Changes and updates will be noted on this page and on the 24-hour Trout Stocking Hotline, 609-633-6765. See Year Round Trout Conservation Area exceptions below.

Spring 2006 Trout Waters with Allocations and Day Stocked

In-Season Stocking Schedules:

Week 1, April 10 - 14
Week 2, April 17 - 21
Week 3, April 24 - 28
Week 4, May 1 - 5
Week 5, May 8 - 12
Week 6, May 15 - 19
Week 7, May 22 - 26

Note that the following Year Round Trout Conservation Areas are not stocked as frequently as the rest of the stream due to the special regulations (one 15" trout per day, with no harvest allowed during the pre-season and in-season stocking closures that apply to each stream):

Toms River
E/Br. Paulinskill River
S/Br. Raritan River - Ken Lockwood Gorge

For information on where to fish, visit our pages on lakes, ponds and reservoirs and streams and rivers open to public angling.

Stocking Updates

Potash Lake - Potash Lake is a new trout stocked waterbody. On page 17 of the DIGEST, under "Spring Stocked Waters Without In-Season Fishing Closures" Potash Lake is listed under Passaic County but is actually located in Bergen County. The lake is also mistakenly listed in the description of the trout stocked section of the Ramapo River on page 15 under "Trout Stocked Waters Closed to Fishing (5 a.m. to 5p.m.) on Spring Stocking Dates". Potash Lake should not have been included within the Ramapo River section. Potash Lake is a separate waterbody without in-season fishing closures. It can be fished at any time on the day of stocking. - 4/23/06

Lake Hopatcong – A portion of the shoreline, located by the intersection of Shippenport Rd. and Mt. Arlington Blvd., which is a section of Hopatcong State Park (and adjacent to Lake’s End Marina), has been closed to the public until further notice. Severe deterioration of the concrete and iron bulkhead has occurred over the years and poses a significant safety hazard. Although pedestrians are allowed on the grass areas, they must stay off the bulkhead, which makes fishing extremely difficult. Anglers may continue to fish from the shoreline within the main park, in the vicinity of the picnic and boat launch area. - 4/6/06

Musconetcong River - Because of ongoing improvements to the parking lot at the Golden Skillet restaurant in Hackettstown, the owner has requested that anglers temporarily not fish on the property due to safety concerns. Anglers should respect the wishes of the owner and when the project is completed later this year this area will be reopened to public fishing. - 4/5/06

The Division has also permanently discontinued stocking the Musconetcong River at a location north of (upstream from) Hackettstown known as Rustic Knolls. While several stream front property owners in this private community have allowed anglers to fish the river from their property, their neighbors do not. This creates a precarious situation for anglers who must determine who allows fishing behind their homes or run the risk of trespassing. In addition, little or no public parking is available on the local roads and the hatchery trucks have difficulty navigating the narrow roads. Trout stocking will continue just upstream of this area, in Stephens State Park, and downstream at Alumni Field (Warren Co. side) and Seber’s Park (Morris Co. side). - 4/5/06

Lake Hopatcong – The lake is usually at full capacity this time of year, but due to the lack of rain the water level is down about 2 feet from normal. This should not impact shore angling, however, boaters are advised to check conditions at the boat ramp they use before backing trailers into the water. The current water level of Lake Hopatcong can be viewed at http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nj/nwis/uv?01455400 - 4/5/06

Lopatcong Creek - A stream restoration project is currently underway on a section of Lopatcong Creek in Phillipsburg, Warren County. The 75-year-old mill dam behind the Pursel Agway on South Main Street will be breached and the stream restored to a natural condition. The project site has been temporarily fenced-off and anglers will not be permitted to fish there until the project is completed in mid-May. Trout traditionally stocked in the vicinity of Pursel's Agway will be redistributed to existing stocking locations upstream of the Chestnut Street bridge. - 3/29/06

Little Swartswood Lake - A buoy line is deployed around the nesting area of a nesting pair of eagles on the edge of the lake to minimize disturbance. Anglers are reminded that entering the restricted area marked with the buoys is a violation of state statute 23:2A-6, which protects State endangered species. - 3/22/06; updated 4/10/06

Changes in 2006:

1. The spring baseline was decreased from 575,000 to 570,000 trout this year. This reduction is one component of the broad program changes that were approved by the Fish and Game Council last year. The spring baseline reduction gives Pequest Trout Hatchery the ability to rear larger, but fewer trout for the fall/winter trout stocking programs (commencing in 2006).

2. A component of the broad program changes that were approved by the Fish and Game Council last year (and subsequently incorporated into the 2006 Fish Code) was the addition of seven ponds and lakes to the spring trout stocking program. These waters are: Echo Lake (Monmouth Co.), Gloucester City Pond (Gloucester Co.), Hamilton Fire Pond (Monmouth Co.), Heritage Park Pond (Atlantic Co.), Pemberton Lake (Burlington Co.), Potash Lake (Bergen Co.), and Dahnert’s Lake (Bergen Co.).

3. Another component of the broad program changes that were approved by the Fish and Game Council last year, and subsequently incorporated into the 2006 Fish Code, was the removal of six large lakes/reservoirs and four small streams (having reproducing brook trout populations) from the spring trout stocking program. These waters are: Canistear Reservoir, Cranberry Lake, Manasquan Reservoir, Mountain Lake, Pompton Lake, Spruce Run Reservoir, Biers Kill, Roy Spring Brook, Shimers Brook, and Tuttles Corner Brook.

4. The pre-season allocations for 16 major streams were increased. This increase is another component of the broad program changes that were approved by the Fish and Game Council last year. The pre-season allocations for the 16 streams having closed in-season stocking dates (and excluding those stream sections having reproducing trout populations) have been increased by approximately 20% (about 14,000 more trout).