Official Site of The State of New Jersey
Featured Video
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
- Fall Trout Fishing
- Fishing Access to Trout Stocked Waters by County
- Fishing Access to Trout Stocked Waters by Name
- Freshwater Fisheries Forums
- Landlocked Salmon
- Spring Trout Fishing
- Summer Trout Fishing
- 2026 Trout Regulations
New Jersey offers some of the best trout fishing opportunities you will find in the northeast – and its not just a spring thing anymore. Stocking programs in spring and fall provide for excellent year-round trout fishing opportunities in the Garden State.
A progressive trout stocking program results in nearly 600,000 trout, raised at the Pequest Trout Hatchery, being stocked statewide each spring, followed by additional fall distributions. The average size of trout stocked in the spring is 10.5 inches in length and ½ pound in weight, but be wary and watch your line as thousands of 2 pound to 5 pound fish are also mixed in and stocked with the regular production fish. Talk about excitement!
Come October, New Jersey anglers can gear up to hook into approximately 29,000 super-sized trout stocked in the fall stocking program. These fish, which measure 14 inches to 24 inches can be caught throughout fall and the following spring. New Jersey also boasts two Trophy Trout Lakes. Round Valley and Merrill Creek Reservoirs both which support monster rainbow trout, brown trout and lake trout. Round Valley supports perhaps one of the most southern naturally reproducing populations of lake trout and boasts the current state record of more than thirty-two pounds!
Angler fishing access abounds in New Jersey, and this is where this small state has it big on many of its larger counterparts. The state Green Acres Program has been acquiring land by leaps and bounds and Fish and Wildlife has been the advocate for, and recipient of, thousands of acres of land specifically designated as fishing access. So if you want to fish for trout and are not sure where to wet a line, there is a good chance a spot is being held open for you by the state.
So what are you waiting for? With more trout being stocked and more places to fish, trout fishing has never been better. Just remember a fishing license and trout stamp is required to fish for trout for resident anglers age 16 through 69, and for nonresidents 16 and older. And to make it easy, licenses and stamps can be purchased and printed online or obtained through one of the many license agents throughout the state. In just minutes, you can be on your way to spectacular trout fishing in the Garden State.
Additional Information
- Fishing Regulations
- Focus on Fishing – Trout
- Pequest Trout Hatchery and Natural Resource Education Center
- Trout Stocking Summaries
- Trout Stocked Waters of New Jersey App
External Links
- Catch and Release How-To (Take Me Fishing on YouTube – August 5, 2014)
- Hearty Lake Trout Fishing Available at Merrill Creek and Round Valley Reservoirs – (lehighvalleylive.com – May 20, 2013)
- Outdoors with Andre: Raising and stocking a half million trout (nj.com – May 18, 2027)
- Streamflow Data for New Jersey (USGS Site)
Video Features
- Fall Trout Stocking
- Winter Trout Stocking
- Rainbow Trout Spawning
- Raising and Stocking Trout From the Pequest Hatchery – (nj.com on YouTube – May 9, 2017)
- Opening Day of Trout Season, 2008 (nj.com on YouTube – April 5, 2008)
- Bigger Trout For the Fall Season (nj.com on YouTube – October 18, 2008)
