Freshwater Fish of New Jersey

Wondering what kind of freshwater fish you might encounter while fishing in New Jersey? The list is quite extensive and filled with familiar and unfamiliar species.

Just looking at catfish, for one example, we find several species that many people would just call simply "catfish."

The most popular catfish among anglers is the Channel Catfish. This species is stocked throughout the state, from large lakes and rivers to small park ponds.

Channel Catfish

The Flathead Catfish is an unwanted invasive species. Some surpassing 20 pounds have been captured from NJ waters. Biologists have concerns for their negative impacts on recreationally important species and fish assemblages in general.

The White Catfish is NJ’s largest native catfish and is found throughout the state, but may be declining.  It is commonly caught by anglers alongside of Channel Catfish. In comparison, White Catfish have a broader head, longer anal fin, and a more deeply-forked tail.

The Brown Bullhead is commonly caught by anglers and found in most ponds, lakes, most streams and rivers that do not have a high gradient. The Yellow Bullhead is similar to the Brown Bullhead, and is another catfish that is widely distributed in NJ, including the Pinelands.

Brown bullhead. Ictalurus nebulous.(NOAA image)

A rarity is the Tadpole Madtom, which is not a tadpole in the froggy sense. Similar to the Margined Madtom, it has venom glands that can be quite painful.  This species is NJ’s smallest catfish and is primarily limited to the Pinelands.  It can be collected and used as bait.

See a list of all of NJ's freshwater fish at

dep.nj.gov/njfw/fishing/freshwater/freshwater-fish-of-new-jersey/

Imperiled Freshwater Fish Species

Some information from a formal review process led by Fish and Wildlife’s Endangered and Nongame Species Program that was conducted in 2014 and 2015 to determine the status of our native freshwater fishes.  The procedure is known as the Delphi Technique.  

It is a systematic method for reaching consensus among experts in which absolute, quantitative answers are either unknown or unattainable.  It is an iterative process characterized by anonymity among the participating experts, controlled feedback via the principal investigator, and a statistical estimator of group opinion.  By structuring the group communication process, the Delphi Technique helps the group reach a consensus of opinion by incorporating all available data and disseminating those data among all participants.  

NJFW created species distribution maps using GIS, based on data collected from 2000 through 2012.  In addition to data collected by the Bureau of Freshwater Fisheries Research and Management Unit, data were supplied by the Department’s Bureau of Freshwater and Biological Monitoring, the Pinelands Commission, and United States Geological Survey.  Results informed the update of the New Jersey’s State Wildlife Action Plan.

The following recommendations were made by the Committee:

1. Endangered (Candidate):   Bridle Shiner, Ironcolor Shiner
2. Threatened (Candidate): Slimy Sculpin
3. Special Concern (Candidate): American Brook Lamprey, Comely Shiner, Northern Hog Sucker, Blackbanded Sunfish, Mud Sunfish, Shield Darter, Brook Trout

Read the full report at dep.nj.gov/njfw/wp-content/uploads/njfw/FINAL-fish_status_rprt.pdf 

brook trout

Overfishing

By way of anglers.com comes some information about overfishing. A third of our fisheries are overfished and exploited, and that is a number that has more than doubled since the 1980s.

A caveat to this sad statistic is that recreational anglers are not the problem. This is an issue for commercial fishermen in the fishing industry who are trawling the ocean depths with massive nets.

Overfishing is when too many fish are taken from an area, and the remaining fish are unable to reproduce and replenish their populations to a healthy level. Overfishing is a global problem that's causing fish populations to decline and harming ocean ecosystems.

Overfishing is, in some sense, a rational reaction to increasing market needs for fish. Most people consume approximately twice as much fish as they did 50 years ago and there are four times as many people on the planet than there were at the close of the 1960s. 

Unfortunately, we waste approx. 8.6 million tons of fish each year and 3 billion people rely on fish as their primary source of protein. 

A decline in the number of fish of any species - from the smallest bait fish to the largest sold commercially is that is causes issues within ecosystems. A shortage of fish can create a food crisis. It can also create loss of employment for some of around 60 million people who work directly and indirectly in the fishing industry or who benefit from the availability of fish. Overfishing can even lead to further damage to coral reefs.

Although most stories about overfishing seem to focus on salt water fisheries, overfishing is a major cause of declining fish populations in freshwater systems. It has caused severe reductions in many fish stocks, especially large species, including top predators and migratory fishes. 

Freshwater fish are threatened by a number of human activities, which can gravely impact the species and its associated food sources. Poor management in a specific body of water can cause localized overfishing. Other human activities that threaten freshwater fish include invasive species, climate change and dams.

Although commercial fishing causes the greatest damage, it's not that localized overfishing despite regulations isn't a problem. 

Management and conservation is necessary to maintain species viability. For example, striped bass is one of New Jersey’s most sought-after recreational fish species. NJ’s recreational striped bass harvest (by numbers of fish) is typically one of the highest harvests by state coastwide in the ocean fishery. 

Checking a striped bass catch

A combination of size/bag limits, seasons, and gear restrictions are in place to manage NJ’s recreational striped bass fishery. Since this species is of great importance, NJ banned the netting and sale of striped bass and reallocated the commercial quota to the recreational sector to form the Striped Bass Bonus Program (SBBP) in 1990.  The SBBP is a popular program and provides valuable data for assessing stock status and fishing trends, making it an integral part of New Jersey’s striped bass management.

