Garden State Trout

Fished the lower South branch below Clinton at a few spots and finally caught 1 at Three Bridges. Moved down to the main stem where I caught 2 near Duke Island Park. So I did better on NT (non trout) non fall stocked water that I did on the fall stocked South branch. One trout from the Raritan was missing a chunk of gill plate. Last 60* for a while, water shot up to 43* today.

River photos:

BillSmith wrote: ↑

Thu Dec 02, 2021 6:12 pm

Fished the lower South branch below Clinton at a few spots and finally caught 1 at Three Bridges. Moved down to the main stem where I caught 2 near Duke Island Park. So I did better on NT (non trout) non fall stocked water that I did on the fall stocked South branch. One trout from the Raritan was missing a chunk of gill plate. Last 60* for a while, water shot up to 43* today.

You do realize that NT (non trout) means trout cannot survive in summer months in a given waterbody, correct? This time of year trout can live in most any waterbodies, but that doesn't make them trout waters. The lower SBR and mainstem Raritan all exceed lethal temps every summer which is why those rivers are classified NT.

That said, looks like a fine day on the water!

Rusty Spinner wrote: ↑

Fri Dec 03, 2021 10:16 am

BillSmith wrote: ↑

Thu Dec 02, 2021 6:12 pm

Fished the lower South branch below Clinton at a few spots and finally caught 1 at Three Bridges. Moved down to the main stem where I caught 2 near Duke Island Park. So I did better on NT (non trout) non fall stocked water that I did on the fall stocked South branch. One trout from the Raritan was missing a chunk of gill plate. Last 60* for a while, water shot up to 43* today.

You do realize that NT (non trout) means trout cannot survive in summer months in a given waterbody, correct? This time of year trout can live in most any waterbodies, but that doesn't make them trout waters. The lower SBR and mainstem Raritan all exceed lethal temps every summer which is why those rivers are classified NT.

That said, looks like a fine day on the water!

Ive caught trout both on the lower sbr & main stem @ the fish ladder in the summer as a bi-catch targeting other species. I think trout find some deep pockets of water with lower temps on that stretch to survive. lucky I was always fishing in the am hours whhile it was still rather cool. I mite expire in in those higher temps too

So Zero trout hold over the summer in the Raritan river, not a SINGLE fish, but I catch trout in the Raritan river in the fall that is not fall stocked, why is that ?

BillSmith wrote: ↑

Mon Dec 06, 2021 11:41 am

So Zero trout hold over the summer in the Raritan river, not a SINGLE fish, but I catch trout in the Raritan river in the fall that is not fall stocked, why is that ?

the NT has be as certain percentage for holdover I'm sure a 5 to 10 % do holdover because they find springs but not enough to remove the NT classified status Andy

BillSmith wrote: ↑

Mon Dec 06, 2021 11:41 am

So Zero trout hold over the summer in the Raritan river, not a SINGLE fish, but I catch trout in the Raritan river in the fall that is not fall stocked, why is that ?

Im sure some upstream fish make their way downstream into the main stem once the temps start dropping. Lot of food to be had.....

Razorbacker wrote: ↑

Tue Dec 07, 2021 3:32 pm

BillSmith wrote: ↑

Mon Dec 06, 2021 11:41 am

So Zero trout hold over the summer in the Raritan river, not a SINGLE fish, but I catch trout in the Raritan river in the fall that is not fall stocked, why is that ?

Im sure some upstream fish make their way downstream into the main stem once the temps start dropping. Lot of food to be had.....

That's exactly what you are seeing. Stocked fish head downstream, even when temps warm and they meet their death. Something like 90% of the stocked rainbows in the Flatbrook that were PIT tagged swam downstream.

In order for these fish to head downstream they have to eject themselves over the Headgates dam at Duke Island Park, I have never seen this. What I have seen are many fish trying to jump over the dam trying to get upstream but the dam is too high.

Getting below the falls is def easier than getting above as youve stated.... ejecting is a little dramatic, its alot easier on them than you think....trout are ejected through tubes and dropped from helicopters in other parts of the country...

I need to partner with bird watchers and do some sort of "fish watching" and set up sights on one of the dams. Likely they are going down during high water events and might be hard to see. It would be like a split second of them flopping around exposed out of the water i figure. It's not as clear as when fish try to jump up dams, they come out of the water. To go down they can stay with the water and be hard to spot.