Who said there are no trout in the Raritan

[RiverRat77]

Picked these two up today.
My personal best rainbow & my son's personal best all in 15 minutes.
The Raritan is rocking! Just gotta walk.

[bigfishy]

Those were the last two left...gr8 job...j/k way to git er done

[RiverRat77]

The big one is still in there.
Unfortunately my son's swallowed the hook. We did everything possible to save him but he didn't have a chance so he is dinner.
The fish has been in that hole for over a year, the meat is salmon orange.
I truly believe I have a spot that holds trout year round thanks to a natural mountain spring & a deep shaded water.
(Just my opinion)

[RiverRat77]

Those were the last two left...gr8 job...j/k way to git er done

Thank you.

[thmyorke1]

Nice bows! more mystery holdovers from the lower raritan :eek: if you ask me, there surely are some spots they can holdover on both lower branches, and even down to the main stem.
bigger mysteries all come from that watershed, such as 26 inch smallmouth, sturgeon, american shad all the way up to the lamington river :eek: crazy place

[RiverRat77]

Nice bows! more mystery holdovers from the lower raritan :eek: if you ask me, there surely are some spots they can holdover on both lower branches, and even down to the main stem.
bigger mysteries all come from that watershed, such as 26 inch smallmouth, sturgeon, american shad all the way up to the lamington river :eek: crazy place
Very well said Luke.
You know me better though...Raritan can mean alot of differnt things/places ;)

[AndyS]

The upper half is trout stocked. Nice trout !

[RiverRat77]

Up from where?

[RiverRat77]

The upper half is trout stocked. Nice trout !

Thank you.
Andy, anything to the color of the meat showing how long the trout has been released into natural waters, or is it just age?

[Mark B.]

Thank you.
Andy, anything to the color of the meat showing how long the trout has been released into natural waters, or is it just age?

The pellets they feed them at the hatchery has an ingredient, carotene (carrots), that imparts the desirable orange color to the flesh.

They feed the same to farm raised salmon.

[AndyS]

The main stem of the Raritan river is stocked from the Headgates dam in Duke Island Park to the Rt 206 crossing in Somerville.

[Hookmanski]

Nice trout man!! Glad to see all the raritan action this year!

[FASTEDDIE29]

Congrats on the PB Trouts guys! The Rainbows are going to eat good with these cooler than normal temps. :D

[Jedhead]

nice fish and good times with your kid!

[RiverRat77]

nice fish and good times with your kid!

Yeah man!
Priceless

[AndyS]

If you enjoy catching trout from the Raritan river be sure to let F&W know also. Maybe some day there will be fall stocking.

https://www.nj.gov/dep/fgw/contactform.htm

[Mark B.]

Maybe some day there will be fall stocking.

Nope.

Only some major streams classified as Trout Maintenance are stocked in the fall.

As there are no such TM classified streams in the central and southern portions of the state, some Non-Trout classified ponds are stocked there.

[AndyS]

Of course your answer is NOPE to everything Raritan river, as it has been for years, and you tell me to give it a rest ?

If they can dump trout in duck ponds in the fall and winter, they can sure as heck put trout in the Raritan river in the fall.

[thmyorke1]

Nope.

Only some major streams classified as Trout Maintenance are stocked in the fall.

As there are no such TM classified streams in the central and southern portions of the state, some Non-Trout classified ponds are stocked there.

hmm, the sections stocked in the fall on the NB arent TM tho, also stockings on the lower SB are far from any TM waters. Was this a 2nd exception f&w made, along with the exceptions for southern pond stockings?

[bigfishy]

The mainstem has sea runs!! No need fer fall stockings anymore???

[thmyorke1]

The mainstem has sea runs!! No need fer fall stockings anymore???

nah someone was just spray-painting rainbow trout silver, carry on!! :D

[Drossi]

Nope.

Only some major streams classified as Trout Maintenance are stocked in the fall.

As there are no such TM classified streams in the central and southern portions of the state, some Non-Trout classified ponds are stocked there.

Those damn sly trout sometimes ignore our classifications. You have to figure that a major river system like the Raritan has some spring holes within it that allow coldwater species such as trout to summer over. They get rouge holdover trout in the NJ sections of the Delaware so its not beyond the realm to think that the Raritan can holdover as well. Plenty of photo evidence. Sometimes you do have to believe the eye test.

[Mark B.]

Those damn sly trout sometimes ignore our classifications. You have to figure that a major river system like the Raritan has some spring holes within it that allow coldwater species such as trout to summer over. They get rouge holdover trout in the NJ sections of the Delaware so its not beyond the realm to think that the Raritan can holdover as well. Plenty of photo evidence. Sometimes you do have to believe the eye test.

Sure, no doubt a few springs with a few trout that holdover. But not many,.....not enough to classify it as Trout Maintenance.

[RiverRat77]

nah someone was just spray-painting rainbow trout silver, carry on!! :D
I saw that article.

[RiverRat77]

Those damn sly trout sometimes ignore our classifications. You have to figure that a major river system like the Raritan has some spring holes within it that allow coldwater species such as trout to summer over. They get rouge holdover trout in the NJ sections of the Delaware so its not beyond the realm to think that the Raritan can holdover as well. Plenty of photo evidence. Sometimes you do have to believe the eye test. Amen.

[RiverRat77]

What are we looking at to determine length of time the stocked Trout has been in the water?
What is the eye test?
Is there anything to fin length?
Andy has answered the meat color question I had.