Members of the Mineral County Board to Manage Wildlife, along with Nevada Department of Wildlife and members of the community, planted fish in the

Billie Williams, Mineral County Board to Manage Wildlife board member and Frank Barcellos, an avid Mineral County outdoorsman, stock the small but abundant Rough Creek with rainbow trout on Feb. 26.
(Heidi Bunch photo)

Members of the Mineral County Board to Manage Wildlife, along with Nevada Department of Wildlife and members of the community, planted fish in the Rough Creek area on Feb. 26. Approximately 500 rainbow trout were released.

The idea to plant rainbows into Rough Creek was brought forth by Frank Barcellos, a long time Hawthorne resident and avid outdoorsman, who remembers stocking the small creek in the 1960’s.

The waterway is the only viable fishing area left in Mineral County, with the decline of Walker Lake. The transplanted fish weighed between four to eight ounces. Within Rough Creek are still many natives which were still being caught, the week prior to stocking.

Due to the brushy conditions of Rough Creek, many would rather fish the Walker River. NDOW has been busily planting fish in these areas also, especially at Dead Coon Beach where approximately 3000 trout were released on Monday, Feb. 24, with another planting to be completed days after the stocking of Rough Creek.

Fishermen are reminded that licenses expired on Feb. 28 and must be renewed in order to fish in the waterways of Nevada.