Trout Stocking Starts Today

For the next two weeks, the NJ Bureau of Freshwater Fisheries will be stocking 20,445 two-year-old rainbow trout averaging 14.5-16.5 inches and weighing between 1.5-2 lbs. in 34 lakes, ponds and rivers scattered throughout 18 of the Garden State’s 21 counties.

A bonus in the form of approximately 1000 three-year-old spent breeder ‘bows will be added, these ranging from 18 to 26 inches and weighing to 7-lbs., bringing the total released to 21,445. Each venue will get a sprinkling of these jumbos.

We’re talkin’ trout tonnage here!

“The rainbows are in great shape and the trucks are rolling. That rain really helped and it should be a great fall season,” enthusiastically predicts Pequest Trout Hatchery superintendent Ed Conley. Indeed, Conley and the Pequest’s crackerjack crew have produced yet another mother lode of high-quality rainbows that will provide outstanding angling opportunities at this most glorious time of year.

The wildly popular autumn stocking program will be followed in six weeks with the winter stocking during the early part of the Thanksgiving week.

Besides the great fishing, both programs lay the groundwork via the holdovers (those fish that aren’t caught) for trout fishing through the winter months into early spring. Oh yeah, a rod-bending win-win all around.

The daily limit is four trout.

The fall stocking schedule is as follows (the number of trout in parenthesis; the bonus breeder numbers are not included as these will vary per swim).

Tuesday, Oct. 11: Toms River (360); North Branch of the Metedeconk River (160); South Branch of the Metedeconk River (270); Manasquan River (470); North Branch Raritan River (930); Paulins Kill (1450); Black River (330).

Wednesday, Oct. 12: Musconetcong River (2,870); Pequest River (1,600).

Thursday, Oct. 13: Big Flat Brook (1760); Wallkill River (500); Rockaway River (1370); Pohatcong Creek (1000).

Friday, Oct. 14: Ramapo River (960); South Branch of the Raritan River (2340); Wanaque River (320).

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Tuesday, Oct. 18: Giampietro Park Pond (170); Mary Elmer Lake (210); Hammonton Lake (230); Maurice River (170); Oak Pond (170); Crystal Lake (220); Grenloch Lake (170); Sylvan Lake (170); Speedwell Lake (230); Lower Echo Park Pond (180).

Wednesday, Oct. 19: Iona Lake (210); Greenwich Lake (190); Schadler’s Sand Wash Pond (160); Swedesboro Lake (220); Verona Park Lake (300); North Hudson Park Lake (310); Roosevelt Park Pond (180); Rosedale Lake (210); Colonial Lake (190).