DEP to Stock 50,000 Trout

September 07, 2005 (rt23 news) - The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s Division of Fish and Wildlife will stock nearly 50,000 trout in the state’s major trout waters from October 4 through 13.

The fall trout-stocking program is one of the most popular programs offered by the Division of Fish and Wildlife. Anglers enjoy the additional fish provided as well as the opportunity to fish the waters of New Jersey during a beautiful time of year. Reduced fishing pressure also adds to a more relaxed outdoors experience.

There are some significant changes to the fall stocking program that are taking effect this year that anglers should be aware of. Listed below are those changes.

• The stocking period has been shortened to a two-week period (the third week of stocking has been eliminated).
• Surplus trout (averaging 5 to 6 inches) traditionally stocked during the third week of fall stocking, were stocked months earlier to free-up growing space in the Pequest Trout Hatchery raceways. This was done as the hatchery transitions from the production of one-year old trout for this fall, to larger, two-year old trout for the fall of 2006.
• Broodstock trout (approximately 1,000 three-year old rainbow trout, averaging 17 to 18 inches) traditionally stocked during the second and third weeks will now be stocked during the first and second weeks of fall stocking.

The majority of the trout being stocked this fall are the standard production, one-year old rainbow trout, averaging 9½ inches. However, approximately 13 percent of this total (6,000) are larger, two-year old brown and brook trout, averaging 14 to 15 inches. These larger trout were reared to test the ability of the hatchery system to produce two-year old trout for upcoming changes to the fall and winter stocking programs next year.

This trial run was successful and the hatchery production cycle has already been modified to produce these larger fish for next year’s program. Because the hatchery will rear the larger two-year old fish in the same raceway space that has been used to produce the smaller yearling trout, anglers can expect larger, but fewer trout in the fall and winter of 2006. In the meantime, trout anglers venturing out this fall will begin to experience the thrill of catching some of these big trout, and those fall-stocked trout which elude anglers should still be out there when opening day rolls around next April.

The 2005 fall trout-stocking schedule is at www.njfishandwildlife.com/flstk05.htm.

Stocking dates may change and are subject to prevailing weather and water conditions.

For the most updated information regarding fall trout stocking conditions check the above page or call the Division’s Trout Stocking Hotline at 609-633-6765. The hotline is operational 24-hours a day, seven days a week.

Posted by: Staff at rt23.com
September 07, 2005
15:55:50