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2013 REGULATIONS

Regulations in red are new this year.
Purple text indicates an important note.

General Trout Fishing Regulations
Brook, Brown & Rainbow Trout (and their hybrids and strains)
Season	Minimum Size	Daily Limit	Exceptions
January1–March 17	9 inches	4	1. Trout-stocked waters with spring in-season closures are closed to fishing 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. on days listed for stocking (See listing below). 2. Special regulation areas (wild trout streams, year round and seasonal trout conservation areas, trophy and holdover trout lakes). 3. On lakes Farrington, Hopatcong, Prospertown, Shenandoah and Swartswood fishing is permitted during the period March 18–April 6 at 8 a.m. All trout caught during this period must immediately be released. 4. Greenwood Lake and Delaware River—see separate regulations for boundary waters in Greenwood Lake Regulations and Delaware River Regulations.
March 18–April 6 at 8 a.m.	Fishing prohibited on trout stocked waters. Catch and release for trout in all other waters.
April 6 at 8 a.m.–May 31	9 inches	6
June 1–Dec. 31	9 inches	4
Lake Trout Regulations
Season	Minimum Size	Daily Limit	Exceptions
Jan. 1–Dec. 31	15 inches	2	Trophy Trout Lakes (Round Valley Reservoir, Merrill Creek Reservoir), see below

Trout Stocked Waters Closed to Fishing on Spring In-season Stocking Dates
After opening day, these waters are closed to fishing from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. on their designated stocking dates. Closures apply to all tributaries for 100 feet from the main channel. There are no closures for ANY waters in the fall.
Trout Stocked Waters Closed to Fishing (5 a.m. to 5 p.m.) on Spring in-season Stocking Dates
Stocking Dates	Waterbody	County	Location
MONDAYS April 8, 15, 22, 29 May 6, 13, 20	Manasquan River	Monmouth	Rt. 9 bridge downstream to Bennetts Bridge, Manasquan WMA
	Metedeconk River, N/Br.	Ocean	Aldrich Rd. bridge to Ridge Ave.
	Metedeconk River, S/Br.	Ocean	Bennetts Mill dam to twin wooden foot bridge, opposite Lake Park Blvd. on South Lake Dr., Lakewood
	Rockaway River	Morris	Longwood Lake dam (Jefferson Twp.) to Jersey City Reservoir in Boonton
	Toms River	Ocean	Rt. 528, Holmansville, to conﬂuence with Maple Root Branch, and Rt. 70 bridge to Rt. 571 bridge (Exception: the section regulated as a Year Round Trout Conservation Area; see separate regulation.)
	Wallkill River	Sussex	Lake Mohawk dam to Rt. 23, Hamburg
TUESDAYS April 9, 16, 23, 30 May 7, 14, 21	Pohatcong Creek	Warren	Rt. 31 to Delaware River
TUESDAYS April 9, 16, 23, 30 May 7, 14, 21	Raritan River, S/Br.	Morris, Somerset, Hunterdon	Budd Lake dam to junction with N/Br. Raritan River (Exception: the sections regulated as a Year-Round Trout Conservation Areas; see separate regulation.)
WEDNESDAYS April 10, 17, 24 May 1, 8, 15, 22	Raritan River, N/Br.	Somerset	Peapack Rd. bridge in Far Hills to junction with S/Br. Raritan River
THURSDAYS April 11, 18, 25 May 2, 9, 16, 23	Black River	Morris	Rt. 206, Chester to the posted Black River Fish & Game Club property at the lower end of Hacklebarney State Park
	Paulinskill River, and E/Br. and W/Br.	Sussex, Warren	Limecrest RR spur bridge on E/Br., Sparta Twp., and Warbasse Jct. Rd. (Rt. 663) on W/Br., Lafayette Twp., to Columbia Lake
	Ramapo River	Bergen	State line to Pompton Lake (excluding Potash Lake)
FRIDAYS April 12, 19, 26 May 3, 10, 17, 24	Big Flat Brook	Sussex	100 ft. above Steam Mill bridge on Crigger Rd. in Stokes State Forest to Delaware River (Note: See special regulations pertaining to Fly Fishing Areas.)
	Musconetcong River	Sussex, Morris, Warren and Hunterdon	Lake Hopatcong dam to Delaware River including all main stem impoundments except for Lake Musconetcong (Exception: the section regulated as a Year Round Trout Conservation Area; see separate regulation.)
	Pequest River	Warren and Sussex	Source downstream to Delaware River (Exception: the section regulated as a Seasonal Trout Conservation Area; see separate regulation.)
	Wanaque River	Passaic	Greenwood Lake dam to Wanaque Reservoir dam and from Wanaque Ave. bridge, Pompton Lakes to jct. with Pequannock River, excluding the Wanaque and Monksville reservoirs.

