[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””]NJ DEPARTMENT of ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION<\/b>
\nNATURAL AND HISTORIC RESOURCES
\nDIVISION OF FISH AND WILDLIFE AND
\nFISH AND GAME COUNCIL<\/p>\n
Notice of Rule Proposal<\/strong> PUBLIC NOTICE<\/strong> Proposed amendments include the following: The Council proposes to regulate a 4.2 mile section of the Big Flat Brook, from Route 206 bridge downstream to the Roy Bridge, and the South Branch of the Raritan River, Ken Lockwood Gorge section, as catch and release only, artificial lures and flies only.\u00a0 As a result of this change the Council proposes to no longer regulate the Ken Lockwood Gorge as a Year Round Trout Conservation Area.\u00a0 The Council proposes to add four waterbodies, Manalapan Lake (Middlesex), Franklin Lake (Monmouth), Nomahegan Park Pond (Union), and Mountain Lake (Warren), to the Division\u2019s trout stocking program.\u00a0 In addition, three waterbodies are also proposed to be removed from the Division\u2019s trout stocking program, Farrington Lake (Middlesex), Shadow Lake (Monmouth), and Takanassee Lake (Monmouth) from the Division\u2019s trout stocking program.\u00a0 The proposal also includes extending the upstream boundary of the trout-stocked section of Lawrence Brook from the Farrington Lake dam to the Davidson\u2019s Mill Pond dam, upstream of Farrington Lake to assure appropriate protection of stocked fish. \u00a0Due to the popularity of other early season fisheries the Council proposes to exempt Mountain Lake and a portion of the newly expanded trout-stocked section of Lawrence Brook, from Davidson\u2019s Mill Road bridge downstream to the Farrington Lake dam, from the pre-season stocking closure.\u00a0 Any trout caught in these waters during the three week pre-season stocking period would have to be immediately released.\u00a0 The Council also proposes to regulate Tilcon Lake as a Holdover Trout Lake, establishing a 12-inch minimum size limit for Atlantic salmon, and a daily creel limit of two salmon per day.\u00a0 The lake is a potential candidate for the introduction of landlocked salmon.\u00a0 A 15-inch minimum size limit and a daily creel limit of three for largemouth and smallmouth bass in Lake Audrey (Cumberland County) is proposed to replace current catch and release regulations.\u00a0 As more creative ice fishing devices, both commercially manufactured and personally devised, are being used by anglers, the Council proposes to restrict ice supported tip-ups, fishing rods and hand lines to a single line per device.\u00a0 The Council also proposes to expand the types of devices that may use natural bait to include all allowed ice fishing devices.\u00a0 Traps for the taking of snapping turtles are proposed to be required to be set so that the topmost two inches of the trap remains exposed above the surface of the water and that flotation devices in the traps be designed to maintain the trap afloat for 24 hours.\u00a0 The harvest of snapping turtles is also proposed to be prohibited from waters that are subject to specified Department of Environmental Protection fish consumption advisories.\u00a0 The Council proposes to reflect the Emergency Closure Notice (Fish and Game Council, March 2012) prohibiting the possession, take or sale of alewife or blueback herring from any freshwater stream or river in the State Fish Code.\u00a0 As such, landlocked herring may only be taken from freshwater lakes in Morris, Passaic, Sussex and Warren counties and Spruce Run Reservoir in Hunterdon County; may only be used on the lake from which they were taken; must be released upon the conclusion of the angler’s fishing trip; and must be no greater than six inches in length.\u00a0 Possession of purchased herring no greater than six inches in length may be possessed for up to seven days from date of purchase, when accompanied by a receipt only in freshwater lakes other than those specified above.\u00a0 As landlocked alewife populations in lakes are considered stable the Council proposes to increase the daily creel of landlocked alewife herring, for personal use, from 10 to 35 in freshwater lakes in Morris, Passaic, Sussex and Warren counties and Spruce Run Reservoir in Hunterdon County.\u00a0 The Council also proposes to reflect the Emergency Closure Notice (Fish and Game Council, March 2013), closing all State waters American shad fisheries (both commercial and recreational), with the exception of the Delaware Bay, and Delaware River and its tributaries in the State Fish Code.<\/p>\n The proposal is scheduled to be published in the New Jersey Register dated September 16, 2013.\u00a0 A copy of the proposal (PDF) is available from: https:\/\/deptest.nj.gov\/rules\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/70\/proposals\/20130916a.pdf<\/a>; LexisNexis Customer Services at (800) 223-1944 or https:\/\/www.lexisnexis.com\/hottopics\/njoal\/<\/a>.\u00a0 Be advised that there may be a fee for obtaining a copy of the proposal from some sources.<\/p>\n A public hearing(s) concerning the proposal is scheduled as follows:<\/p>\n Tuesday, October 8, 2013 at 7 pm
\nProposed Amendments to 2014\u20132015 Fish Code N.J.A.C. 7:25-6<\/p>\n
\nTake notice that the NJ Department of Environmental Protection, Fish and Game Council is proposing amendments to N.J.A.C. 7:25-6, the Fish Code.\u00a0 A statement of the substance of the proposal follows:\u00a0 The proposed 2014-2015 Fish Code, N.J.A.C. 7:25-6, states when, by what means, at which locations, in what numbers, and at what sizes, freshwater fish may be pursued, caught, killed, or possessed.\u00a0 Since the turn of the century, the Fish Code has provided a system for the protection, propagation, introduction and conservation of freshwater fish in this State and for their use and development for public recreation and food supply. Biennial revisions of season dates, creel limits and other regulations based on scientific investigation and research ensures the greatest likelihood of success in reaching these goals.\u00a0 The Fish Code governs when, by what means, at which locations, in what numbers, and at what sizes, fish may be pursued, caught, killed, or possessed.<\/p>\n
\nNJ Division of Fish and Wildlife Central Region Office
\nAssunpink Wildlife Management Area
\n1 Eldridge Road
\nRobbinsville, NJ 07719<\/p><\/blockquote>\n