[Capt. Lou]

I’d also like to add going back some many seasons NJ only stocked basically for opening day ! By the 3rd week of the season it was tough to catch a trout unless the fly stretches were open .
If memory serves they’re only 2 at the time Flat Brook and Muskie . Back then they may have stocked those in season since in those days they held trout all year .
Todays NJ stocking programs offer so much more in the way of being able to catch decent trout year round in many streams and lakes .
If you were a lake fisherman way back when before Round Valley and Monksville , Spruce Run supported a decent lake run Donaldson rainbow fishery !
In late winter these bows would head up the creek and provided an exciting fishery for a few seasons .
Spruce run initially was supposed to be a cold water fishery however that’s didn’t pan , so it became multi warm water species fishery .
So looking back todays fishery is head and shoulders above what it was for trout in streams and various lakes .
There is a private lake in north Jersey that produces nice browns that on occasion ran up its feeder stream .
However today if you put in your time trophy trout are always on the menu and much better fishery than years bsck .