Trout Fishing Regulations
New Jersey
Freshwater Fishing
General Trout Fishing Regulations | |||
Brook, Brown & Rainbow Trout (and their hybrids and strains) | |||
*ALL BROOK TROUT CAUGHT WITHIN THE BROOK TROUT CONSERVATION ZONE MUST BE IMMEDIATELY RELEASED UNHARMED. | |||
Season | Minimum Size | Daily Limit | Exceptions |
January 1–March 14 | 9 inches | 4* |
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March 15-March 31 | Fishing prohibited on trout stocked waters. Catch and release for trout in all other waters. | ||
April 1 at 8 a.m. – April 9 | Catch and release for trout. | ||
April 10 (12 a.m. – 7:59 a.m.) | Fishing prohibited on trout stocked waters. | ||
April 10 at 8 a.m.–May 31 | 9 inches | 6* | |
June 1–Dec. 31 | 9 inches | 4* |
Boundary Waters (see Delaware River) | ||||
Locations | Species | Season | Minimum Size | Daily Limit |
Delaware River | All trout species | April 17 at 8 a.m.–Oct. 15 | No minimum | 5 |
Trout Conservation Areas (TCAs) *ALL BROOK TROUT CAUGHT WITHIN BROOK TROUT CONSERVATION ZONE MUST BE IMMEDIATELY RELEASED UNHARMED. | |||
Season | Minimum Size | Daily Limit | Restrictions (in effect year round) |
Jan. 1–March 14 | 15 inches | 1 |
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March 15-April 10 at 8 a.m. | Catch and release only | ||
April 10 at 8 a.m.–Dec. 31 | 15 inches | 1 (see #3 at right) | |
Year Round TCA Waterbody (County) | Driving Directions * | ||
Musconetcong River**—Point Mountain Stretch (Hunterdon/Warren) Penwell Rd. bridge downstream to Point Mountain Rd. bridge (approx. 1.2 miles) | Rt. 31 to Rt. 57 E. Upper boundary: turn right on Penwell Rd. Lower boundary: turn right on Point Mountain Rd. Parking areas located near each bridge. | ||
Toms River (Ocean) End of Riverwood Park (Tom’s River Twp.) downstream to Rt. 571 bridge (approx. 1 mile) | Rt. 195 (Exit 21) to Rts. 527/528 S. (Cedar Swamp Rd./ Veterans Hwy.) to Rt. 527 S. (Whitesville Rd.) to Riverwood Dr. to entrance of Riverview Park. | ||
Season | Minimum Size | Daily Limit | Restrictions |
Jan. 1–March 14 | 15 inches | 1 |
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March 15–April 9 | Catch and release only | ||
April 10 (12:01 a.m. to 8 a.m.) | Fishing prohibited | ||
April 10 at 8 a.m.–May 23 | 9 inches | 6 | |
May 24–Dec. 31 | 15 inches | 1 | |
Seasonal TCA Waterbody (County) | Driving Directions * | ||
Pequannock River** (Morris/Passaic) Railroad trestle below Appelt Park, Bloomingdale, downstream to Hamburg Turnpike bridge, Pompton Lakes (approx. 1.3 miles) | I-287 (Exit 53). Proceed west on (Paterson) Hamburg Turnpike .34 miles. Right on Brant Ln. Railroad trestle below Appelt Park is the upstream boundary. | ||
Pequest River** (Warren) Conrail Railroad bridge, located upstream of the Pequest Trout Hatchery Access Road, downstream to Rt. 625 (Pequest Furnace Rd.) bridge (approx. 1.4 miles) | Rt. 31 to Rt. 46 E, approx. 4 mi. to Pequest Trout Hatchery; paved parking lot. | ||
Trout-Stocked Streams — Wild Brown Trout Managed *ALL BROOK TROUT CAUGHT WITHIN BROOK TROUT CONSERVATION ZONE MUST BE IMMEDIATELY RELEASED UNHARMED. | ||||
Waterbody | Season | Species | Minimum Size | Daily Limit |
Hakihohake Creek** – Little York-Mount Pleasant Rd., Little York Alexandria Twp. to Delaware R. Lopatcong Creek** – Rt. 519, Harmony Twp., Warren to Delaware R. Pophandusing Creek** – White Twp., entire length Raritan River S. Br.** – Mill dam located 200 feet above Schooley’s Mountain Rd. (Rt 517), Long Valley (Hunterdon), downstream to Lake Solitude dam, excluding Ken Lockwood Gorge (Catch and Release Only) Saddle River – Lake Street, Upper Saddle River Twp., to West Century Rd., Fairlawn/Paramus Boroughs | Jan. 1–March 14 | Rainbow and Brook Trout* | 9 inches | 4 combined |
Brown Trout | 12 inches | |||
March 15 – March 31 | — | Fishing prohibited | ||
April 1 – April 9 | Brook, Brown & Rainbow Trout | Catch and release | ||
April 10 at 8 a.m.–May 31 | Rainbow and Brook Trout* | 9 inches | 6 combined | |