More Than Five Million Fish

Salmon at the hatchery that will be released as "landlocked salmon" in NJ
Photo: njfishandwildlife.com

There were more than five million fish raised at the Hackettstown Hatchery in 2019.

To be more precise, there were 5,539,994 fish weighing a total of 21,584 pounds raised at the hatchery by the NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife in 2019.

Fish are raised and stocked for the angling and it is paid for through license fees and Sportfish Restoration funds.

There are 15 species of fish that might be stocked from the hatchery's production. Species and numbers depend on the requests from the Division's regional fisheries biologists. The species included: Muskellunge, Tiger Muskie, Northern Pike, Striped Bass Hybrid, Walleye, Atlantic Landlocked Salmon, Channel Catfish, Black Crappie, Golden Shiner, Bluegill Sunfish, Yellow Perch, Gambusia, and Fathead Minnows.

The Hackettstown Hatchery supports freshwater fishing in New Jersey. Officially called the Charles O. Hayford State Fish Hatchery, it opened in 1912 and at one time produced all the fish stocked in the state's freshwater rivers, ponds, reservoirs, and lakes. The facility was responsible for trout production until 1981 when the Pequest Trout Hatchery took over coldwater production. Hackettstown's now is focused on cool and warm water production.

An adult female Gambusia affinis         Image: Wikimedia

Even if you don't fish at all, you benefit from the hatchery raising gambusia (mosquitofish) which they supply to county mosquito control commissions. These are introduced into ponds to eat mosquito larvae. Care must be taken with their use because they can become invasive, threatening the local species. The hatchery produces 1.5 to 2.5 million gambusia per year.

A Pallid Sturgeon Moon

Pallid sturgeon juvenile yearling at 5 months. USFWS Image

The August Full Moon is sometimes called the Sturgeon Moon, a name given by fishing tribes for whom this large fish of the Great Lakes and other major bodies of water was most readily caught during this month.

All five U.S. Atlantic sturgeon distinct population segments are listed as endangered or threatened under the Endangered Species Act.

These populations are threatened by entanglement in fishing gear, habitat degradation, and habitat impediments such as dams and other barriers and vessel strikes.

The juvenile pallid sturgeon yearling (Scaphirhynchus albus) shown above is a bottom-dwelling, slow-growing fish that feed primarily on small fish and immature aquatic insects. This species of sturgeon is seldom seen and is one of the least understood fish in the Missouri and Mississippi River drainages. It is an ancient species that has existed since the days of the dinosaurs.

Pallid sturgeon - Photo by South Dakota Game Fish and Parks; Sam Stukel

In New Jersey, we are more familiar with Atlantic Sturgeon and shortnose sturgeon. They are an anadromous fish species that are also multiple spawners. This species can inhabit marine, brackish fresh waters. As adults, the Atlantic sturgeon will migrate along the Atlantic coast. These fish will then begin to ascend the lower reaches of large rivers, such as the Delaware, in the spring to begin their spawning runs. Spawning normally occurs over bedrock, boulders and gravel bottoms. Adult Atlantic sturgeon will then return to the sea after spawning.

The pallid sturgeon's habitat is the Mississippi River downstream of its confluence with the Missouri River, and its range includes Arkansas, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi Montana, North Dakota, Nebraska, South Dakota, Tennessee

Like other sturgeon, the pallid sturgeon experienced a dramatic decline throughout its range since the mid to late 1960s. Nearly all of its habitat has been modified through river channelization, construction of impoundments, and related changes in water flow. These changes blocked the pallid sturgeon's movements, destroyed or altered its spawning areas, reduced its food sources or its ability to obtain food, and altered water temperatures and other environmental conditions necessary for the fish's survival.

The pallid sturgeon was listed as endangered in 1990 and recovery efforts include research to learn more about its life history and habitat requirements, artificial propagation to improve its numbers, habitat improvement and reducing mortality from commercial fishing.

In September 2010, threatened status for the Shovelnose Sturgeon and pallid sturgeon listed to protect pallid sturgeon by treating shovelnose sturgeon as a threatened species where their ranges overlap.

Shad Migrating and Spawning in the Millstone River

Fishermen standing in the Delaware River above Chester, NJ with the bleaching mills,
smokestacks, and church spires of Gloucester along the shore. - James Fuller Queen, 1820 via Picryl 

American Shad were found migrating and spawning in the Millstone River for the first time in 173 years after the removal of the waterway’s Weston Mill Dam in Manville in summer 2017.

The dam blocked the migration of shad and other migratory fish, and the dam's removal marks an important step in the restoration of the Millstone River and the larger Raritan River Basin.

Great efforts are being made to restore migratory routes of anadromous fish species (those which live in the ocean but spawn in fresh water), including river herring and American Shad.

A flurry of dam removals have taken place along the Raritan, Musconetcong, and Millstone Rivers in recent years, with more on the way, including those along the Paulins Kill (i.e. Columbia Lake).

Shad fishing on the Delaware River has been hot the last few springs - in fact, even novice shad fishermen are currently catching more than a dozen per trip while wading its banks. This is not the case throughout the state, as fishing for American Shad is prohibited on all other New Jersey waters, as populations recover.

The 38-mile-long Millstone River, a tributary of the Raritan River, boasts a wide array of fish diversity with more than fifty species found in recent years. Migratory species, including American Shad, Gizzard Shad, Blueback Herring, Striped Bass, and American Eel, have been documented passing the Island Farm Weir fish ladder on the Raritan River near its confluence with the Millstone River, approximately 1.5 miles downstream of the former Weston Causeway Dam.

