Maryland DNR begins fall trout stocking across streams and impoundments

Maryland’s fall trout program is underway the first full week of October. The Department of Natural Resources said crews will stock 26 waterbodies with more than 15,000 hatchery-raised brown, golden rainbow, and rainbow trout averaging just under a pound each. Exact sites depend on local conditions at stocking time.

Daily updates with locations and numbers are posted on DNR’s trout stocking webpage and shared by email and social channels. Anglers should confirm current regulations in the Maryland Guide to Fishing and Crabbing or on the DNR site. A Maryland fishing license is required for anglers 16 and older, plus a trout stamp when targeting trout.

Albert Powell Fish Hatchery remains closed to visitors while a major rebuild runs toward a spring 2028 completion, but stocking continues during construction. DNR says renovations will add recirculation, UV and filtration, upgraded wastewater treatment, and a new hatch building aimed at raising more healthy trout for future seasons.

This is a The Gillnet news desk summary, not a reprint.

Source: Maryland Department of Natural Resources — Fall trout stocking for 2026 (Sept. 30, 2026).