The state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection on Friday announced that one of the most sought-after freshwater game fish species, the channel catfish, has been stocked into 24 water bodies across Connecticut.

Southeastern Connecticut ponds that have been stocked are: Hopeville Pond at Hopeville Pond State Park in Griswold and Spaulding Pond at Mohegan Park in Norwich. Hopeville received 1,370 fish 9 to 12 inches long, while Spaulding received 685 fish 12 to 18 inches long, DEEP said.

This is the ninth consecutive year DEEP has been able to stock channel catfish purchased with Federal Sport Fish Restoration Funds, the agency said in a news release. This year approximately 16,300 fish were stocked statewide.

Fish 12 to 18 inches long weigh just under two pounds and provide an immediate summer fishery, DEEP said, while the 9- to 12-inch fish weigh about a half pound each and will grow into larger fish for good angling later this summer.

“This DEEP program establishes channel catfish in lakes where we know there is sufficient habitat to support a population of large gamefish,” said Bill Hyatt, chief of DEEP’s Bureau of Natural Resources. “Anglers have reported taking 5-7 lb fish from several of the lakes. DEEP believes that the combination of a popular gamefish stocked into waters that are selected based on scientific data is a winning combination. We’ve had great success in using this approach to develop exciting fisheries for northern pike and walleye and now we’re looking forward to similar results with catfish.”