Efforts continue to restore American Shad and other migratory fishes by reconnecting historic migratory pathways. The Millstone River's Weston Causeway Dam was removed during the summer of 2017. The Weston Causeway Dam, located just downstream of the Wilhousky Street bridge in Manville, was the first impediment to fish passage on the Millstone River. The 133-foot long and five-foot high dam was originally built to provide power at the Weston Mill. The site included a gristmill, sawmill, the dam, and associated waterpower features. The dam had no current purpose; the mill buildings were claimed by arson in July, 1983. In recent years, the dam had partially failed.

Juvenile American shad from Millstone River - NJDFW photo

Juvenile American shad were captured for the first time upstream of the recently removed Weston Mill Dam on the Millstone River by sampling crews conducting biannual monitoring of this natural resource damage (NRD) restoration project. The American Cyanamid Superfund Site is one of several contaminated sites along the Raritan River and its tributaries.


SOURCE njfishandwildlife.com/artmillstone.htm

The Millstone River Fishery

American shad

Recent electrofishing surveys have given us more information on the Millstone River Fishery. http://www.njfishandwildlife.com/artmillstone.htm In an article by Shawn Crouse, Principal Fisheries Biologist for the Bureau of Freshwater Fisheries, we learn that the American Shad have been on the move in NJ.

Efforts are being made to restore migratory routes of anadromous fish species (those which live in the ocean but spawn in fresh water), including river herring and American Shad.

Several dam removals have taken place along the Raritan, Musconetcong, and Millstone Rivers in recent years, with more on the way, including those along the Paulins Kill (i.e. Columbia Lake).

Shad fishing on the Delaware River has been very good for several spring seasons. Fishing for American Shad is prohibited on all other New Jersey waters, as populations recover.

To restore American Shad and other migratory fishes by reconnecting historic migratory pathways, the Millstone River's Weston Causeway Dam was removed during the summer of 2017.

The Weston Causeway Dam, located just downstream of the Wilhousky Street bridge in Manville, was the first impediment to fish passage on the Millstone River. This 133-foot long and five-foot high dam was originally built to provide power at the Weston Mill. The site included a gristmill, sawmill, the dam, and associated waterpower features. The dam had no current purpose; the mill buildings were claimed by arson in July, 1983. In recent years, the dam had partially failed and was removed in August of 2017 as part of a Natural Resource Damage Assessment settlement agreement.

The Division of Fish and Wildlife (with assistance from the US Fish and Wildlife Service and the Watershed Institute (formerly Stonybrook-Millstone Watershed Association)) are committed to monitor changes to the fish assemblages above and below the dam, before and after dam removal.

The 38-mile-long Millstone River, a tributary of the Raritan River, has a diversity with more than fifty species found in recent years. Migratory species, including American Shad, Gizzard Shad, Blueback Herring, Striped Bass, and American Eel, have been documented passing the Island Farm Weir fish ladder on the Raritan River near its confluence with the Millstone River, approximately 1.5 miles downstream of the former Weston Causeway Dam.

The Millstone River offers an assortment of resident gamefish including both Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass, an abundance of panfish, and trophy-sized carp. The river is stocked annually with Northern Pike, however, those who fish it benefit from some of other nearby waterways stocked by the Hackettstown State Fish Hatchery. Channel Catfish are plentiful in the Millstone, which are presumably transplants from the neighboring annually-stocked Delaware & Raritan (D&R) Canal. Muskies are occasionally captured, possibly originating from the D&R Canal or Carnegie Lake stockings. Transient Walleye, which are not stocked in the watershed, are likely making their way from the Delaware River via the D&R Canal. In fact, sizable Walleye (up to 6 pounds) were found in most surveys in the lower Millstone River. Stocked Rainbow Trout appear as well, coming from any number of trout stocked waters in the watershed. A rigorous fish stocking program is not necessary, as a respectable fishery currently exists, in fact additional stocking of top predators may be counterproductive to the recovering American Shad population.

In the lower reaches, the most numerous species captured were American Eel, Common Carp, Redbreast Sunfish, Bluegills, and Spottail Shiner, with moderate numbers of Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass and Channel Catfish. The surveys near Blackwells Mills and Griggstown, where the river is noticeably smaller in every measurable way, yielded large numbers of American Eel, Redbreast Sunfish, Bluegill, and native forage species such as Spottail Shiner and Tessellated Darter.

Less commonly known species such as the Comely Shiner and Shield Darter (potential for listing as a Species of Special Concern) are also found in the Millstone, along with the Bridle Shiner in its tributaries, a potential State Endangered Species.

Other fishes of conservation interest, and more often found in the Pinelands, are found in the southern-most headwaters including the beautiful Bluespotted Sunfish, Mud Sunfish (potential Species of Special Concern), Swamp Darter, Tadpole Madtom, and the Pirate Perch.

Emily Powers, Hourly Fisheries Technician and Cathy Marion, USFWS biologist, despite their smiles, are holding an invasive Grass Carp that measured 46 inches and weighed almost 52 pounds. The species is fairly common in the lower Millstone River.

This all sounds positive, but while the removal of dams is considered an environmental win, negative impacts also may occur. This action also can expand the range of several invasive species including Grass Carp, Flathead Catfish, Green Sunfish, and Oriental Weatherfish. Other non-desirable fishes, such as Mosquitofish and Common Carp, which have been found in the lower Millstone River, may also extend their range upstream. By rule, anglers are actually required to humanely destroy species regulated as "Potentially Dangerous Fish."

