Fall colors have begun to appear in some parts of the state thanks to an unusually cold start to September. While temperatures in recent days have been above normal, daytime highs in early September in Indianapolis were in the 60s and 70s, with overnight lows in the 40s on some days.

The best fall color formation happens with bright, warm days, cool nights and moist soils, according to Carrie Tauscher, Indiana Department of Natural Resources’ (DNR) Division of Forestry’s Community & Urban Forestry program coordinator.

While all of Indiana has experienced bright, warm days, overnight lows and soil moistures have varied dramatically throughout the state. Low rainfall this autumn threatens to shorten the window for full color enjoyment.

Nonetheless, the tourist towns of southern Indiana such as Nashville, Madison and Medora shouldn’t fret, Tauscher said. Sassafras and sweetgum trees in forest understories and along roadsides regularly give a great show of red, orange and yellow.

If you plan on sightseeing for fall colors, you can contact the extension office in the county of your destination for a report. Another option is to call the nearest state park. Colors vary statewide, and may even vary from county to county.

“With all the events going on in parks and orchards and other fall destinations, you’re going to enjoy the ambiance no matter what,” Tauscher said. “Just get outside and enjoy the fall.”

Leaves produce pigments, giving them color. During spring and summer, the green pigment, chlorophyll, is dominant. When days become shorter, other pigments in the leaf become visible as the amount of chlorophyll dwindles.

The full “forest fireworks” show in central Indiana should begin in the next 1-3 weeks depending on weather, and continue for several weeks as long as the state doesn’t experience windy storms, Tauscher said.

Once the leaves fall, Tauscher said Hoosiers should consider mulching their yard leaves instead of bagging them and sending them to a landfill. One option is to mow leaves and let them be absorbed into the lawn, providing nutrients for the next growing season. Another is to layer them onto planting beds, which provides nutrients and protects against wind erosion.

“It kills me when people throw all those good leaves on the curb,” she said.

Brookville Lake tailwater gets more trout

Fishing for rainbow trout in the Brookville Lake tailwater got a real boost this fall. The DNR stocked an additional 2,500 rainbow trout averaging 6 inches in length into the tailwater, which is on the East Fork of the Whitewater River in Franklin County.

The tailwater is typically stocked only in spring with 1,500 rainbow and 2,600 brown trout, averaging 8 inches in length. The trout for the fall stocking are surplus fish produced by the Wolf Creek National Fish Hatchery in Jamestown, Ky., and were donated to the DNR Division of Fish & Wildlife.

Heavy fishing pressure in the tailwater often results in reduced numbers of rainbow trout available for anglers, by fall. Anglers are encouraged to take advantage of the bonus stocking this fall and winter, as it will not be an annual occurrence.

The fall-stocked rainbow trout are expected to grow quickly to the minimum length limit of 7 inches; however, because the stocked fish will initially be below the limit, trout anglers are encouraged to follow best practices for catch-and-release angling.

Best practices include minimizing time the fish is out of the water, minimizing time reeling in and unhooking the fish and wetting your hands before handling the fish. Catch-and-release anglers who hook a trout in a sensitive area, such as the gills, gut or throat, are encouraged to leave the hook in the fish and cut the line at the hook eye. Fish often shed hooks quickly, and this method increases their chances for survival.

Indiana has a statewide catch-and-release-only season for trout from Jan. 1-April 14. Special trout regulations for the Brookville Lake tailwater include a 7-inch minimum length limit for rainbow trout and an 18-inch minimum length limit for brown trout. The daily bag limit is five trout, of which only one may be a brown trout.

A fishing license and trout stamp are required to harvest trout.

The Brookville tailwater is cooler than most southern Indiana streams during the summer months, through controlled releases of water from the depths of Brookville Lake. The cooler temperatures allow stocked trout to survive for multiple seasons and grow larger than trout in other stocked waters in southern Indiana.

DNR tests for fish virus at Lake Webster

The state of Michigan’s decision to cancel its muskie stocking program this year due to a virus outbreak in adult fish captured for eggs has prompted Indiana DNR officials to say a similar situation could develop in the Hoosier State.

Viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSv), which is responsible for a number of dead fish in Lake St. Clair and the Detroit River, could potentially show up in Lake Webster, Indiana’s only source for muskie eggs.

“If VHSv does show up in Lake Webster, we wouldn’t want to bring infected eggs into our hatchery system where they could contaminate the water and spread to other fish,” explained Dave Meuninck, manager at the Bodine State Fish Hatchery and DNR fish disease coordinator.

To reduce the risk, Meuninck processes dozens of fish collected each spring from Lake Webster for testing during Indiana’s muskie egg-taking operation. The fish, including bluegill, bass and other species, are captured in traps used to catch adult muskie. Meuninck removes their kidney and spleen and sends the organs to Purdue University’s Animal Disease and Diagnostic Laboratory for analysis.

No VHSv has been detected at Lake Webster, or anywhere else in Indiana, to date.

“If we find it, we’ll have to make major adjustments to our muskie program,” said Meuninck. “That could mean trying to establish another brood fish population, getting eggs from out of state sources or holding virus-free adult muskie in a pond all year. Either way it complicates the situation.”

VHSv is contagious and can spread from lake to lake within a watershed. Anglers can also spread it by not adequately cleaning their fishing gear, boats and trailers. The virus can infect dozens of susceptible fish species. Some species, including muskie, are extremely susceptible while others, such as walleye, are somewhat resistant.

VHSv kills fish by causing blood vessels to leak. Infected fish often develop bloody patches on the skin. It doesn’t affect humans.

Outbreaks typically occur in the spring when the water is still cool and fish are stressed during spawning. There is no known way to eliminate the virus once it appears, but not all fish succumb to it. Survivors can become carriers, however.

After outbreaks of the Great Lakes’ strain of VHSv began more than 10 years ago, DNR biologists have sampled fish from various waters each spring to determine whether the pathogen has reached Indiana. Lake Webster and Brookville Reservoir, the DNR’s walleye brood source lake, are especially targeted for testing.

“So far, Indiana is VHSv-free,” reported Meuninck.

In addition to testing for VHSv in brood source lakes, fish reared in Indiana hatcheries are tested prior to stocking. Muskie fingerlings scheduled for stocking in Lake Webster in mid-May were tested and no VHSv was detected.

The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of Farm World. Readers with questions or comments may contact Jack Spaulding by email at jackspaulding@hughes.net or by writing to him in care of this publication.