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Why We Toss Trout
March 19, 2026
Why do we toss trout when stocking?
During trout stocking, hatchery staff look for appropriate locations along waterways to toss trout. This toss helps energize the fish and gets water moving through their gills. We do not dip or place the fish near the edge of the water where they are more prone to predation and other dangers. Tossing the trout also increases stocking efficiency and staff safety by preventing falls when carrying heavy nets of fish near slippery streambanks…. Learn More
The Fall Trout Stocking Program
Fall trout stocking has become one of the most popular stocking programs offered by NJDEP Fish & Wildlife. Trout stocking will now begin Tuesday, October 13, 2026, and continue throughout the following week.
NJDEP Fish & Wildlife will stock a total of approximately 29,000 two-year-old Rainbow Trout, averaging 14-16 inches over a three-week period. In addition to these trout, up to 1,000 Broodstock trout (three-year old rainbow trout, averaging 18-22 inches) are also stocked. Broodstock trout are mixed in with each truckload of fish.
All fall-stocked waters may be fished as soon as they are stocked (no “closed waters” during fall stocking).
Please Note: The stocking of Mill Pond has been suspended due to severe siltation that has built up over time and has been exacerbated by the increase in strong storm events in recent years. Fish that were allocated to Mill Pond will be stocked in North Hudson Park Lake and Verona Park Lake.
The complete list of fall-stocked waters is available through the Fall Trout Stocking Schedule webpage or the Trout Stocking Hotline at 609-940-7266. A stocking schedule will be posted this Fall.
If you need help finding one of these trout-stocked waters, refer to the list of fishing access locations linked below for directions.
Other waters offer fine trout fishing opportunities even though they are not stocked in the fall. Holdover Trout Lakes, like Lake Aeroflex and Lake Wawayanda, provide year round trout fishing opportunities. Those waters, along with Tilcon Lake in Allamuchy Mountain State Park, are included in the landlocked salmon stocking program. All three yield harvestable size salmon (12 inches).
Our two Trophy Trout Lakes, Round Valley and Merrill Creek Reservoirs, are also great trout fishing destinations. Shoreline fishing on Round Valley is particularly popular in the fall, as big rainbows cruise the shallows. See the current Freshwater Fishing Digest for special area regulations.
Trout fishing will really heat up once fall stocking gets underway. The line-busting, bragging-size trout being stocked in October will test the skills of anglers fishing with lightweight tackle, leaving some anglers with fond memories, to last a lifetime, about the big one that got away. Whether you chose to fish for stocked or wild trout, there are plenty of trout-fishing opportunities in the Garden State. So take the time from your busy schedules to enjoy trout fishing during the splendor of fall.