Summer Flounder Season

Paralichthys dentatus, summer flounder or fluke

Memorial Day weekend might be the unofficial start of summer at the Jersey shore, but another sign of Jersey summer is that the summer flounder season opened today, Friday, May 25.

The size and possession limits are as follows:
Island Beach State Park (shore fishing): 2 fish at 16”
Delaware Bay and Tributaries: 3 fish at 17”
All other marine waters: 3 fish at 18”

The summer flounder (Paralichthys dentatus) is a marine flatfish that is found in the Atlantic Ocean off the East coast of the United States and Canada. It is especially abundant in waters from North Carolina to Massachusetts.

The summer flounder is also called a fluke. It is a member of the large-tooth flounder family Paralichthyidae. There are typically 5 to 14 ocellated (eye-like) spots on the body.

Like most members of the left-eye flounders, they can change the color and pattern of their dark side to match the surrounding bottom, and are also capable of rapidly burrowing into muddy or sandy bottoms.

Watch out - their teeth are quite sharp and well developed on both upper and lower jaws.

The average summer flounder reaches sexual maturity at 2 years and weighs 1 to 3 pounds, typically 15 to 20 inches in length, though they may grow as large as 26 pounds and live up to 20 years with females making up the largest and oldest specimens.

Adults are highly predatory and considered mostly piscivorous (carnivorous animal that eats primarily fish) and often stays buried with only their head exposed to ambush prey which includes sand lance, menhaden, atlantic silverside, mummichog killifish, small bluefish, porgies, squid, shrimp, and crabs.

They are primarily a bottom fish. They are rapid swimmers over short distances and so they can become very aggressive, feeding actively at mid-depths, and even chasing prey to the surface.

Remember you need to go online for your NJ Salt Water Registration - but it is FREE - before you throw that bait into the water. See the "Attention Anglers" summary sheet for more information at nj.gov/dep/saltwaterregistry/

The Shad Are Migrating Up the Delaware River

American Shad - Photo:by Duane Raver, USFWS

Another sign from nature that spring is here is the annual American shad migration up the Delaware River to spawn.

The timing and the number of shad migrating does vary year to year depending on water temperature and conditions. Anglers need accurate, up-to-date information on the "shad run" and there are several NJ resources for that.

• Lewis Fishery Reports done by Steve Meserve of the Fishery in Lambertville offers an email update. Sign up at LewisFishery@comcast.net to be added to his list.
• The Delaware River Shad Fishermen's Association offers updates at 610-954-0577 or 610-954-0578 for the latest updates.
• Woo's Shad Fishing Reports reports shad activity.

Trout Season Opening Day April 7

Opening day of trout season in NJ is next Saturday, April 7, 2018 at 8 a.m.

During the three weeks prior to opening day, all ponds, lakes or sections of streams are stocked
with trout, and almost all of these waters are closed to fishing for all species until opening day. This allows the fish to acclimatize to the new locations.

To fish in NJ for trout or salmon, a valid New Jersey fishing license and trout stamp are both required for residents at least 16 years and less than 70 years of age plus all non-residents 16 years and older.

The regulations for trout fishing in NJ can be confusing to new anglers, so you should check that information online at http://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/pdf/2018/trtregs18.pdf  New regulations are noted in red there.

For example, all Brook Trout caught within the “Brook Trout Conservation Zone” (mostly in northwestern NJ) must be immediately released unharmed. The Conservation Zone includes
all waters west of I-287 and north of Rt 202, extending to, but not including the Delaware
River.

After opening day, which can be quite crowded at the edge of popular spots, trout-stocked waters are open to fishing, including the days they are stocked, unless specifically listed with in-season
closures. In-season closures also apply to designated Seasonal Trout Conservation Areas.

Only one daily creel limit of trout may be in your possession. Once the creel limit is reached, an angler may continue to fish provided any additional trout caught are immediately returned to the
water unharmed.

When fishing from the shoreline, no more than three fishing rods, hand lines or combination
thereof may be used.

Separate stringers or buckets must be used for each angler’s catch. Containers in boats may hold only the combined daily creel limit for each legal angler on board.

Hackettstown State Fish Hatchery Stocked a Record 5 Million Fish in 2017

The Hackettstown State Fish Hatchery in Warren County stocked a record five million cold, cool, and warm water fish consisting of 15 species in 2017, Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin announced today.

The fish, totaling 5,082,841 with a total weight of more than 26,000 pounds, were produced at the location and many were stocked in approximately 200 waters throughout the state from March through November.

Fishery staff with Northern Pike

“This is an incredible achievement by our staff at the Hatchery,” said Commissioner Martin. “Anglers are reporting catching 40-inch Northern pike, 10-pound walleyes, and 50-inch muskellunge in many of our waters where these species are stocked. It is through the Hatchery’s staff and their hard work that New Jersey is a world class fishing destination for anglers.”

Those five million plus fish included cool water species such as Northern Pike, Walleye, and Muskellunge. Hackettstown stocked 308,808 Northern pike, 2.3 million walleye, and 343,311 muskellunge for New Jersey anglers.

The season also included strong year classes of warm water species such as channel catfish – 598,174, largemouth bass – 110,445, and hybrid striped bass – 47,315. These three species are providing excellent, exciting recreation for anglers throughout the state.