Trout Conservation Areas (TCAs)
Year Round TCAs
Season	Minimum Size	Daily Limit	Restrictions (in effect year round)
Jan. 1–March 17	15 inches	1	1. Only artificial lures may be used. 2. Possession or use of bait (live or preserved) or any substance (natural or synthetic) that contains a concentration of bait scent is prohibited. 3. Fishing is permitted during the spring in-season closures which apply to the river. All trout caught during these periods must be released immediately.
March 18–April 6 at 8 a.m.	Catch and release only
April 6 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.
Raritan S/Br—Ken Lockwood Gorge (Hunterdon) Section of S/Br within the Ken Lockwood Gorge Wildlife Management Area (approx. 2.5 miles)			Road in gorge is closed to through traffic. Rt. 31 to Rt. 513. Upper boundary:turn right at Hoffman’s Crossing Rd., take first right after bridge. Lower boundary: turn right on Silverthorne-Cokesbury Rd., turn left after crossing river. Park only in designated areas.
Raritan S/Br—Claremont Stretch (Morris) End of Angler’s Anonymous property (private) downstream to confluence with Electric Brook (approx. 1.1 miles)			From light in Long Valley on Rt. 513 (Mill Rd.) and Rt. 517, go north on Schooley’s Mt. Rd. Take immediate right after bridge onto Fairview Rd. Parking area approximately 1 mile on right. Follow path to river.
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.
seasonal TCAs
Season	Minimum Size	Daily Limit	Restrictions
Jan. 1–March 17	15 inches	1	1. Only artificial lures may be used. 2. Possession or use of bait (live or preserved) or any substance (natural or synthetic) that contains a concentration of bait scent is prohibited. 3. Pequest River—fishing is not permitted during the first six in-season stocking closure dates. (See Trout Stocked Waters Closed to Fishing on Spring Stocking Dates, above). Fishing is permitted during the last in-season stocking closure date (May 24), but all trout caught between 5 a.m. and 5 p.m. must immediately be released.
March 18–April 5	Catch and release only
April 6 (12:01 a.m. to 8 a.m.)	Fishing prohibited
April 6 at 8 a.m.–May 19 Gear restrictions do not apply	9 inches	6
May 20–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.
* Directions to public-access portions on other trout stocked waters are available at NJFishandWildlife.com/accesscnty.htm

Fly Fishing Areas
Season	Minimum Size	Daily Limit	Restrictions
Jan. 1–March 17	9 inches	4	1. Only artificial flies may be used, specifically limited to dry flies, wet flies, bucktails, nymphs and streamers. Expressly prohibited are metal, plastic, or wooden lures, plugs, spinners and flies with spinners attached or any multiple-hooked device. Spinning reels or any type of angling whereby a fly is cast directly from the reel are expressly prohibited. 2. Possession or use of bait (live or preserved) or any substance (natural or synthetic) that contains a concentration of bait scent is prohibited. 3. After opening day and through May, fishing is prohibited from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. on dates listed for stocking. (See Trout Stocked Waters Closed to Fishing on Spring In-Season Stocking Dates, above.)
March 18–April 6 at 8 a.m.	Fishing prohibited
April 6 at 8 a.m.–April 15 at 5 a.m. No gear restrictions except on Blewett Tract	9 inches	6
April 15 at 5 a.m.–May 31	9 inches	6
June 1–Dec. 31	9 inches	4
Waterbody (County)	Location
Big Flat Brook (Sussex)	Rt. 206 bridge downstream to the Roy Bridge on Mountain Rd., a distance of approx. 4 miles, except that portion known as the Blewett Tract
Big Flat Brook [Blewett Tract] (Sussex)	A 0.5 mile portion on the Big Flat Brookclearly defined by markers, which extends from the Three Bridges Rd. to a point upstream of the jct. of the Big Flat Brook and Little Flat Brook.

