Pigeon creek surprise

My two buddies and I went to pigeon creek to waste some worms today. Ended up with a carp, 2 catfish, some smallmouth, 2 sheepshead, a sauger and the big surprise, a rainbow trout. I just got finished telling them how there is no way that we could possibly catch a trout in here due to the fact that it was to warm. Must have found a nice cool hole to stay in, but I have no idea where it came from. Pigeon hasn't been stocked in some 3 or 4 years now, if not more. Did someone else start stocking it, or did it swim up from the river? Wasn't a big guy, looked to be around 12 to 13 inches.
 
 

Where did they used to stock Pigeon at? I used to fish Pigeon from behind the IGA store down to Peno's Plaza.

I would hate to be a 12 inch trout in the river

Maybe it didn't "just" get there, maybe it's been there for several weeks or longer. A few miles in cold water would not be a problem.

I caught two 16 inch rainbows a few years ago by the ballfield.We fish this creek at the mouth alot .Last weekend we did well.A nice carp 24 inches,a believe a sauger and the weekend before two cats 20 and 24 inches and a few smallmouths 12 to 14 inches. I would like to walk upstream from the mouth any good holes?

Is it a sportsmans club that stock the trout?

The reason you caught that trout is that I caught 208 rainbow and brown trout out of elkhorn Creek 5 years ago and put them in the upper part of Pigeon. They have reproduced and now pigeon is now a wild trout stream. I have had conversations with both trouts unlimited and the DNR since then and and hoping to get some protection in the stream soon since the news is getting out. I have caught 7+ pound browns and 5 lb rainbows out of there over they last 5 years. What excites me most is catching the small ones that have hatched out in the steam.. the reason Trout can survive is because the source of pigeon is a coal mines and the water comes out very cold. High waters has washed some down stream and I know them caught below Lenore in deeper holes.

Hey pal. Unsure why you would respond in such a manner? You don’t know me as I you but I am a pastor a church for over 30 years and have no reason to lie. If you would like I could introduce you to plenty of witnesses to the fish I caught and placed in the creek as well as videos. I can show you videos of the 7 lb brown and the 5 lb rainbow as well as plenty other videos of the trout I have caught out of there that are dated back 5 years ago. I grew up on pigeon and have fished it since I knew what a rod and reel was. As a kid there was just creek chubs to catch in upper pigeon and I wanted to fish with my grand kids for fish that mattered. So I made it my goal to make it into a trout stream. And I now have videos of my grandsons catching rainbow in pigeon, and I’m proud of that and I hope you fish it and catch them also. God bless

Wow I fished pigeon in Bentleyville 45 years ago my dad lived there the carp fishing was incredible back then zebco 202 reel and doughball ! flash back good times !!!
 

Porktown
And he time travelled. Amazing!

Well played