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Hackettstown State Fish Hatchery 2001 Broodstock Collection


Every year staff from the Hackettstown Hatchery set trap nets in various waters throughout the state to collect brood fish to be used for spawning. This process begins in early March and continues until mid-April.Bob Olsen and Craig Lemon with big muskie

There are three targeted species: northern pike, muskellunge and walleye, species which need to be collected from the wild and brought back to the hatchery for spawning. These fish are held at the hatchery until they become ripe at which time they are spawned by hatchery personnel. (Click for larger images of muskellunge and walleye.)

The spawning procedure is a process by which the eggs and milt (containing sperm) are gently forced out of the fish into a collection bowl.Craig Lemon with big walleye The eggs and milt are gently mixed to obtain the highest possible rate of fertilization. The eggs are than incubated in plastic hatching jars that hold approximately 200,000 eggs each. Eggs take about 10 to 15 days to hatch depending upon the species of fish.

After the fish are spawned all broodstock are returned to the waters from which they were taken.

Below is a list of the waters where the trap nets were set in 2001, along with a list of the numbers and sizes of fish captured. Over the years collection success has gradually increased, indicating that the fish populations are ever increasing.

NORTHERN PIKE

WATER BODY

# DAYS NETS WERE SET

# FISH CAUGHT

AVERAGE LENGTH (INCHES)

AVERAGE WEIGHT (POUNDS)

FARRINGTON LAKE 5

7

30.6

7.1

BUDD LAKE 7

112

23.1

3.3

MUSKELLUNGE

WATER BODY

# DAYS NETS WERE SET

# FISH CAUGHT

AVERAGE LENGTH (INCHES)

AVERAGE WEIGHT (POUNDS)

ECHO LAKE RESERVOIR 16

4

45.0

23.4

GREENWOOD LAKE 16

23

35.9

12.1

MOUNTAIN LAKE 2

1

38.4

12.5

WALLEYE

WATER BODY

# DAYS NETS WERE SET

# FISH CAUGHT

AVERAGE LENGTH (INCHES)

AVERAGE WEIGHT (POUNDS)

SWARTSWOOD LAKE 3

181

18.4

2.7

GREENWOOD LAKE 16

153

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