Boundary Waters (see Delaware River Regulations)
Locations	Species	Season	Minimum Size	Daily Limit
Delaware River	All trout species	April 13 at 8 a.m.–Oct. 15 (Trout caught at other times must be released immediately.)	No minimum	5

Trout Lakes
Trophy Trout Lakes
Waterbody (County)	Species	Season	Minimum Size	Daily Limit
Merrill Creek Reservoir (Warren)	Brown & Rainbow Trout and their hybrids	Open year round	15 inches	2
	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 (Hunterdon)	Brown & Rainbow Trout and their hybrids	Open year round	15 inches	2
	Lake Trout	Jan. 1–Sept. 15	15 to less than 24 inches AND greater than or equal to 24 inches	6 AND 1
		Sept. 16–Nov. 30	Catch and release only
		Dec. 1–Dec. 31	15 to less than 24 inches AND greater than or equal to 24 inches	6 AND 1
Holdover Trout Lakes
Waterbody (County)	Species	Season	Minimum Size	Daily Limit
Clinton Reservoir (Passaic) Lake Aeroﬂex(Sussex) Lake Wawayanda(Sussex) Sheppard Lake (Passaic) White Lake (Warren) *Waterbodies stocked with salmon	Brook, Brown & Rainbow Trout and their hybrids	Jan.1–March 17	9 inches	2
		March 18–April 6 at 8 a.m.	Catch and release only
		April 6 at 8 a.m.–May 31	9 inches	4
		June 1–Dec. 31	9 inches	2
	Landlocked Atlantic Salmon	Jan. 1–March 17	12 inches	2
		March 18–April 6 at 8 a.m.	Catch and release only
		April 6 at 8 a.m.–Dec. 31	12 inches	2

Wild Trout Streams
Season	Minimum Size	Daily Limit	Location	Restrictions
Jan. 1–April 6 at 8 a.m.	Catch and release only		Statewide	1. Only artificial lures may be used. 2. Possession or use of bait (live or preserved) or any substance (natural or synthetic) that contains a concentration of bait scent is prohibited.
April 6 at 8 a.m.–Sept.15	9 inches	2	Statewide (exceptions below)
April 6 at 8 a.m.–Sept.15	12 inches Brown Trout	2 combined	Pequannock River, Van Campens Brook and Wanaque River. See designated sections below.
April 6 at 8 a.m.–Sept.15	9 inches Rainbow & Brook Trout	2 combined
Sept. 16 – Dec. 31	Catch and release only		Statewide
Wild Trout Streams (entire length unless otherwise indicated)
Bear Creek (Southtown) Bear Swamp Brook (Mahwah) Black Brook (Clinton WMA) Burnett Brook (Ralston) Cold Brook (Oldwick) Dark Moon Brook (also known as Bear Brook) (Johnsonburg) Dunnﬁeld Creek (Worthington S.F.) Flanders Brook (Flanders) Hance’s Brook (Penwell) Hickory Run (Califon) India Brook (source to Mountainside Ave., Mendham) Indian Grove Brook (Bernardsville) Jackson Brook (source to Hedden Park Lake, Mine Hill Twp.) Ledgewood Brook (Ledgewood) Little York Brook (Little York) Lomerson Brook (also known as Herzog Brook) (Pottersville) Merrill Creek (Stewartsville) Mill Brook (Montague) N/Br. Rockaway Creek (Mountainville) Parker Brook (Montague) Passaic River (source to Rt. 202, Bernardsville) Pequannock River(Oak Ridge Rd. bridge in Newark Watershed, downstream to railroad bridge immediately upstream of Charlottesburg Res. and from Rt. 23 bridge at Smoke Rise downstream to the Rt. 23 bridge at Smith Mills) Rhineharts Brook (Hacklebarney S.P.) Rocky Run (Clinton Twp.) Saddle River (state line to Lake St., Upper Saddle River) Stephensburg Creek (Stephensburg) Stony Brook (Stokes S.F.) Stony Brook (Washington Twp., Morris Co.) Tetertown Brook (Tetertown) Trout Brook (Hacklebarney S.P.) Turkey Brook (Mt. Olive) Van Campens Brook (Del. Water Gap Nat. Rec. Area) Wanaque River (Wanaque Reservoir Dam downstream to Wanaque Ave. bridge—Pompton Lakes) West Brook (source downstream to Windbeam Club property) Whippany River (source to Tingley Rd., Mendham Twp.) Willoughby Brook (also known as Buffalo Hollow Brook) (Clinton Twp.)

Regulations in red are new this year.

Purple text indicates an important note.