Wild trout

[coaltrout]

I started exploring again in NJ for wild trout. So far found a new wild 'bow creek which is cool.


I also fished downstream of a well known brookie stream around my area.
I would fish the park normally but tried exploring further down in the system, notably downstream of the pond that marks the end of the park.
Surprisingly, I did find a brown trout. Cool to see?
Was sorta hoping for brook trout utopia through the entire system because it terminates to a swampy area, but I figure the browns just freakin' go everywhere their heart desires lol.
I did look online and see brown trout are actually in the upper region from electrofishing samples, i just never found one myself there. Notably they never found many in those samples.
I will return to explore another stretch that's by the highway. Hoping to report brookies next time! If anyone's curious i can share the brook's name just not publicly i guess

Bonus PA brown, brookie, and stocked tiger to compliment the "grand slam" (across 3 different days lol)



One last thing i explored, was downstream of a small reservoir. This looks like it has a bottom release but it also features a top spillway which was already overflowing from the rainy days before. So i assume in the summer it flushes the downstream creek with high temp waters. I DO know wild trout are in the system just downstream of the first two tributaries however, so obviously it cools down enough by there. I was hoping by winter wild trout would move in and maybe populate the creek especially in the fall. No luck finding anything however. Couldnt even spook any fish which i normally do with my lazy approach to the banks lol. Curious, maybe in the spring they may run back up. Cause this creek system too has wild rainbows? Thoughts?

[coaltrout]

I hit a different creek this morning around noon before the snow, got one of the nicest browns Ive ever caught out of this area.


Usually i just find dinks half this size

[martalus]

I like the colors on that wild bow. Is the stream not known to have them and you happened to find one?
How big was the brown? Did you pull any drag?

[coaltrout]

I like the colors on that wild bow. Is the stream not known to have them and you happened to find one?
How big was the brown? Did you pull any drag?

Same, i really like the bows in this creek.

There's an impoundment downstream of it, it's cut off from all the lower watershed.
I cant find online when this impoundment was built but know of some references around 1948 and some some years later.
So either the impoundment itself received rainbow trout stocking, or they were always wild ones around before it was built.

Interestingly I havent found a brown here despite knowing they get around in the other lower parts of the watershed too.
I originally expected brookies here when i first explored it. Hoping to think the impoundment has kept this brookie water brown/rainbow free. Maybe something else will turn up eventually if i continue to fish it.
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The brown in the 2nd post fought pretty well, even better than some of the PA fish I was catching with that size because it had such a nice hole it could dart around in.
Slammed a swimming panfish jig!