Maryland fall trout stocking starts the first full week of October

Maryland’s Department of Natural Resources will start fall trout stocking the first full week of October. Hatchery rainbow, brown, and golden rainbow trout are headed into streams and impoundments for the autumn put-and-take season.

Crews expect to hit 26 waterbodies with more than 15,000 trout averaging just under a pound. Which sites actually get fish depends on conditions that week. DNR will post daily location and count updates on its trout stocking page and send them out by email and social media.

Anyone 16 or older needs a Maryland fishing license plus a trout stamp. Albert Powell Fish Hatchery is in the middle of a renovation aimed at spring 2028 — dirt work, walls, and utility reroutes are underway, and the hatchery is closed to visitors — but raising fish and stocking will continue through the construction.

Photo: Maryland Department of Natural Resources (brown trout).

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

Source: Maryland DNR — Maryland Department of Natural Resources to Begin Fall Trout Stocking for 2026 (Sept. 30, 2026).