OKEECHOBEE -- The Okeechobee area has some new residents! The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) recently stocked 1,400 channel catfish in the Okeechobee County Agri-Civic Center and Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office gun range ponds.

Both waterbodies are used by multiple youth and other organizations to teach ethical angling and casting, and most importantly, to introduce new anglers to the sport of fishing.

The juvenile “Sharpies” (8-inch-sized channel catfish) were stocked to provide higher catch rates for summer fishing programs and they will be ready to put a nice bend in the rod by that time.

Since the FWC began stocking these two area ponds in 2016, over 600 youths at the sheriff’s camp program have been provided the opportunity to learn valuable lifelong skills. Hundreds more have learned to fish while attending “kids fishing” events each year at the Agri-Civic Center pond. These new fish will continue to contribute to that important role.

To learn about top destinations to go freshwater fishing, go to MyFWC.com/fishing click on “Freshwater Fishing” and select “Fishing Forecasts”. You can learn more about FWC stocking programs at MyFWC.com/fishing click on “Freshwater Fishing” and select “Fish Stocking.”