DEP Stocks 180,000 trout with season to start on Sat., April 6

Trout season begins on Saturday, April 6.

New Jersey waterways will be freshly stocked with more than 180,000 rainbow trout, as well as larger broodstock, in time for the 8 a.m. start of the season, according to a press release from the state Department of Environmental Protection.

“I can’t think of a better way to welcome spring than to enjoy the crisp morning air while fishing for trout with my family,” said NJDEP Fish & Wildlife Freshwater Fisheries Bureau Chief Shawn Crouse.

Anyone age 16 or older must obtain a New Jersey fishing license and trout stamp to fish for trout. Anglers may purchase these on Fish & Wildlife’s website or through a license agent.

By the end of the spring stocking season, more than 570,000 Rainbow Trout will be stocked in waterbodies across the state, with most trout averaging 10½ inches in length and weighing about a half-pound each.

“The quality of New Jersey’s trout fishing is outstanding and there are opportunities for all anglers – whether beginner or expert – to enjoy some of the best fishing anywhere,” said NJDEP Fish & Wildlife Assistant Commissioner Dave Golden. “Excellent fishing opportunities are plentiful in every county, meaning great places to fish are easily accessible and can always be found close to home.”

Approximately 6,000 broodstock — large, mature trout ranging in size from 14 inches to 26 inches and weighing up to seven pounds — will be stocked this spring, the release said. These trophy-size fish will be stocked in waters across the state suitable for fish their size.

Fish & Wildlife also stocks higher numbers of broodstock in select trout-stocked ponds and small lakes through its Bonus Broodstock program. This year, 10 trout-stocked lakes and ponds throughout the state will receive 30 to 50 broodstock, providing even more exciting opportunities for anglers.

From Saturday, April 6 to Friday, May 31, the minimum legal size required for taking trout is nine inches, with a daily limit of six trout in most trout waters. Beginning Saturday, June 1 and continuing through winter 2025, the daily limit is reduced to four trout.

Following opening day, the state’s 14 major trout streams will be stocked weekly and closed to fishing from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. on stocking day to allow trout to disperse. All other waters are open to fishing without the time restriction on stocking days after opening day.

The 2024 stocking schedule and trout allocations, including updates and changes, is on the spring trout webpage. Anglers may download the complete in-season stocking schedule to their smartphones by scanning the QR code found on signs posted along trout-stocked waters or the QR code found in the 2024 NJ Freshwater Fishing Digest.

A list of trout-stocked waters and all freshwater fishing regulations, including size and catch limits, can also be found in the Fishing Digest. Printed copies of the digest are available at license agents and Fish & Wildlife offices. Another resource for information is the Trout Stocking Hotline at (609) 322-9524.

Pequest Trout Hatchery, which supplies the fish for stocking, is supported with proceeds from the sale of fishing licenses, trout stamps and federal funding from U.S. Fish and Wildlife.

  Trout, Trout season