Drought prompts early Truckee River trout stocking

RENO — Nevada wildlife officials say severe drought conditions prompted them to move up seasonal trout stocking of the Truckee River and other western Nevada waterways to the earliest time in 20 years.

Nevada Department of Wildlife spokesman Chris Healy says they’ll begin releasing the first of 35,000 trout into the Truckee River Thursday morning at Fisherman’s Park just east of downtown Reno.

NDOW biologist Kim Tisdale says it’s four to six weeks earlier than usual but is necessary to make sure there’s still enough water in the river to support the fish before flows are expected to dwindle early this summer.

Tisdale says if they don’t act now, they’ll end up with a hatchery full of fish and nowhere to put them.