Not all the Hackettstown fish stocked are directly available to anglers, however. County mosquito commissions utilized 548,000 fathead minnows, and Gambusia (commonly called mosquitofish) to combat mosquito larvae in stagnant waters. Since 1991, the hatchery has reared more than 5.6 million fish to help combat mosquito borne diseases such as West Nile Virus, Eastern Equine Encephalitis and Chikungunya.

In addition, 655,000 golden shiners were stocked in Round Valley Reservoir to help boost the forage base in one of New Jerseys best cold water fisheries. The hatchery has stocked more than 1.5 million shiners in Round Valley over the past five years.

In addition, some 171,788 fish of other species were raised in 2017 setting the facility’s new yearly production record at 5,082,841, far surpassing the previous high of 3,774,885 set in 2014.

Some of the many factors that contributed to a great season included the successful collection of broodstock and their eggs, an excellent hatch and extensive on-site pond management. Modern fish diets and nutrition also played important roles, as well as ideal temperatures, sunlight and precipitation for adequate growth, proper health monitoring and avoiding the hazards of overcrowding.

Fishery staff handling fingerlings at Hackettstown

The Hackettstown State Fish Hatchery opened in 1912 and is predominantly a put, grow, and take fish culture operation. This simply means that most of the fish are stocked as sub-legal fry and fingerlings that will take a year or more growing in the wild to reach a catchable size. The fish-rearing operation requires a combination of intensive fish culturing both indoors in fiberglass tanks and outdoors in earthen ponds.

“The Hackettstown Hatchery has stocked nearly 20 million cool and warm water fish over the past five years,” said Division of Fish and Wildlife Director Larry Herrighty. “Staff take immense pride in the quality of fish produced at the hatchery and constantly strive to find ways to improve both hatchery operations and the number of fish produced. This is a great way to conclude the celebration of our agency’s 125th anniversary and I commend our staff at Hackettstown for a job well done.”

Funding for operations at the Hackettstown State Fish Hatchery is provided by anglers through fees derived from the purchase of fishing licenses and by the Federal Aid in Sportfish Restoration program.

More information about the Hackettstown State Fish Hatchery,
including its history, feature articles, species raised and stocking summaries can be found at state.nj.us/dep/fgw/hacktown.htm

Source: http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2018/18_0003.htm

Endangered Sturgeon and the Delaware River

Atlantic sturgeon at the Northeast Fishery Center are part of a project to raise sturgeon from egg through sexual maturity. If successful, the Fishery Centers work will provide a roadmap to the development  of domestic broodstock and help in efforts to restore Atlantic sturgeon to their native range. Photo: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Northeast Region

Sturgeon is not a fish many people know about because you don't often see the fish in stores or on menus. But a century ago an estimated 180,000 female Atlantic sturgeon lived in the Delaware River. Those females produced enough eggs, sold as caviar, to make the Delaware River and Bay area the caviar capital of America.

The fish is also smoked and eaten worldwide, though not as popular as it was in the late 1800s and early 20th century.

In 1890, an estimated 6 million pounds of the 7 million pounds of sturgeon caught on the East Coast came from Delaware Bay.

Sturgeon are now endangered there since 2012 when less than 300 spawning sturgeon were believed to be in the Delaware River.

Are they recovering? A piece on NJ.com asks if enough being done or in other words, is a fishing moratorium enough to have them make a comeback, or is further intervention needed?

NOAA Fisheries Service reports led to five population segments of the Atlantic sturgeon being listed as endangered species. The New York Bight population segment found in the Delaware River and the Hudson River is one of the five.

Since caviar and sturgeon as food are not the industry they once were, what threatens the species? Vessel strikes are a big factor along with low water quality in rivers, dredging projects and accidental catching.

In New Jersey, the Division of Fish and Wildlife has placed acoustic receivers in Delaware Bay to track the sturgeon's migration patterns for the endangered population.

American Shad Return to the Musconetcong River

It has been at least 100 years since we could say that there were American shad in the Musconetcong River in Hunterdon and Warren counties. But that is what the Department of Environmental Protection’s Division of Fish and Wildlife and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced this month.

Shad is a benchmark species indicative of the overall ecological health and diversity of a waterway. This recovery of the river is the result of the removal of dams on the lower Musconetcong River several years ago, followed by the removal of the Hughesville Dam in Warren County last year. These projects – made possible by a partnership of state, federal, nonprofit and private entities – opened nearly six miles of the Musconetcong to migratory fish, such as shad, that spend much of their lives in the ocean but return to rivers and their tributaries to spawn.

“The return of shad, a benchmark species indicative of the overall ecological health and diversity of a waterway, is an exciting milestone,” said DEP Commissioner Bob Martin. “This achievement is the direct result of an ongoing partnership among state and federal agencies, nonprofit groups, and dam owners – all committed to making this beautiful waterway free-flowing again.”

As the shad population continues to rebuild, anglers are reminded that this fish may not be taken from any New Jersey freshwater area except the Delaware River.

NJDFW biologist Pat Hamilton holds a shad near the Warren Glen Dam

The return of shad to the Musconetcong was confirmed earlier this month after anglers fishing for trout reported seeing small schools of shad in the river above the site of the former Hughesville Dam. Biologists from the DEP’s Bureau of Freshwater Fisheries responded and captured shad at the base of the Warren Glen Dam in Holland Township, Hunterdon County.

American shad is the largest member of the herring family, weighing from four to eight pounds at maturity. Shad once supported important commercial and recreational fisheries along the Atlantic coast, especially the Delaware River. But dams built to generate power, for mills and for other now-obsolete purposes greatly reduced their spawning habitat.

