Minnesota Department of Natural Resources staff recently stocked rainbow trout in Hiniker Pond near Mankato, making the fish available to anglers for the winter trout opener and beyond.
The DNR’s Waterville area fisheries office, in partnership with the city of Mankato, started this initiative in January 2024. It was immediately popular with anglers, who harvested nearly 3,000 fish before the ice thawed, and that popularity continued 2025.
Local and visiting anglers can again start fishing for the 2-year-old trout this year’s opener Jan. 17. The trout are raised at the DNR’s Lanesboro Hatchery, one of just four cold water hatcheries in the state. Cool water hatcheries, like the one in Waterville, cannot support trout.
“Winter trout fishing in an urban environment has become very popular,” said Scott Mackenthun, Waterville area fisheries supervisor. “Rainbow trout are colorful, hard-fighting and provide excellent table fare.”
Hiniker Pond is an 18-acre former gravel pit uniquely situated in the middle of a large urban area (Mankato) with easy public access. It is one of only two winter trout fishing locations in DNR’s Southern Region. The other is Little Mud Lake in Meeker County, which has been stocked for more than 30 years.
“We don’t have a lot of winter trout angling opportunities in southern Minnesota,” Mackenthun said. “There are some locations scattered in central Minnesota, but most winter trout angling opportunities in lakes are in northern and especially northeast Minnesota. The scarcity of options helps make the Hiniker opportunity popular.”
This is a “put and take” opportunity, meaning the fish are stocked for anglers to harvest and enjoy. The DNR is not attempting to establish a breeding population in the pond year-round, as trout cannot survive warm waters. The goal is to see all the stocked trout caught before the winter season ends.
Anglers must have a valid fishing license and trout stamp to catch and keep the fish. Trout stamp requirements and exceptions are listed on page 25 of the Minnesota Fishing Regulations book. The daily and possession limits on trout is five fish per person.