October 15, 2002
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection's Division of Fish and Wildlife is continuing its popular Channel Catfish Stocking Program this year by releasing more than 37,000 fish in selected waters throughout the state from October 9-23. Each year the Division aims to release at least 35,000 channel cats, alternating each year between water bodies in the eastern half of the State and water bodies in the western half (there are 93 different water bodies in all).
This year, waters in the eastern half of the State will receive 37,627 fish averaging seven inches in length. Many of these lakes have been stocked biannually for the past 15 years and contain good numbers of "catchable" size fish already.
The 7-inch channel catfish being released this year have the potential to grow to 20 pounds or more. Many will be released into urban ponds and will provide local anglers a chance in the near future to experience the thrill of landing a hefty channel cat. The release of channel catfish is as follows:
The release of channel catfish is as follows:
Date Water Body Location # Fish 10/9 Greenwood Lake West Milford/Passaic Co. 3456 Green Turtle Pond West Milford/Passaic Co. 700 Monksville Reservoir Hewitt/Passaic Co. 1262 Total 5418 10/15 Scarlet Oak Pond Mahwah/Bergen Co. 220 Pompton Lake Pompton Lake/Passaic Co. 1632 Oldham Pond Haledon/Passaic Co. 375 Passaic River Paterson/Passaic Co. 2000 Barbours Pond West Paterson/Passaic Co. 300 Total 4527 10/16 Verona Park Pond Verona/Essex Co. 325 Surprise Lake Mountainside/Union Co. 625 Weequahic Pk Pd Hillside/Essex Co. 1600 Branch Brook Pk Pd Newark/Essex Co. 600 Woodcliff Lake Guttenburg/Hudson Co. 375 Total 3525 10/17 Farrington Lake North Brunswick/Middlesex Co. 1740 E.Brunswick Pk Pd East Brunswick/Middlesex Co. 625 Weston's Mill Pond New Brunswick/ Middlesex Co. 1840 Total 4205 10/18 Shadow Lake Red Bank/Monmouth Co. 1760 Takanasee Lake Long Branch/Monmouth Co. 350 Deal Lake Deal/Monmouth Co. 1580 Como Lake South Belmar/Monmouth Co. 750 Spring Lake Spring Lake/Monmouth Co. 400 Total 4840 10/21 Lake Carasaljo Lakewood/Ocean Co. 1675 Lake Manetta Lakewood/Ocean Co. 450 Manasquan Reservoir Howell/Monmouth Co. 3600 Total 5725 10/22 Turnmill Pond Colliers Mill/Ocean Co. 1000 Colliers Mill Pond Colliers Mill/Ocean Co. 425 Assunpink Lake New Sharon/Monmouth Co. 2250 Rising Sun Lake New Sharon/Monmouth Co. 807 Stone Tavern Lake New Sharon/Monmouth Co. 1105 Brainerd Lake Cranberry/Middlesex Co. 375 Total 5962 10/23 Hurley's Pond Glendola/Monmouth Co. 400 Kesslar's Pond Wall/Monmouth Co. 300 Silo Mill Pond Allenwood/Monmouth Co. 200 Topenemus Lake Freehold/Monmouth Co. 525 Total 1425 10/23 Birch Grove Pk Pd Northfield/Atlantic Co. 750 Dennisville Lake Dennisville/Cumberland Co. 1250 Total 2000 Grand Total 37627In addition to the 7-inch fish, the Division will also stock 250 holdover or broodstock channel catfish from last season. These fish are averaging over 20 inches long and weigh between two and five pounds. They will be distributed in the following lakes: Barbours Pond/Passaic Co.