Now that the weather has become more spring-like, many Guthrie County residents are likely to be looking for activities to do outside.

County Conservation Director Brad Halterman says that fishing is one of those activities that residents can have fun with, and also cut food costs. He mentions that the South Raccoon and Middle Raccoon Rivers make up the vast majority of public fishing spots in Guthrie County, and that there are a variety of commonly caught fish between the two. Halterman tells Raccoon Valley Radio that one species is more prevalent than others.

“Mostly it’s channel catfish, but every once-in-a-while somebody will catch a nice flathead catfish out of those rivers too. But for sure, the majority of the catfish that are caught are channel cat. But you can catch flathead catfish out of those two rivers also.”

Halterman adds that in the clearer Middle Raccoon River, there’s a larger variety of fish that can be caught, including crappie, bluegill, walleye and smallmouth bass are fairly common, especially in the Lennon Mills Park area. He advises that those looking to fish get their fishing licenses, and also make sure what limits and regulations for fish are in the area.