E mail to State re: Raritan river:

[AndyS]

I wrote:
I see more and more intrest in the lower Raritan river. I also see a few videos on You-tube of people catching walleye. Would it be possible to have some warm water stocking of walleye, pike and bass on the lower Raritan from below Rt. 206 through the town of Bound Brook. I think the fish will do well in there. Thank you for all your help.

Answer:
In general, we do not stock waters which have naturally occurring populations of game fish.
I will forward your message to fisheries staff for review, but you can request such stockings in person at one of the fisheries forums held each year in January and December. The biologists at the forum can answer your question(s) and explain the situation. You may also influence future management decisions by participating in the forums

Question: don't they stock thousands of walleye in the Delaware river each year? So ANY body of water that has natural reproduction of fish should not be stocked ? Why are they still dumping lake trout in Merrill Creek Res.? I could go on and on .................

[dboyd101]

Quirky answer that says to me, "Hey Andy, Yes, we can do that, but I don't have the power or money to make that decision and don't feel like writing to the right person to find out. Oh, and I only think about trout when we talk about stocking fish. I forget about all the other species we stock so that's my answer and I'm sticking to it."

At least you got a prompt reply and they pointed you in the right direction... even if it is a few months off.