I was surprised to see rainbows on there.  I swear at some point in time I had heard that WI stopped stocking them in creeks.  I've never seen one besides the ones they plant in Wazee.

Good to know. 

I was aware they stocked rainbows years ago but I don’t think I’ve seen one in over five years. I was not aware they stocked any browns. Maybe the reason they have that 18” limit at Smith Valley now is because they stocked the brood fish between there and Park?  I haven’t been able to fish there yet this season because every time I pull up there is at least one car. 

I have been educated!  Thank you. 

BEC has had about 7K fingerlings and about 1300 broodstock stocked since 2014 for browns. 

They've stocked about 50k of rainbows, including a couple hundred broodstock. 

WIDNR Stocking Report

MRGLAX:

I would agree that natural reproduction does not make brown trout “native”. Just as pheasants were brought from Asia and are not native birds, brown trout were brought to the states from Europe and then stocked. So my statement about them being a native fish is incorrect. BEC does hold a population of naturally reproducing brown trout. And according to the DNR, as a Class 1 stream, it receives no stocking. Maybe after the winter and runoff kills that occurred over the last decade or so they may have stocked some brooders but I can’t find any record of it. I also spoke with a local stream biologist who lives in the area while fishing two years ago at BEC and he claimed they don’t stock there.  I love the stream and I admit I’m probably willfully ignorant of any stocking.  Maybe the attached can clarify  

https://gatewaytothedriftless.com/park-rec/black-earth-creek-public-parking/

Natural reproduction doesn't make them native.  And don't get too excited about what natural reproduction does go on there.  If it was that strong the state probably wouldn't have put 35,000 fish in it over the last 3 years alone including 1,000 brooders.

Fin Bender:

Are you saying there aren’t wild brown trout in BEC?  It’s listed as one of the top 100 trout streams in the country with a naturally reproducing population of browns. My largest catch on record was 21” in 1998. Try fishing the hex hatch at night for some large native fish. 

I’m sure the DNR stocked the stream following some of the large fish kills over the recent years but there are wild fish in there. 

Native Brown Trout?   Hummmmm.........

I used to think that litter like that was on accident…like a group of people and something happens and something gets left behind, guess I always thought that cause I couldn’t imagine somebody purposely just leaving their trash behind, but sadly it’s way to common to be an accident and is the society we live in, people don’t care and the ones that do need to pick up the slack.

It really does stink that people can carry full items in, yet can't carry empty items out. Thank you for doing your part. I usually do the same.