By Tom: Behrens
No channel catfish stocking for August. Anglers that frequent Mary Jo Peckham Park Lake, do not become alarmed. This happens every year. In August the water temps for the lake are usually too high to expect the new fingerlings to survive.
Mary Jo Peckham Park Lake is part of “Neighborhood Fishin’ Lake”, a partnership program between communities and Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. Katy’s partner is Precinct 4 County Commissioners, who share costs with TPWD on providing the stocked fish.
Texas Parks & Wildlife Department defines a Neighborhood Fishin’ Lake as a public impoundment 75 acres or smaller located within an incorporated city limits or a public park. According to TPWD, there are 150 Neighborhood Fishin’ Lake locations spread across the Lone Star state. Close to Katy are Brazos Bend State Park ponds, Eldridge Park Pond in Sugarland, South Lake at Sugarland Memorial Park, Sugar Mill Pond, Sugarland, Kitty Hollow Lake, Missouri City, Missouri City C.P.L, and Seabourne Creek Park, Rosenberg,
For newcomers to Katy, the Mary Jo Peckham Park receives monthly stockings of channel catfish from usually March or April to October or November. As soon as the water temperature cools down in the fall, instead of Channel Catfish, the lake receives monthly stockings of Rainbow Trout, through the late fall and winter, until early spring. Then the catfish stocking resumes. Fishing stocking schedule is posted online at tpwd.texas.gov/fishboat/fish/management/stocking
Are there any channel catfish in the lake? Oh yeah. Since 1998 when 616 fingerling channel catfish were introduced to Peckham Parks’ water, up to 2019, the lake has become home to over 120,000 fish. Of course, they are not all there yet, but the census has new surge every time the hatchery truck backs up to lakes edge and begins sluicing a new load of fish into the lake. I have been there when they are stocked, and there are quite a few one-pound fish sliding into the water from the hatchery truck.
Channel Catfish are not the only fish that have been stocked. The lake has received fingerlings of Largemouth Bass in 1998, Bluegill and Blue Catfish in 2000 and 2001. A little while back, while I was walking around the lake chatting with anglers, I noticed what looked to be a three-pound bass holding close to underwater rock close to the shoreline. Bait a small hook with an earth worm and the bluegill will keep you busy trying to steal the worm off the hook. I haven’t seen anyone doing it, but a flyrod with a long leader and a dry or wet fly should generate some light tackle action.
How many and how big do the fish need to be to take home? Largemouth bass have a minimum length of 14 inches and a daily bag limit of 5 fish. Channel catfish has no minimum length requirement; bag limit is 5. There is no minimum length or daily bag limit on bluegill, redear, warmouth or other species of sunfish. There is no minimum length, and the daily bag limit is 5 rainbow trout.
Gather up your fishin’ poles and head to Mary Jo Peckham; the fish are probably biting, maybe a a little bit slower cause of the warmer water, but they got to eat, right? Take some water along to drink. There are areas along the lake that are shaded, and there is a large, covered pier extending out on the lake. As a saltwater fishing guide, I used to know, would holler when he or a client had a fish, “Fish On”! Sounds good to me.
