Southern Nevada trout anglers who were waiting for the Nevada Department of Wildlife to begin its annual fall and winter trout stocking program no longer have to wait.

The first trout plant of the year began in November at the four urban ponds in the Las Vegas Valley. Those ponds are at Floyd Lamb Park at Tule Springs, Lorenzi Park, Sunset Park and Veterans Park in Boulder City.

Trout plants resumed at Lake Mead and Lake Mohave. Plants at Lake Mohave started Nov. 15 and were to take place every other Thursday. The first plant at Lake Mead was Nov. 19.

The second plant was Nov. 30 and subsequent plants will occur every Friday thereafter.

As a general rule, the department plants trout in southern Nevada waters, beginning in November and continuing through March. Water temperature is the determining factor.

Because of the closure of the Lake Mead Fish Hatchery following the discovery of quagga mussels in the Colorado River system early this year, trout for the urban ponds will come from the department's Mason Valley Hatchery near Yerington.

That will be the case until the Lake Mead Hatchery is reopened. While the tentative stocking schedule calls for plants every other week, actual dates and times will be dependent on road conditions and travel time between Mason Valley and Las Vegas.