May Watts Pond is one of several hundred ponds across Illinois to receive fish…
On a beautiful autumn afternoon 1,400 catfish found a new home in the pond at May Watts Park, thanks to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) urban fishing program.
Above / Park District Central Parks Operations Manager Carl Gorra on Sept. 19, 2014. (Photo courtesy NPD)
May Watts pond was one of several hundred locations in Illinois to receive fish in 2014. The four-inch catfish came from the Jake Wolf Memorial Fish Hatchery in Sand Ridge State Forest, a facility that has been in operation for 30 years and has raised more than 500 million fish.
IDNR staff member Brenda Hays brought the fish to May Watts pond on Friday, Sept. 19, where Naperville Park District park staff Carl Gorra, Kristi Solberg and Beth Meyers were ready to assist in the process of releasing the fish. Hays dropped off fish to several locations, including Plano Park District. The program is free to the recipients and is part of IDNR’s goal to support recreational fishing in Illinois.
“The biologists at the Fish Hatchery decide which locations are best for the fish,” said Hays.
Above / May Watts Pond is a natural treasure with a picturesque trail, fishing pier and a footbridge nestled between West Wind and Countryside subdivisions. (PN photo)
The Naperville Park District offers a fishing program for kids, Fishin’ Kids, at May Watts Park in the spring. Illinois catfish grow to an average size of 18 inches long. With no known predators, the fish should be able to thrive at May Watts and be ready for recreational fishing next spring.
