Hatcheries are shifting towards stocking larger trout in response to angler input
Rainbow trout is among the species to be stocked in Maryland waters. Photo by Ranger Mark Spurrier, Maryland Department of Natural Resources.
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will begin fall trout stocking in early October as soon as water levels and temperatures are acceptable for trout.
Department crews will transport thousands of state hatchery-raised brown, golden rainbow, and rainbow trout and release them statewide in select creeks, rivers, lakes, and ponds.
The department is making changes to trout stocking in 2024 into 2025 in response to survey feedback from trout anglers as well as heat and drought-induced challenges faced at the hatcheries this past summer. DNR Fishing and Boating Services periodically surveys anglers and incorporates the results into the agency’s operations.
“Anglers’ preferences and opinions help guide our management approach and inform the services we provide,” said John Mullican, director of DNR’s Freshwater Fisheries and Hatcheries Division. “We heard from many put-and-take trout anglers that they would prefer to catch larger trout, even if they caught fewer trout overall, so we are adjusting the stocking strategy to achieve that end result.”
2023 Trout Angler Survey results indicate most anglers prefer to catch between one and three larger trout versus five trout of a smaller size.
Three of DNR’s four cold water hatcheries use water sourced from natural springs and creeks to hatch and raise trout. Relying on natural water sources comes with significant management challenges because the quantity and temperature of the water flowing into the hatchery are determined by environmental factors. Hatcheries can produce a given poundage of fish based on water quantity and quality at each facility. This ultimately determines how many and what size trout are produced each season.
For the fall 2024 stocking, the hatcheries will place about 3,000 brown trout and 12,000 rainbow trout in select waters across the state. This represents a 30% decrease from 2023, but the trout will be larger, averaging slightly more than a pound each. Additional fish will be held until the spring 2025 stocking to increase the number of trout available and allow for several more months of growth in the hatchery. Hatcheries are also working to increase the number of trophy-sized trout stocked, mostly with fish in the three- to four-pound range.
Based on additional angler feedback, DNR is also planning to stock brown trout in the future. Anglers can look forward to about 12,000 brown trout during the spring 2025 season with an additional 2,000 “holdover” brown trout that will average about a pound each, new for 2025. All brown trout are reared at Albert Powell Hatchery’s satellite facility, Cushwa.
Stocking sites and times are announced after each day’s stockings are complete. Anglers are encouraged to sign up for email updates to receive the latest stocking information.
Starting in October, anglers can call the trout stocking hotline at 800-688-3467 on Fridays for a weekly update on all locations stocked. The department publishes daily stocking updates on its trout stocking webpage and posts them on Facebook and X.
Image credit: Maryland Department of Natural Resources
Information on fishing licenses, trout stamps, and other related products is available on the online licensing portal or the Department of Natural Resources Licensing and Registration Services website.
As a reminder, regulations are in effect requiring catch-and-release fishing only for brook trout in all put-and-take trout areas and all waters east of Interstate 81. Anglers should take time to properly identify brook trout, which are not stocked by the Department of Natural Resources. Some stocked streams have seasonal restrictions so anglers should consult the current Maryland Guide to Fishing and Crabbing for all rules.
