New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife |
There are three targeted species: northern pike, muskellunge and walleye, species which need to be collected from the wild and brought back to the hatchery for spawning. These fish are held at the hatchery until they become ripe at which time they are spawned by hatchery personnel. (Click for larger images of muskellunge and walleye.)
The spawning procedure is a process by which the eggs and milt (containing sperm) are gently forced out of the fish into a collection bowl. The eggs and milt are gently mixed to obtain the highest possible rate of fertilization. The eggs are than incubated in plastic hatching jars that hold approximately 200,000 eggs each. Eggs take about 10 to 15 days to hatch depending upon the species of fish.
After the fish are spawned all broodstock are returned to the waters from which they were taken.
Below is a list of the waters where the trap nets were set in 2001, along with a list of the numbers and sizes of fish captured. Over the years collection success has gradually increased, indicating that the fish populations are ever increasing.
NORTHERN PIKE
WATER BODY | # DAYS NETS WERE SET | # FISH CAUGHT | AVERAGE LENGTH (INCHES) | AVERAGE WEIGHT (POUNDS) |
FARRINGTON LAKE | 5 | 7 | 30.6 | 7.1 |
BUDD LAKE | 7 | 112 | 23.1 | 3.3 |
MUSKELLUNGE
WATER BODY | # DAYS NETS WERE SET | # FISH CAUGHT | AVERAGE LENGTH (INCHES) | AVERAGE WEIGHT (POUNDS) |
ECHO LAKE RESERVOIR | 16 | 4 | 45.0 | 23.4 |
GREENWOOD LAKE | 16 | 23 | 35.9 | 12.1 |
MOUNTAIN LAKE | 2 | 1 | 38.4 | 12.5 |
WALLEYE
WATER BODY | # DAYS NETS WERE SET | # FISH CAUGHT | AVERAGE LENGTH (INCHES) | AVERAGE WEIGHT (POUNDS) |
SWARTSWOOD LAKE | 3 | 181 | 18.4 | 2.7 |
GREENWOOD LAKE | 16 | 153 | - | - |