Amazon.com in paperback or as a Kindle download.