Garden State Trout

Just checked the flows, they are screaming in the Tri-State area and not looking good for tomorrow, maybe some of the small WTS's will be fish-able later in the day if the rain holds off. Silver lining, more fish will migrate throughout the larger streams and rivers.

yep, some more rain tonight (Friday night) too?

Five minutes ago the sun poked out for a short time. Right now it's raining again and hard. No trout fishing in NJ except smaller tribs for a few days.....Delaware is just raging and climbing still. So tomorrow will be turkey hunting day instead.

Rusty Spinner wrote: ↑

Fri May 01, 2020 11:02 am

Five minutes ago the sun poked out for a short time. Right now it's raining again and hard. No trout fishing in NJ except smaller tribs for a few days.....Delaware is just raging and climbing still. So tomorrow will be turkey hunting day instead.

My fault.....my wife has an all day training class tomorrow, I had planned a good day of fishing, when I make solid plans hell (COVID19) and high water usually ensue.

How difficult is it to get a Turkey permit? I'm guessing it's too late unless I see one in the yard.

Gonna hit the main stem of the raritan to try my luck again for some stripers. from what I was told they higher the river the better chance of catching 1

Good luck on the main stem and be safe. It was super high by Rt 22 in North Branch at 3 pm. and South Branch by Flemington was unfishable when I went by it at 2:30. I can't believe it will be fishable or safe down there. Think safety.

Jerzguy21 wrote: ↑

Fri May 01, 2020 7:47 pm

Good luck on the main stem and be safe. It was super high by Rt 22 in North Branch at 3 pm. and South Branch by Flemington was unfishable when I went by it at 2:30. I can't believe it will be fishable or safe down there. Think safety.

Thanks for the heads up. I mite have to postpone that trip then...

PortMurrayAng wrote: ↑

Fri May 01, 2020 1:37 pm

How difficult is it to get a Turkey permit? I'm guessing it's too late unless I see one in the yard.

Depends on your turkey zone. I hunt turkey zone 7 and can buy a permit for every day of the season over the counter (or online) because my zone doesn't sell out.

i fished the Black River in Hacklebarney Saturday and Sunday, the only larger river with decent flows. I like fishing it at 80-90 CFS, it was at 125CFS over the weekend and was very fishable. But it's a 15 minute hike down to the river, 20 or so back up.

MaCe1 wrote: ↑

Tue May 05, 2020 9:31 pm

i fished the Black River in Hacklebarney Saturday and Sunday, the only larger river with decent flows. I like fishing it at 80-90 CFS, it was at 125CFS over the weekend and was very fishable. But it's a 15 minute hike down to the river, 20 or so back up.

And the $60,000 is - did you caught anything?

cappy wrote: ↑

Wed May 06, 2020 4:49 am

MaCe1 wrote: ↑

Tue May 05, 2020 9:31 pm

i fished the Black River in Hacklebarney Saturday and Sunday, the only larger river with decent flows. I like fishing it at 80-90 CFS, it was at 125CFS over the weekend and was very fishable. But it's a 15 minute hike down to the river, 20 or so back up.

And the $60,000 is - did you caught anything?

Yes I did. They stock it pretty heavily and it wasn't fished until Saturday. If you've never fished it, its like a smaller KLG- lots of pocket water, small runs, a few big deep pools. 2 WTS flow into it. In addition to stockies I caught a 12" brown near Rinehardt Brook. Its my favorite river to fly fish.

hacklebarney is surely pretty. lots of fun fishing the whole stretch from rinehart to trout brook. But IMO on the good days there's too many anglers around for my liking.

ive tried fishing the park upstream of it. but the trails are not as angler-friendly since there's a steep drop some of the time. I did catch some trout tho.

Id wish the whole river was open, from the kay's pond to Pottersville, man id fish that thing all day if I could.

Hacklebarney is great water to fish for sure but I havent been there myself in a long while! This afternoon looks like good "have it to yourself" weather with it being chilly and a chance for rain.

There's a growing movement to approach Morris County Parks about removing the Kay Pond dam, a dam they rehabilitated not that many years ago......it completely wastes that river in summer and all the wild trout flee looking for thermal refuge when they shouldn't need it. All because of that dam.

Rusty Spinner wrote: ↑

Wed May 06, 2020 10:27 am

There's a growing movement to approach Morris County Parks about removing the Kay Pond dam, a dam they rehabilitated not that many years ago......it completely wastes that river in summer and all the wild trout flee looking for thermal refuge when they shouldn't need it. All because of that dam.

hope so, how does the swampy-headwaters upstream affect the temps?

coaltrout wrote: ↑

Wed May 06, 2020 10:32 am

Rusty Spinner wrote: ↑

Wed May 06, 2020 10:27 am

There's a growing movement to approach Morris County Parks about removing the Kay Pond dam, a dam they rehabilitated not that many years ago......it completely wastes that river in summer and all the wild trout flee looking for thermal refuge when they shouldn't need it. All because of that dam.

hope so, how does the swampy-headwaters upstream affect the temps?

Not at all. Brook trout have survived in that river since the Wisconsin glacier receded. It wasn't until the dam was built that thermal issues surfaced. Most freestone rivers start as swamps. Budd Lake was a swamp of sorts that the glacier carved deeper. Water comes out of that lake well over 80 F in summer, yet only about 100 yards below the Budd Lake dam, the first cold tributary enters the SBR and from there downstream we have native brook trout. So that trib cools the hot water coming out of the lake enough to keep brook trout happy in the middle of the summer.

Would be awesome for the black to be a better holdover river!

Twism86 wrote: ↑

Wed May 06, 2020 10:47 am

Would be awesome for the black to be a better holdover river!

It would have both native brook trout and wild browns in good numbers in the state park and below with Kay dam removed....

thanks rusty. I also got to see the nice work on the old lamington dam yesterday, nice job there too