No Fish Stocking for Benka This Year

Public access has been restored to Benka Lake with a temporary injunction. But Alaska Department of Fish and Game, or ADF&G, confirm there will be no fish stocking in the lake this year.

Ryan Ragan, Statewide Communications Coordinator for ADF&G, Division of Sportfish says there have been more than 50,000 rainbow trout fingerlings stocked in Upper Valley lakes. Fingerling are young fish typically measuring one to three inches. The intent is to allow these fish to grow to larger sizes in a natural setting.

More than 43,000 coho fingerlings have been stocked in Upper Valley Lakes this season. Christiansen Lake has been stocked with both rainbows and cohos, about 22,000 fish in total.

Sportfish Cook Inlet Management Coordinator Matt Miller says the stocking program is posted online for public comment well before stocking season. That program determines how and where the team will stock for the next few years. 

When Benka Lake lost public access, it was removed from the stocking program. Miller says they previously stocked the lake with char and rainbow trout. After being stocked for decades, there have been no fish added to Benka Lake for the last two years. Access will need to be confirmed before the lake can be added back to the stocking program.