Species of sunfish added to the Hazelett Reservoir at Cobbs Creek

CUMBERLAND COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) -- The Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (VDWR) has added approximately 200,000 bluegills to the Virgil R. Hazelett Reservoir at Cobbs Creek in Cumberland County.

Bluegills, a sunfish species, are not native to the area. They are native to central and eastern U.S. and are primarily found in the Great Lakes, the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico, also known as the Gulf of America.

The VDWR started to add the fish on Tuesday, Feb. 25, using a King and Queen County state hatchery fish truck. Additional species will be added at a later date.

"The reservoir will offer a wide variety of habitats with significant depth changes, abundant standing timber and shallow shoreline areas and should be able to support a variety of fisheries," said Hunter Hatcher, an aquatic biologist.

The Hazelett Reservoir, located in Cumberland County but owned by Henrico County, was designed to release water at times when the James River experiences a drought.

The reservoir is not open to the public at this time. There will be no fishing, boating or other recreational uses until the Virginia DWR opens the reservoir.