KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — Two lakes in East Tennessee have been stocked with catfish by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency.

On Friday, Oct. 7, 700 pounds of catfish were released into Maryville’s Greenbelt Lake and 300 pounds were released at Fountain City Lake. According to TWRA, each fish weighed around a pound. The TWRA’s hope is that the fish will provide a “quality fishing experience and good table fare.”

To catch them, TWRA Rivers and Streams Biologist Sally Petre says, “Try bottom fishing with a chicken liver or stink bait on a size 2 or 4 hooks with a small weight. If using night crawlers, try a size 4 or 6 long shank hook. If there are too many weeds on the bottom, try a float with no weight to keep the bait above the weeds.”

The fish were released as a part of the Community Fishing Program. For this program, the TWRA works with several local governments to create more fishing opportunities.

Other community fishing lakes include Jack Dickert Pond in Chattanooga, Athens City Park Pond in Athens, Cedar Hill Pond in Madison, Pistol Creek in Maryville, and Cameron Brown Park Pond in Germantown.

Fishing licenses are required for those aged 13 and up and can be bought at GoOutdoorsTennessee.com. Limits and regulations can be found in the TWRA Fishing Guide.