Trout Stocking Opportunity at Swift Camp Creek

Volunteer with us to help stock rainbow trout at Swift Camp Creek in Red River Gorge!

Bring a backpack and some boots you don't mind getting wet!

First and foremost, our staff, the trout we are releasing, and the anglers who we are working for, sincerely THANK YOU for volunteering to help distribute trout along Bark Camp Creek!! It is through the assistance of many volunteers that we can provide the excellent resources that we all enjoy.

Stocking date: September 23, 2025 
Meeting time: Around 2:00 PM EST (We usually ask that volunteers arrive ~1:30 PM EST) 
Meeting point: Lower Swift Camp Creek Parking Lot 
Stocking method: Participants for this event will carry small bags of trout + water inside backpacks in order to transport them upstream about 0.25-1 mile.

• We try to keep to a schedule as close as possible; however, these fish are being transported from Wolf Creek National Fish Hatchery and two other streams are also being stocked that day. There are numerous things that can impact arrival time such as poor weather conditions, travel conditions, loading delays at the hatchery, truck mechanical issues, fallen trees, etc. 

• Items that you should consider bringing:
o Lunch and/or snacks.
o Water or other source of hydration.
o Five-gallon plastic bucket with lid. Smaller buckets can only carry a few fish and are not really efficient. Having a lid prevents trout from jumping out of the bucket during hiking. We will have several buckets available to volunteers if you cannot bring one.
o Appropriate footwear and clothing for hiking in remote areas.

• Things you might encounter while hiking: 
o Venomous snakes (although unlikely due to winter temperatures)
o Poison Ivy and other irritation causing plants
o Mosquitoes, chiggers, spiders, and other nuisance insects
o Muddy trails, steep trails, uneven terrain, both in-stream and out-of-stream hiking
o Awesome, like-minded people who share the same passion for our natural resources

• Things to keep in mind:
o Trout will have been on the stocking truck for several hours, so getting the trout into the stream in a timely manner is very important due to decreasing dissolved oxygen levels. Feel free to hike as far as you wish, but anything over a 0.75 mile an aerator or “bubbler” should be in the bucket as well to prevent fish mortality.
o Once the stocking truck arrives, everyone will line up with their buckets/bags, get them filled, and begin their hike. We need to get the stocking truck back on the road as soon as possible. 

If you have any other questions, concerns, etc., feel free to let me know: Brad Hartman- KDFWR Assistant Fisheries Biologist-Southeastern Fisheries District bradley.hartman@ky.gov