The 48-mile-long Musconetcong flows from Lake Hopatcong in the northwestern part of the state and through the wooded and rocky hills of Morris and Warren counties. It flows into the Delaware River at a point in Hunterdon County about 10 miles south of Phillipsburg.

Long stretches of the Musconetcong are on the National Park Service National Wild and Scenic Rivers inventory. The DEP classifies much of the river as a Category 1 stream, affording it the state’s highest level of protection due to its exceptional ecological and fisheries values.

Partners in restoring the Musconetcong to a free-flowing river also include the Musconetcong Watershed Association; American Rivers, the National Park Service, the federal Natural Resource Conservation Service, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, North Jersey RC&D, Trout Unlimited, The Nature Conservancy, and International Process Plants and Equipment Corp.

The American Shad Spawning Run on the Delaware River

American Shad    -   via Wikimedia

Along with the migration of shorebirds and horseshoe crabs converging on Delaware Bay in spring, another spring migration is that of the American shad up the Delaware River.

American shad, part of the herring family, migrate up the Delaware River to spawn. The numbers and timing of the "shad run" vary year to year depending on river levels, rains, drought and temperature.

Shad are primarily saltwater fish, but they swim up freshwater rivers to spawn in the spring. Unlike some other fish species, many shad survive the spawning and swim back to the Atlantic Ocean. Shad are found in all areas of the Atlantic Ocean, as well as several seas across the world.

The first shad of the 2017 season was already caught in the Delaware on March 26 in the northern Delaware Bay near Mad Horse Creek. It was a female shad that weighed in around 5 pounds.

Shad - Lambertville, NJ  - via Flickr

Low water and warm temperatures usually mean an earlier shad run in the Delaware River. The warm water effluent of the power plant in Trenton usually attracts shad and anglers who get early catches.

On the river, there are some seining (netting) activities which harken back to the Lenni Lenape Indians of our area who used that method long before colonists appeared.

It is another encouraging sign that the once very polluted Delaware River has recovered enough that shad have returned to using the deeper waters of the Delaware River as a spawning ground.

MORE

• The American Shad Spawning Run 
• The Delaware River Shad Fisherman's Association  
• ShadFest April 29-30, 2017 

Why All These Whales Are Around NJ

A humpback fluke- the tail of each humpback whale is visibly unique.

There have been a number of humpback whale sightings off New York and New Jersey the past month. Humpbacks weigh from 25 to 40 tons, and can grow to 60 feet in length and they are impressive as they feed and breach.

Humpbacks are baleen whales, meaning they don't have teeth but instead filter small fish, plankton and tiny crustaceans out of the water. They spend the spring, summer and fall building up their blubber, which nourishes them during the winter breeding season when they don't feed.

In early September, the National Marine Fisheries Service announced its decision to remove most humpback whale populations from its endangered species list. Once depleted by commercial whaling, humpbacks had been on the list since 1970.

There are 14 distinct global populations of humpbacks and those along the East Coast breed in the Caribbean and migrate north for feeding. Currently the most  endangered populations include those that breed off Central America and migrate up the coasts of California and Oregon.

Though no longer listed as endangered, those on our coast are still protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the International Whaling Commission's 1982 moratorium on whale hunting.

There are stronger populations now, but why so many sightings lately? Simple answer: food.

Commercial catch limits have been placed on menhaden, also known as bunker, an oily fish that's a major food source for humpbacks. New rules and quotas put in place in by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission in 2012 cut by 20 percent the amount of bunker that could be harvested by commercial fishing operations.

Menhaden by Brian.gratwicke - wikipedia.org   CC BY 2.5, Link

Whales migrate along the New Jersey coast late summer through late fall and are feeding heavily on the improved menhaden numbers.

Menhaden/bunker are a slow swimming species that has been called "The Most Important Fish in the Sea." They feed on phytoplankton and are a food source for whales and also bluefish and striped bass and osprey and bald eagles. Bunker are also turned into pet food, lobster bait, aquaculture food and fish oil supplements.

Humpbacks are by far the most frequently sighted whales along New Jersey's coast. We also occasionally spot some of the smaller populations of finback, minke and North Atlantic right whales as they migrate through our waters.

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MORE about humpback whales:  www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/species/mammals/whales/humpback-whale.html

MORE about whales in our area: Gotham Whale  and Cape May Whale Watch

Humpback Whales Off NJ and NYC

An example of humpback whales lunge feeding - via Wikimedia

Humpback whales were spotted this month in both the Hudson River off New York City and also in Raritan Bay between Sandy Hook and Perth Amboy.

Both whales were lunge feeding which is when they lunge forward from the water taking in thousands of gallons of water and fish. It appeared that these whales had found a good supply of menhaden, a small forager fish that is known to fishermen as bunker..

These whales have found sufficient food to make a stop here worthwhile.

A humpback was also spotted off Belmar, NJ this month and reportedly damaged a boat that was too near. Those who come across the whale are urged to keep their distance.

Typically, these whales should be getting ready to head south for the winter.

It is a good sign that they are being seen here more frequently as it indicates cleaner water and more abundant fish. But the busy NY/NJ waterways are not really the safest areas for feeding due to waterway traffic.

Most whales are passing the coastline but will enter a bay when they find bait fish, however, we don't want them entering rivers like the Raritan or the Arthur Kill.

The behavior of these whales has been normal, so it doesn't seem that they are in any distress.

