{"id":2450,"date":"2022-01-30T23:35:29","date_gmt":"2022-01-30T23:35:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/deptest.nj.gov\/njfw\/?page_id=2450"},"modified":"2026-02-13T17:57:48","modified_gmt":"2026-02-13T22:57:48","slug":"the-charles-o-hayford-state-fish-hatchery-in-hackettstown","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/deptest.nj.gov\/njfw\/fishing\/freshwater\/the-charles-o-hayford-state-fish-hatchery-in-hackettstown\/","title":{"rendered":"Charles O. Hayford State Fish Hatchery in Hackettstown"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

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110 Years of the Hackettstown State Fish Hatchery<\/strong><\/a> <\/i><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Superintendents of the Hackettstown Fish Hatchery<\/strong><\/a> <\/i><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stocking Summaries<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pike in Passaic River Article Updated for 2020<\/strong><\/a>
Netting Fish At the Hackettstown Hatchery<\/strong><\/a> (Facebook LIVE, 10\/11\/17)
New Jersey\u2019s Other Hatchery<\/strong><\/a> – app.com feature, video<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Charles O. Hayford State Fish Hatchery, more commonly known as the Hackettstown State Fish Hatchery, opened in 1912. The facility was responsible for trout production up to 1981, when the Pequest Trout Hatchery<\/a> took over coldwater production. Hackettstown’s emphasis then turned to cool and warm water production.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The hatchery is currently responsible for the production and distribution of 15 species<\/a> of cool and warm water fish depending on annual requests from Fish and Wildlife’s regional fisheries biologists<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The hatchery also raises multiple species of fish to supply to county mosquito control programs through the Office of Mosquito Control Coordination<\/a>‘s Biological Control Program<\/a>. Annual production numbers range from 1.5 to 2.5 million fish per year. (See summaries<\/a> below.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The hatchery is located in Hackettstown, Warren County, along the banks of the Musconetcong River. The facility actually has two separate components, the West Hatchery and the East Hatchery that are situated, as their names imply, on the east and west sides of Hackettstown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The West or main segment (199 acres) consists of a large state of the art fish culture facility and a 100-acre extensive pond complex consisting of more than 60 earthen ponds. These ponds range in size from .25-5 acres. The East Hatchery (34 acres) is used for extensive production only, consisting of 40 earthen ponds, which range in size from .25-1 acre. The main water supply for both hatcheries is 52-degree spring water naturally bubbling out of the ground.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fish Production Information and Summaries<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fish Species Raised at Hackettstown<\/a>
Trapnetting and Spawning Operations<\/a>
Pond Work and Harvesting<\/a>
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Stocking Summaries by Species and Water<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n