Maryland Finishes Fall Trout Stocking With 18,150 Fish

Maryland’s Department of Natural Resources says its fall put-and-take trout stocking is finished. Crews released 18,150 rainbow, golden rainbow and brown trout into 27 waterbodies across the state through October.

What was stocked and where

The 27 waters break down into 15 streams and rivers and 12 lakes and ponds. Put-and-take means the fish are placed in the water so anglers can catch them, rather than being expected to build a wild population.

The stocked waters are spread across many counties. Examples named in the stocking summary include:

• Allegany County: Lake Habeeb (Rocky Gap) and Town Creek
• Baltimore County: the Patapsco River at Avalon and Daniels, and Upper Gunpowder Falls
• Frederick County: Rainbow Lake, Cunningham Falls Lake and Carroll Creek
• Garrett County: Savage Reservoir and the Casselman River
• Washington County: Antietam Creek (Devil’s Backbone), Greenbrier Lake and Blairs Valley Lake

The state also stocked sites in Calvert, Caroline, Carroll, Cecil, Charles, Harford, Howard, Montgomery and Prince George’s counties. The department points anglers to its trout stocking webpage for the number of fish put in at each location, and to a trout stocking map to find the sites.

Why the fall season is smaller

According to the department, the smaller fall stocking frees up space in Maryland hatcheries. That lets the trout meant for spring stay and grow larger before release. It also gives anglers a chance to fish for trout in the fall.

Fish stocked in the fall generally weigh slightly more than a pound each, thanks to four additional months of growth in the hatchery.

What it means for anglers

If you fish for trout, the fall release gives you fish in the water now, not only in spring. Several of the stocked waters carry special management rules, and those are worth checking before you go:

• Delayed harvest: Town Creek, the Casselman River and the Middle Patuxent River are listed as delayed harvest waters.
• Catch-and-return: Morgan Run is catch-and-return with artificial lures only. The Patuxent catch-and-return section is limited to artificial fly fishing.
• Daily limit: the Patapsco River at Daniels is listed with a two-per-day limit.
• Restricted access: Carroll Creek is listed as youth and blind only.

The department says the stocked delayed harvest and catch-and-return waters should provide plenty of fishing through the winter. Because the summary uses short labels, read the current rules for any water before you fish it.

Who pays for it

The department says the work was made possible by funding from the sale of fishing licenses and stamps, and from the sale of fishing tackle, boats and marine fuel.

What comes next

Stocking is due to resume in February 2027. Youth Only Trout Fishing Day will take place on March 20, and the spring season will begin on the traditional Trout Opening Day on March 27.

Source: The Fishing Wire