Unfortunately, about 80 miles from Manhattan, another humpback whale was stranded for a week in Moriches Bay (off the southern coast of Long Island). After being stuck in a sand bar in four feet of water for two days, it was euthanized by NOAA’s Marine Mammal Stranding Network,

Natural Mosquito Control and 'Adopt a Minnow'

DEP to Host ‘Adopt a Minnow’ Event at Hunterdon County 4h Fair as Part of Continued Mosquito Control Efforts - PRESS RELEASE (16/P79)





The Department of Environmental Protection will be providing free minnows to visitors at Hunterdon County 4H & Agricultural Fair at the South County Park in East Amwell and West Amwell townships on Friday, August 26, from 1-6 p.m., as part of the state and counties’ continuing mosquito-control efforts.

The minnows are one of several species of fish that eat mosquito larvae. Nearly 500,000 of these fish have been raised at the Charles O. Hayford State Hatchery in Hackettstown and deployed in water bodies where mosquitos throughout New Jersey thrive. The fish eat the insects that carry dangerous diseases such as West Nile Virus, Eastern Equine Encephalitis and, although very unlikely in New Jersey, the Zika virus.

“This first ‘Adopt a Minnow’ program is intended as another way to show the coordinated efforts of our state mosquito control experts and their counterparts across the state at the local and county levels,” said Deputy Commissioner David Glass.

“We wish to reinforce that every resident has a role to play in reducing the mosquito population throughout the state, whether it is through adopting a minnow or removing standing water from your property.”

“Hunterdon County has always been diligent in maintaining mosquito control programs,” said Hunterdon County Freeholder John King. “My peers and I commend our professionals at the Hunterdon County Division of Health for their fine work on confronting mosquito-borne illnesses. The County is continuing our close cooperation with the DEP and taking specific action to protect the public against the Zika virus.”

Participants in the ‘Adopt A Minnow” event will have to review a short checklist on the proper use of the fish in standing water in such places as ornamental ponds and bird baths and then agree to place them in areas on their property only to best help combat mosquitos.

They also will be provided a list of the best ways to avoid being bitten this season by following the 3D’s of mosquito control: Drain the standing water from your property (almost any amount is too much), Dress with long sleeves and pants to cover skin, and Defend by use of repellents. They will also be asked to post on social media pictures of their fish in action with the hashtag #ZapZikaand share it with their friends and neighbors as well as the DEP’s Fish & Wildlife Facebook page at facebook.com/NJFishandWildlife/.

Five breeds of mosquitofish are raised in Hackettstown for mosquito control; the fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas),the freshwater killifish (Fundulus diaphanus), the pumpkinseed sunfish (Lepomis gibbosus), the bluegill sunfish (Lepomis macrochirus) and the Gambusia Affinis also known as the mosquitofish, for biological control. With Commission funding, the fish are raised at the hatchery and distributed, at no charge, to county mosquito control agencies.

Since its inception in 1991, the Hayford Hatchery has stocked nearly five million mosquitofish in New Jersey. In coordination with the counties, mosquitofish are stocked in places of the greatest attraction to the 63 varieties of mosquitoes which are found in the state. This year, as part of enhanced efforts to reduce the threat of mosquito borne viruses, the hatchery will raise and distribute a record 650,000 mosquitofish, almost triple the number for a normal season, throughout the state.

“Our hatchery provides fish to the entire state to help control the mosquitos in a completely pesticide free way,” said Hackettstown Hatchery Superintendent Craig Lemon. “We work closely with the State Office of Mosquito Control and County Control Agencies to provide an effective biological control method. We are ramping up mosquitofish production as an extra measure of safety for this year to address not only the possible threat of Zika, but to combat the real and annual threats posed by other virus-carrying insects in our state.”

While Aedes aegypti, the species of mosquito that carries the Zika virus, is rarely found in New Jersey, the State is enhancing its existing mosquito control efforts. DEP has been working with the New Jersey Mosquito Control Commission, and county agencies to monitor for this particular species of mosquito.

DEP experts and their colleagues at the New Jersey Department of Health, the New Jersey Department of Agriculture, and Rutgers University’s Center for Vector Biology are working closely together in order to reduce the risk of mosquito-borne viruses.


For more information on Zika and how DEP and DOH are addressing the potential threat please visit: nj.gov/dep/mosquito/docs/zika-fact-sheet.pdf  or nj.gov/health/cd/documents/faq/zika_faq.pdf

For information on the State’s Mosquito Control Commission, please visit: nj.gov/dep/mosquito

For more information on the DEP’s Charles O. Hayford State Fish Hatchery in Hackettstown please visit: njfishandwildlife.com/hacktown.htm

So Far, No Zika Mosquitoes in New Jersey

Aedes aegypti

There has been a lot of press around the Zika virus that is carried by mosquitoes, and New Jersey certainly has its share of mosquitoes. But, happily, as far as we know, there are none of the disease-carrying skeeters here - so far.

Though mosquitoes are certainly not endangered or threatened in our state, we would love to see them reduced.

Aedes aegypti is the mosquito most known for carrying the Zika virus. It is found in tropical climates and is unable to survive New Jersey’s winter conditions.

The Department of Environmental Protection had a press release about providing increased resources to county mosquito commissions throughout New Jersey to combat the threat of Zika and other mosquito-borne diseases.

Zika is a viral infection that is usually spread by the bite of an infected Aedes mosquito, which also spreads dengue and chikungunya. Outbreaks typically occur in tropical Africa and southeast Asia. In May 2015, Brazil reported the first outbreak of Zika in the Americas. Zika is now present in Central and South America, and the Caribbean. To date, there has been no local transmission in the continental United States.

