New Jersey fall trout stocking starts Oct. 13 with low-flow schedule changes

New Jersey’s fall trout drop begins Tuesday, Oct. 13, and runs through Oct. 22. NJDEP Fish & Wildlife combined the old fall and winter programs into one larger October push of about 29,000 two-year-old rainbow trout, with broodstock mixed into truckloads, across dozens of streams, lakes, and ponds statewide. There are no closed waters or closed stocking dates for the fall program.

Continued low flows forced schedule changes. Black River stocking is canceled entirely, with those fish redirected to the South Branch of the Raritan between Red Mill Dam and the North Branch confluence. Big Flat Brook upstream of Route 206 is too low; those fish move downstream of Route 206. Upper Rockaway River north of Dewey Avenue and Wallkill River upstream of the Passaic Street bridge are also canceled, with fish spread through the remaining stocked reaches of each river. The Lamington River (lower Black River) is still on the list where flows allow.

The daily trout limit from June 1 until next spring’s opener is two fish at least 9 inches. Anglers 16 and older need a fishing license and trout stamp. NJDEP says biologists will recheck levels before trucks roll and post any further schedule updates on the fall stocking page.

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

Source: NJDEP Fish & Wildlife — 2026 Fall Trout Stocking Schedule (updated for 2026 fall season).