# Red butte creek/ Liberty park pond



## Troutbum1 (Mar 22, 2017)

Walked the banks of liberty park pond a few days ago. Never thought there were and fish in there except the occasional carp. Stumbled upon an over 30 inch rainbow trout (no joke) that was dying by the inlet of red butte creek. The thing looked like a steelhead. I don't think that fish came from the pond. I can't see a trout surviving the winter or summer in that shallow of water. I also can't see that large of a fish surviving the low flows of the creek either. Any thoughts?


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## PBH (Nov 7, 2007)

Troutbum1 said:


> Any thoughts?


Well.....it came from somewhere!

You eliminated the most obvious choices (pond / inlet). What other sources are there? Stocking truck?


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

The game and fish need to do something with their brood stock that are about spawned out. So they dump a few into community ponds to give people some excitement, as long as they are caught before they pass on.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

*Frankenfish*



Troutbum1 said:


> Walked the banks of liberty park pond a few days ago. Never thought there were and fish in there except the occasional carp. Stumbled upon an over 30 inch rainbow trout (no joke) that was dying by the inlet of red butte creek. The thing looked like a steelhead. I don't think that fish came from the pond. I can't see a trout surviving the winter or summer in that shallow of water. I also can't see that large of a fish surviving the low flows of the creek either. Any thoughts?


A few years ago there was a pipeline leak that put some hydrocarbons, an oil slick, in Red Butte Creek. I work in the oil patch and my people tell me an oil spill here and an oil spill there is OK. So I'm thinking the rainbow had phenomenal growth from digesting all those hydrocarbons chemical thingies.

Uh...welcome to the forum; you look familiar.

.


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## silentstalker (Feb 19, 2008)

During that spill we found a big fish in that little stream. The one you saw could very well have come from the stream.


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