"Broodstock" or "breeders" as they are called, are the gold standards of New Jersey’s trout stocking program. Weighing in at 3 pounds to 5 pounds and averaging 16 inches to 24 inches in length, these mature fish were used the previous fall to obtain and fertilize eggs as part of the Pequest State Trout Hatchery’s continuous production cycle. That makes them 2.5 years old and several pounds heavier than the average trout stocked in the spring, which are typically ½ pound in weight and a year and a half old.

After the broodstock are spawned in the hatchery, about 1,000 are stocked in the fall along with another 25,000 trout measuring 14 inches to 16 inches. The remaining 4,000 to 6,000 broodstock are stocked the following spring, primarily before the opening day of the trout season. Most of these fish are mixed in with the spring season stocking runs, but not all…

For additional excitement, the Division picks nine trout-stocked ponds and small lakes every year and loads them up with additional "bonus broodstock." This is usually five times more broodstock than those particular bodies of water would normally receive! Imagine going to a small pond or lake and latching onto one of these lunkers. Actually, there is no need to imagine – you can!

Don’t miss this exciting opportunity. The list and map below will help you find the lakes and ponds receiving the bonus broodstock for 2009. And remember – trout season begins this year on Saturday April 11 – so dust off your tackle and get ready for another exciting year of trout fishing in New Jersey!

If you’re lucky, you may land that 'lifetime trout' and have your own fish story to tell for years to come.

The table below provides information on where the bonus broodstock are being stocked. The map is a separate file in PDF format.

Bonus Broodstock Waters Location Map (pdf, 100kb)

2009 BONUS BROODSTOCK PONDS AND LAKES
Waterbody	County	Waterbody Size (acres)	Pre-season Trout Allocation1	Pre-season Broodstock Allocation
				2009	2008
Amwell Lake	Hunterdon	10	400	50	10
Barbour's Pond	Passaic	12	410	50	10
Crystal Lake	Burlington	20	530	50	10
Echo Lake	Monmouth	6	350	30	5
Heritage Park Pond	Atlantic	6	420	50	10
Milton Lake	Union	10	470	50	10
Mountain Farm Pond	Hunterdon	5	340	30	5
Rowands Pond	Camden	3	250	30	5
Verona Park Lake	Essex	13	490	50	10
1 - The pre-season allocation includes both the production size trout (10½ inch average size) and the broodstock. The pre-season trout allocation is stocked prior to Opening Day.

Directions to these and other trout-stocked waters can be found at www.njfishandwildlife.com/accesscnty.htm - Fishing Access Locations on Trout Waters.

ADDITIONAL LINKS

	Spring 2009 Trout Information
	Places to Fish - Ponds
	Places to Fish - Streams
	Sea Run Brown Trout
	Fishing Regulations
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