Lake Seed Record Brown Trout

The clear, cool water of Lake Seed is growing some Alaska-sized brown trout. For the second time in just over a year, the lake record for brown trout has been broken. The latest record-holder is Ricky Vickery of Commerce.

On Sunday, June 5, Ricky was on the lake fishing for trout with Cliff Murphy of Clarksville. Over the past couple of years Cliff has caught a 9-lb. and a 10-lb. brown from Seed.

Ricky and Cliff were fishing nightcrawlers and Power Bait on the bottom in a creek mouth when the big trout hit. Ricky said it took 20 minutes to play the fish to the net on 10-lb. line.

Ricky Vickery, of Commerce, with the lake-record brown trout from Lake Seed. The 31 1/4-inch trout, caught on June 5, weighed 13-lbs., 8.32 ozs. “It was so big, it reminded me of a salmon laying in the net,” said Ricky.

The fish was weighed on certified scales at the WRD Lake Burton Hatchery and pulled the scales to 13-lbs., 8.32-ozs.

According to WRD Fisheries Biologist Anthony Rabern, the trout was likely stocked in 2000. “The fish have been gaining about two pounds a year,” he said. “We donʼt know where the top end is going to be.”

The previous record of 11-lbs., 4-ozs. was set on March 11, 2004 by Matt Jones.