Officials with the Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) on Tuesday stocked the Sparks Marina with 2,500 tiger trout, a hybrid of the brown and brook trout. The event was the second time the marina was stocked with fish this year. An estimated 5,000 rainbow trout were added to the marina’s population last month, marking the beginning of the stocking season.
The Sparks Marina already boasts a large fish population with 38,000 fish being stocked last season. NDOW officials said they plan to stock the marina regularly throughout the spring and early summer.
The fish were supplied by the Mason Valley Fish Hatchery, near Yerington, which is one of three hatcheries NDOW operates in the state. According to the department, the hatcheries “primarily produce coldwater fish such as rainbow, brown and Cutthroat trout which are used to increase recreational fishing opportunities around the state.”
Other urban ponds and bodies of water will also be stocked, with approximately 88,000 trout raised at the Mason Valley Fish Hatchery making it into area waters. The department will also stock community ponds in the fall, providing an “excellent opportunity” for family fishing and increasing the odds of catching fish during these periods. The average size of stocked trout is 9-10 inches.
Sam Sedillo, an NDOW fisheries biologist, said the Sparks Marina also offers good warm water fishing for other species, such as catfish, bass and carp. He said the marina provides an accessible opportunity for anglers to fish year-round in the Truckee Meadows without having to travel very far to get some good fishing.
“There’s a lot of fish in here,” Sedillo said. “Sparks Marina is really deep. This allows trout to survive year-round.”
Fishing licenses can be purchased online through the NDOW website at https://www.ndow.org/apply-buy/fishing-licenses/.