Brown Trout | 12 inches | |||
June 1–Dec. 31 | Rainbow and Brook Trout* | 9 inches | 4 combined | |
Brown Trout | 12 inches | |||
Catch and Release Areas | |||
Season | Minimum Size | Daily Limit | Restrictions |
Jan. 1–Dec. 31 | Catch and release all trout |
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Catch and Release Waterbody (County) | Driving Directions * | ||
Big Flat / Flat Brook (Sussex) Rt. 206 bridge downstream to the Roy Bridge on Mountain Rd., a distance of 4.2 miles, including the portion known as the Blewett Tract. | Upper boundary: Rt. 206 bridge, approx. 1.6 miles north of entrance to Stokes State Forest (Coursen Road). Lower boundary: Rt. 206 north, app. 1 mile past Stokes State Forest entrance, turn left on Rt. 560. At Layton bear left on Bevans Rd. (Rt. 640) towards Walpack. Continue south 3.4 miles (NPS Rd 615), left onto Fish and Wildlife Rd. to Roy Bridge. | ||
Raritan S. Br.—Ken Lockwood Gorge (Hunterdon) Section of S. Br. within the Ken Lockwood Gorge Wildlife Management Area (approx. 2.2 miles). | Ken Lockwood Gorge — Road in gorge is closed to through traffic. Route 31 to Rt. 513. Upper boundary: Turn right at Hoffman’s Crossing Rd., take first right after bridge. Lower boundary: Turn right onto Silverthorne-Cokesbury Rd., turn left after crossing river. Park only in designated areas. |
Wild Trout Streams | ||||
Native Brook Trout Streams (Brook Trout Dominant) | ||||
Species | Minimum Size | Season | Daily Limit | Gear |
Brook Trout | Catch & Release | April 10 at 8 a.m. to Sept. 15 | 2 Brown or Rainbow Trout combined |
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Rainbow Trout | No min. size | |||
Brown Trout | No min. size | |||
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Wild Trout Streams (Multiple wild trout species present) | ||||
Species | Minimum Size | Season | Daily Limit | Gear |
Brook Trout | Catch & Release in Zone | April 10 at 8 a.m. to Sept. 15 | 2 Brown or Rainbow Trout combined |
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Rainbow Trout | 9” | |||
Brown Trout | 9” | |||
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Wild Brown Trout Enhancement Streams (Brown Trout dominant, other wild trout species may be present) | ||||
Species | Minimum Size | Season | Daily Limit | Gear |
Brook Trout | Catch & Release in Zone* | April 10 at 8 a.m. to Sept. 15 | 2 Brown or Rainbow Trout combined |
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Rainbow Trout | 9” | |||
Brown Trout | 12” | |||
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* Saddle River is outside the Brook Trout Conservation Zone therefore a 9 inch limit for brook trout applies. and a daily limit of 2 trout in total (Brook, Brown, and Rainbow Trout combined). |
Trout Lakes | ||||
Waterbody (County) | Species | Season | Minimum Size | Daily Limit |
Merrill Creek Reservoir | Brown & Rainbow Trout (and their hybrids) and Landlocked Atlantic Salmon | Open year round | 15 inches | 2 combined |
Lake Trout | Jan. 1–Sept. 15 | 15 inches | 2 | |
Sept. 16–Nov. 30 | Catch and release only | |||
Dec. 1–Dec. 31 | 15 inches | 2 | ||
Round Valley Reservoir | Brown & Rainbow Trout (and their hybrids) | Open year round | 15 inches | 2 combined |
Lake Trout | Jan. 1–Sept. 15 | 15 to less than 24 inches | 6 | |
Sept. 16–Nov. 30 | Catch and release only | |||
Dec. 1–Dec. 31 | 15 to less than 24 inches | 6 | ||
Waterbody (County) | Species | Season | Minimum Size | Daily Limit |
Clinton Reservoir (Passaic) Lake Aeroflex* (Sussex) Lake Wawayanda* (Sussex) Sheppard Lake (Passaic) Tilcon Lake* (Morris) White Lake (Warren) *Stocked with salmon | Brown & Rainbow Trout | Jan. 1–March 14 | 9 inches | 2 |
March 15–April 10 at 8 a.m. | Catch and release only | |||
April 10 at 8 a.m.–May 31 | 9 inches | 4 | ||
June 1–Dec. 31 | 9 inches | 2 | ||
Landlocked Atlantic Salmon | Jan. 1–March 14 | 12 inches | 2 | |
March 15–April 10 at 8 a.m. | Catch and release only | |||
April 10 at 8 a.m.–Dec. 31 | 12 inches | 2 |
