Jersey Trout

I did a survey for NJFW at a local lake on the opening day of trout season. I was recording how many people were fishing and what they caught (if anything). But a good number of people fishing looked a bit panicked when I came up to them. Some immediately showed me their fishing license and trout stamp, but a good number were fearful because they didn't have that license. Enforcement was not my goal or in my purview but I did remind everyone to "Display your license - it’s the law!"

Hunting and fishing licenses must be visibly displayed in a holder in a conspicuous place on your outer clothing when hunting, fishing or trapping, and you must carry a printed copy of permits with you while in the field. Using a digital display on a smartphone is not an acceptable way to exhibit your license in New Jersey. You can purchase your license online at https://dep.nj.gov/njfw/licenses-and-permits/ 

Now, on to the topic of trout.

The outbreak of Furunculosis led to modifications in the 2014 trout stocking program to ensure the conservation of the state's trout fishery. Rainbow trout are the only species stocked since 2013. That doesn't mean you won't find some brown or brook trout in some locations that have survived and bred on their own, but in many stocked waters it is only rainbows. Many people asked me about brown and brook trout.

New Jersey has two Trophy Trout Lakes. Round Valley and Merrill Creek Reservoirs both support big rainbow trout, brown trout, and lake trout.

Catch rate studies show brown trout to be 5 to 6 times more difficult to catch than rainbow trout in areas with similarly sized populations of each. Brook trout were introduced from Europe in the 1800s and are now are native in some places. They are New York State's official state fish. Brook trout generally live in small-to-moderate-sized streams, lakes, and ponds, wherever cool (below 72 degrees Fahrenheit) water is available. They tend to prefer colder water than rainbow and brown trout, and they are often found in the headwaters of streams.

Depending on the size of the body of water and available forage, brook trout can average between 6 inches to 25 inches as adults. In many native streams, "brookies" barely reach 7 inches. The name "brook" might suggest a small size, as in a smaller river, but they are known to be great tasting and hard fighting,

NJ Fish and Wildlife’s stocking programs go well beyond rainbow trout and include Walleyes, Hybrid Striped Bass, Channel Catfish, Muskellunge, Northern Pike, and Lake Trout.

For more information on freshwater fish stocked in NJ: dep.nj.gov/njfw/fishing/freshwater/stocking/