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December 7, 2001

DIVISION STOCKS CATFISH, LAKE TROUT & MUSKELLUNGE

For more information contact:
Al Ivany at 609-292-2084

The Division of Fish and Wildlife stocked nearly 22,000 channel catfish, 3,200 lake trout and 2,100 muskellunge in selected ponds, lakes, rivers and reservoirs throughout the state during late October and early November. The stockings were part of the Division's new and improved warmwater fisheries program, which is starting to reap the benefits of several years of extensive renovations to the Hackettstown Hatchery.

"Extensive renovations to the Hackettstown Hatchery have made it a premier facility," said Division Director Bob McDowell. "Warmwater fish that were previously raised in small indoor tanks are now raised in large modern tanks inside a newly constructed aquaculture building that includes an intricate system of pumps, filters, heat exchangers and water temperature control systems. The renovations were the result of Green Acres Bond funding and are now starting to pay dividends to our anglers in the form of larger fish and increased warmwater fishing opportunities."

The Division annually hatches more than 1.6 million warmwater and coolwater fish at the Hackettstown hatchery of which over 600,000 are released as fingerlings and advanced fingerlings in New Jersey's lakes, ponds and reservoirs throughout the year. Last year alone the facility reared and released record numbers of game fish fingerlings and advanced fingerlings including 165,000 walleye, 40,000 channel catfish, 30,000 muskies, 37,000 pike and 75,000 smallmouth, largemouth and hybrid striped bass.

Listed below are the fish that have been stocked this past October and November.
Date Location #Fish Avg. Length (inches)
Channel Catfish
10/22 Carnegie Lake 2,377 6.83
  Mercer Lake 2,070 6.83
  Gropps Lake 650 6.83
  Peddie Lake 400 6.83
  Rosedale Lake 760 6.83
10/23 Mirror Lake 2,590 7.36
  Swedes Lake 1,140 7.36
  Greenwich Lake 543 7.36
  Swedesboro Lake 520 7.36
10/24 Giampetro Park Pond 275 7.48
  Shaws Mill Pond 750 7.48
  Mary Elmer Lake 450 7.48
  Sunset Lake 1,760 7.48
  Thundergut Pond 350 7.48
  Elmer Lake 1,100 7.48
  Franklinville Lake 450 7.48
  Harrisonville Lake 750 7.48
  Iona Lake 900 7.48
  Woodstown Lake 500 7.48
10/31 Manasquan Reservoir 1,800 5.49
  Assunpink Lake 900 5.49
  Mercer Lake

900

5.49

 
Lake Trout
11/1 Merrill Creek Reservoir

3,260

7.62

 
Muskellunge
10/19 Greenwood Lake

2,179

8.75