About one in five people develop symptoms and infection is usually mild. The most common symptoms are fever, rash, joint pain or red eyes. The biggest concern is for pregnant women because Zika can cause birth defects.

One concern for NJ is being investigated by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. They are looking at the extent to which the Aedes albopictus – also known as the Asian tiger mosquito, which is found in New Jersey – can spread Zika. In April, the Pan American Health Organization and World Health Organization reported that Mexico had identified Asian tiger mosquitos carrying Zika.

New Jersey’s 21 county mosquito control agencies use many methods for mosquito control -  including aerial spraying, application of approved insecticides, water management programs, public awareness campaigns - but my favorite is the use of natural predators. We know about how bats consume many mosquitoes, but my favorite biocontrol is using fish that love to eat mosquitos and their larvae.

Larvae-eating fish is common in New Jersey and has been used since 1991. The DEP's Hayford Fish Hatchery has stocked more than 4.4 million mosquitofish in New Jersey. This summer the hatchery is raising and distributing more than 500,000 fish, more than double a normal season.

Gambusia affinis

Five breeds of mosquito-eating fish are bred at Hackettstown for mosquito control; the fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas), the freshwater killifish (Fundulus diaphanus), the pumpkinseed sunfish (Lepomis gibbosus), the bluegill sunfish (Lepomis macrochirus) and the Gambusia affinis, also known as the mosquitofish, for biological control. The fish are raised at the Hayford Hatchery and distributed, at no charge, to county mosquito control agencies.

Visiting the Pequest Trout Hatchery and Education Center

If you missed the spring Open House at the Pequest Trout Hatchery in Oxford, NJ, or have never been there, you have plenty of opportunities this summer.

Some people only know Pequest for its state-of-the-art techniques and procedures to produce some 700,000 trout each year for stocking in nearly 200 ponds, streams and lakes throughout New Jersey. But the Pequest facility includes a Natural Resource Education Center for environmental education.

If you visit, you can learn about trout and how they are raised. You can also use the 5,000 acres of state Wildlife Management Area land that surrounds the hatchery for recreational opportunities such as hiking, hunting and bird watching - and fishing opportunities abound in the nearby Pequest River and with programs held at the education pond.

Pequest is open for visitation year-round (hours vary seasonally). The best time to see the hatchery area is  is October through May when all areas of the facility are in operation (May through September, the nursery building is not in use). But the staff and volunteers at Pequest are fully engaged with teaching visitors about a variety of natural resource topics - from fishing to forestry - with the goal that visitors will develop the behaviors and skills necessary to become stewards of wildlife and natural resources.

Educational programs are scheduled year round for groups of all ages.

Upcoming programs for July at Pequest include:

First Saturday Hike
Saturday, July 2 9:00 a.m.

The Fundamentals of Earthworms & Waste Reduction
Saturday, July 9  10:00 a.m.

Vermiculture: The Art & Science of Home-Composting
Sunday, July 10  10:00 a.m.

Family Fishing Basics
Tuesday, July 12  10:30 a.m.

Fly Fishing with Dry Flies
Saturday, July 16  10:00 a.m.

Family Fishing Basics
Saturday, July 16  10:30 a.m.

World of Amphibians
Saturday, July 23  2:00 p.m.

Coldwater Conservation School Day
Sunday, July 24  9:00 a.m.

Family Fishing Basics
Wednesday, July 27
10:30 a.m.

Woodland Animal Tracks
Sunday, July 31  11:00 a.m.

See the detailed schedule and information on registering at www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/budding.htm

For more information on the Pequest Trout Hatchery, visit: www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/pequest.htm

Sierra Club to Take Legal Action to Protect New Jersey's Endangered Sturgeon

The Sierra Club is filing legal action through a Notice of Intent to Sue over what they believe is the DEP's failure to enforce the Endangered Species Act to protect the Delaware River and the surrounding ecosystem, by allowing the PSEG owned Mercer Generating Station to kill endangered sturgeon.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced that NJ's Atlantic sturgeon population would be listed as Endangered under the Federal Endangered Species Act effective April 2012.  NJ has only one other fish species listed as endangered - and it is also a sturgeon, the shortnose sturgeon.

From the Sierra Club website:

The Mercer Generating Station, on the Delaware River, kills around 70 million fish and other aquatic organisms in the Delaware River each year because the plant's outdated cooling systems. Atlantic sturgeon used to be so plentiful in the Delaware River that their roe (caviar) was shipped as far away as Russia. Today, there may be as few as 300 spawning adults in the Delaware River when a hundred years ago there were hundreds of thousands. 

Up to 690 million gallons of water are pulled from the river each day in the plant’s antiquated cooling system. The plant's victims include more than 30 species of fish each year, including the endangered shortnose sturgeon and the Atlantic sturgeon 

The NJ DEP must require PSEG to upgrade or retire the Mercer coal plant in order to prevent further impacts on endangered sturgeon and other aquatic species in the Delaware. PSEG can reduce its fish kills with the implementation of more efficient cooling towers that would reduce the amount of water drawn from the Delaware River, the number of organisms killed by water intakes, and the discharge of superheated water back into the Delaware.

We can't afford to lose any more of these endangered fish, especially when PSEG can easily reduce fish kills with new cooling towers.

You can send a message to Governor Christie and the DEP urging them to protect New Jersey's endangered sturgeon with the form at the Sierra Club website.

Atlantic sturgeon