Fall Stocking

[ratherbe]

Not sure if this is published anywhere or not but i've heard the fish ave is pretty large this year, so they are looking for extra drivers. Trucks will be at "capacity".... ave size was about 14" :D & Scheduled for first week in Oct. Im sure more details will be available this week

[UglyStick]

Right here on F&W interweb...

Fall stocking begins Tuesday, October 13 in 2015... approximately 20,000 two-year old fish, averaging 14 to 22 inches

http://www.njfishandwildlife.com/trtinfo_fall.htm

[AndyS]

If it is anything like last fall they will be stocking 4 and 5 pound fish in 3" deep puddles of water, get the treble hooks ready !!!!

[Skunk City]

I am fairly new to the Trout thing, but don't they usually stock more places than are listed? I can remember a few parks close to me (Verona Park, Barbour's Pond) getting stocked in the fall the past two years, yet they are not listed.

[Mark B.]

I am fairly new to the Trout thing, but don't they usually stock more places than are listed? I can remember a few parks close to me (Verona Park, Barbour's Pond) getting stocked in the fall the past two years, yet they are not listed.

Those are Winter Trout stocked,.........around Thanksgiving.

http://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/trtinfo_winter.htm

[Skunk City]

Those are Winter Trout stocked,.........around Thanksgiving.

http://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/trtinfo_winter.htm

Ahhh ok, cool. Thank you for the clarification.

[Dave B.]

If it is anything like last fall they will be stocking 4 and 5 pound fish in 3" deep puddles of water....

As much as I hate to see it, the reality is you're right.:( The truth is, if we don't get some serious, prolonged precip soon it may actually be worse than last fall! Fortunately at least a few places will benefit from float and/or other types of dispersal stockings.

[AndyS]

Gawd forbid they should put them in a big river currently being supplied by Round Valley !!!!!

[Lard Almighty]

As much as I hate to see it, the reality is you're right.:( The truth is, if we don't get some serious, prolonged precip soon it may actually be worse than last fall! Fortunately at least a few places will benefit from float and/or other types of dispersal stockings.Didn't they cancel the pond stocking one year because of high temps? I know it's the stockers' call, if conditions are bad, they won't put fish in.

[Dave B.]

Gawd forbid they should put them in a big river currently being supplied by Round Valley !!!!!

Actually the N. Br. in Somerset Co. is scheduled to receive 940 on Tue Oct 13, and the S. Br. including the KLG TCA is slated for a total of 2,620 on Fri Oct 16, so both waters currently being supplied by the reservoirs will be getting ample fish in their respective publicly accessible reaches.

The Musky will, as you know be getting a dispersal stocking via a number of volunteers as will some sections of the BFB. I'm not aware of any other float/dispersal stockings at this time, but both of these latter 2 streams while presently suffering from low flows are still quite cold enough and contain enough suitable habitat to sustain these fish very well and make for some decent fishing.

[Dave B.]

Didn't they cancel the pond stocking one year because of high temps? I know it's the stockers' call, if conditions are bad, they won't put fish in.

You're right on target in that the final on-site judgment call regarding whether conditions are suitable for stocking does indeed fall to the drivers. The biologists of course have full authority to alter, amend, postpone or cancel any given stocking at any time in advance of the trucks being loaded at the hatchery. However when conditions are questionable and the biologists simply don't have the time to examine every water body, or if the truck arrives at a location and they find some un-acceptable situation (too warm, haz-mat spill, etc...) then it does fall to the driver to make the call to stock or not. Usually in that event they would contact the biologist(s) for an alternative stocking location since the fish cannot be returned to the hatchery once they leave the facility.

Despite the very low water conditions we have at present, with the current weather conditions there should at least be no thermal issues, as has happened on occasion in the past. This is one of the primary reasons the fall stocking schedule was adjusted from the first week of Oct to the 2nd, and moving the S. Jersey waters to the 3rd week to allow for some cooling.

[Fred E. Goose]

They're stocking Ramapo and Wanaque Rivers on October 16th...and then NJ's free fishing day is on the 17th. Bazinga!

from njdep website: "the October date will allow the public to take advantage of the fall trout stocking. Remember: on these days fishing is allowed on the Garden State’s public waters without a license or trout stamp. All other regulations, including size and daily catch limits, remain in effect."

[NorthJerzyG]

I'm under the impression they are having trouble finding volunteers for the musky? Not sure about the flatbrook? I've already put in for a day off for the musky, and would be willing to help out with the flatbrook if needed. Not sure if it's needed or who to contact if it is......