The NJDEP Division of Fish and Wildlife is reminding the public that although today, Friday, May 24 marked the end of spring season trout stocking, it's just the beginning of fabulous late spring and early summer trout fishing. Most trout anglers miss out on some of the best trout fishing of the year by not fishing after stocking ends. They stop fishing at a time when many trout waters have more fish in them than when the season started.

How can that be? Every week more trout have been added to stocked waters but fewer are taken out; angler survey data shows that 70% of New Jersey trout anglers release most, if not all, of the trout they catch.

Another little known reason why streams are teeming with trout this time of year is the stocking of tens of thousands of extra fish during the last three weeks of the season. This is due to the Pequest Trout Hatchery's consistent production of trout in excess of the spring season goal of 570,000 fish (see the Pequest spring stocking summary for this year's numbers). Those with a fishing license and trout stamp shouldn't stop trout fishing now. And those who haven't had a chance to trout fish yet, now is the time to get in on the late season trout fishing bonanza. More fish, fewer anglers...a win/win combination!

Spring trout information can be viewed at www.njfishandwildlife.com/trtinfo_spring.htm. Looking for a place to fish? Directions to more than 300 trout fishing public access points are posted at www.njfishandwildlife.com/accesswater.htm.