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+--- Thread: Winter Trout stocking schedule (/showthread.php?tid=170754)
Winter Trout stocking schedule - Hutch00 - 11-25-2004
Cooler temperatures and the approach of winter frequently signal the
end of another fishing season for anglers. Lately however, more and more
anglers are delaying the urge to shelve their passion and are
discovering the additional fishing opportunities afforded them by New
Jersey's Winter Trout Stocking Program.
The Winter Trout Stocking Program is administered by the New Jersey
Department of Environmental Protection's (DEP) Division of Fish and
Wildlife and is entering its fifth year. The highly successful program
provides additional opportunities for Garden State anglers during the
late fall and winter months by providing trout outside the regular
spring and fall stocking seasons.
The trout are raised at the Pequest State Trout Hatchery in Warren
County where the regular season trout are also raised.
Wintertime trout anglers eagerly await the stocking of trout in their
favorite lake or pond. Although much of the winter fishing activity in
these areas occurs during open water or unfrozen periods, many anglers
look forward to the opportunity to catch trout through the ice.
In North Jersey, safe ice is usually present on most stocked water
bodies during the winter. However, some of the parks where trout are
stocked, particularly in the urban areas, prohibit ice fishing. Anglers
should check with the individual park office regarding their regulations
on ice fishing.
Proven methods for catching trout through the ice are using tip-ups
with powerbait or fathead minnows, and jigging with small jigs or ice
jigging flies. Traditional baits like worms, fathead minnows, meal
worms and powerbait fished on the bottom during open water work well for
those fishing from shore.
Anglers should pick up a copy of the Freshwater Fishing Issue of the
New Jersey Fish and Wildlife Digest and familiarize themselves with the
regulations pertaining to their chosen fishing hole. The Digest as well
as other information about fishing in New Jersey is also available
online at www.njfishandwildlife.com.
Several changes have been made to the program this year. Green Turtle
Pond, a 40-acre lake on the Wanaque Wildlife Management Area, will be
substituted for Shepherd Lake. The pond, a recently approved trout
stocked water, is located several miles from Shepherd Lake in Passaic
County. It is hoped that this smaller lake with good shoreline access
will provide higher returns to anglers than Shepherd Lake. Anglers
should note that Shepherd Lake is considered a "holdover trout lake" so
fish should still be available this winter from the previous spring
stocking.
South Jersey lakes that were traditionally stocked the first week of
January will now be stocked during the same period as the North Jersey
lakes (i.e., Thanksgiving week). This change will allow all Garden
State anglers to take advantage of these fishing opportunities during
the holiday period when many people take time off from work.
The following list contains winter trout stocking information. A total
of 24 lakes geographically distributed throughout the state will be
stocked with 12,940 rainbow trout averaging 11 inches in length.
Stocked lakes range in size from five to 100 acres and have shoreline
access and/or boat launching sites. The smaller waterbodies (i.e.,
Rowands Pond, Verona Park Pond and Ocquittunk Lake) have a higher
success rate for catching trout than larger lakes such as Furnace Lake,
Little Swartswood Lake and Aeroflex Lake.
Whatever stocked water body you choose to fish, one thing is certain --
there will be rainbow trout waiting. Thanks to the DEP's Division of
Fish and Wildlife, anglers suffering from freshwater withdrawal need not
succumb to the winter fishing blues any longer.
WINTER TROUT STOCKING SCHEDULE 2004
NOVEMBER 22, MONDAY
Middlesex County
Hook's Creek Lake 520 fish
Monmouth County
Spring Lake 480 fish
Topenemus Lake 470 fish
Ocean County
Lake Shenandoah 580 fish
Sussex County
Lake Ocquittunk 500 fish
Little Swartswood 1,000 fish
Lake Aeroflex 1,000 fish
Silver Lake 600 fish
NOVEMBER 23, TUESDAY
Atlantic County
Birch Grove Park Pond 460 fish
Bergen County
Mill Pond 400 fish
Camden County
Haddon Lake 480 fish
Rowands Pond 250 fish
Cumberland County
Shaws Mill Pond 510 fish
Essex County
Verona Park Pond 500 fish
Gloucester County
Mullica Hill Pond 410 fish
Hudson County
Woodcliff Lake 510 fish
Morris County
Mt. Hope Pond 410 fish
Passaic County
Barbours Pond 420 fish
Green Turtle Pond 770 fish
Salem County
Riverview Beach Pond 420 fish
NOVEMBER 24, WEDNESDAY
Hunterdon County
Amwell Lake 410 fish
Morris County
Speedwell Lake 520 fish
Union County
Lower Echo Lake 420 fish
Warren County
Furnace Lake 900 fish
To read the web version of this release, click on the following link:
http://www.njfishandwildlife.com/news/2004/wntrtrt04.htm
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