Every spring the NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife stocks nearly 570,000 brook, brown, and rainbow trout in nearly 200 streams, lakes, and ponds statewide (see Note below). The popular spring stocking program provides fabulous trout fishing opportunities for more than 100,000 anglers.
The trout are reared at the Division's Pequest Trout Hatchery, and those stocked in the spring are 1½ years old and average about 10½ inches in length and weigh about ½ pound. However, thousands of the trout that are stocked every spring are considerable larger, weighing 3 to 7 pounds each and ranging from 15 to 24 inches. These large trout are called "broodstock" or "breeders" because they are mature fish (2½ - 3½ years old) that were used the previous fall to obtain and fertilize eggs as part of the hatchery's continuous production cycle.
After the broodstock are spawned in the hatchery, up to 1,000 are stocked for the fall trout fishing season. The remaining 4,000 to 6,000 broodstock are stocked the following spring, primarily before the opening day of the spring trout fishing.
To increase interest and excitement in the spring trout fishing season, the Division picks nine or ten trout-stocked ponds and small lakes every year and loads them up with about five times more broodstock than they would normally receive! The bonus broodstock trout are stocked prior to the opening day of the trout season on Saturday, April 5, 2014.
Imagine going to a small pond or lake and latching onto one of these lunkers. Actually, there is no need to imagine - any one of the Bonus Broodstock ponds and lakes offers the chance to land that 'lifetime trout' during the spring season. Don't miss this exciting opportunity.
The list and map below will help you find the lakes and ponds receiving the bonus broodstock for 2014. And remember - trout season begins this year on Saturday April 5 - so fine tune your tackle and be ready for another exciting year of trout fishing in New Jersey!
Bonus
Broodstock Waters Location Map (.jpg, 69kb)
Bonus
Broodstock Waters Location Map (pdf, 72kb)
| 2014
BONUS BROODSTOCK PONDS AND LAKES |
| Waterbody |
County |
Waterbody
Size
(acres) |
Proposed 2014
Pre-season
Trout Allocation1 |
Pre-season
Broodstock Allocation |
| 2014 |
2013 |
| Amwell Lake |
Hunterdon |
10 |
1,130 |
30 |
5 |
| Birch Grove Park Pond |
Atlantic |
12 |
1,150 |
30 |
5 |
| Burnham Park Pond |
Morris |
4 |
1,000 |
30 |
5 |
| Crystal Lake |
Burlington |
20 |
1,620 |
30 |
10 |
| Dahnert's Lake |
Bergen |
3 |
760 |
30 |
5 |
| Franklin Lake |
Monmouth |
15 |
1,060 |
30 |
10 |
| Lower Echo Park Pond |
Union |
6 |
1,160 |
30 |
5 |
| Shaws Mill Pond |
Cumberland |
30 |
1,540 |
30 |
10 |
| Verona Park Pond |
Essex |
13 |
1,390 |
30 |
5 |
| Verona Park Pond |
Essex |
13 |
470 |
50 |
10 |
| 1 - The pre-season allocation
includes both the production size trout (10½ inch average
size) and the broodstock. The pre-season trout allocation is stocked
prior to Opening Day. |
Directions to these and other trout-stocked waters can be found at www.njfishandwildlife.com/accesswater.htm - Fishing Access Locations on Trout Waters.
NOTE: Due to the outbreak of Furnculosis at the Pequest Trout Hatchery, the spring 2014 stocking has been adjusted in terms of numbers and waters stocked. See Spring Trout Fishing Information for details.
ADDITIONAL LINKS
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