Up-To-Date Information:
This year's fall stocking is now complete, be sure to click on stocked location to see a Google Map if you are not familiar with a particular area.
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources will stock approximately 21,500 trout into freshwaters across the state during October 2009. This total includes 20,000 rainbow trout weighing ¾ - 1 pounds each and 1,500 brown trout weighing 1.25 – 1.5 pounds each. To add some real excitement for fall anglers, a small number of trophy rainbow trout averaging 5 to 7 pounds will be stocked this year.
“Streams are looking good and we will be stocking some nice fish so get out and enjoy the great fall weather,” says Assistant Fisheries Director Don Cosden. “This is a great time to take a young person fishing. The creeks are easy to wade, the water is clear enough to see the fish and our hatchery trout are usually more than willing to cooperate.”
Although stocking dates and locations are dependent on water flow and temperature, we generally find conditions are right in many areas beginning the second week of October and stocking is usually complete by the end of the month. In most years, cool water allows trout stocking in Delayed Harvest Trout Fishing Areas and locations such as the North Branch Potomac, Bear Creek, Town Creek, Blairs Valley Lake, Antietam Creek, Beaver Creek, Cunningham Falls, Rainbow Lake, Greenbrier Lake, Morgan Run, Patapsco River, Gunpowder Falls, Great Seneca, Wheatley Lake, Lake Artemesia, Greenbelt Lake, Big Elk, Deer Creek and Tuckahoe. We expect to stock these areas and numerous others as conditions allow.
Please remember to clean your gear between streams or outings to prevent moving around unwanted invaders like didymo and whirling disease. You can wash with dish soap or a 5% salt solution or use one of the convenient wader wash stations if present at your location.
In addition to web updates, check out DNR’s trout stocking information telephone line, 1-800-688-3467, this will be updated weekly beginning Oct. 1 so that anglers may find out if their favorite area has been stocked.
Reminder - If you spot poaching please place a call to our Catch a Poacher Hotline at 1-800-635-6124 - a cash reward is available for information leading to an arrest and conviction of a violator.
A table below contains an updated list of locations stocked. The table at the very bottom of this page is of our pre-season stocking and is left on the page as reference.
MDNR is asking anglers to continue to be vigilant about not spreading whirling, other disease and invasive organisms. For information on how you can help look below this article. A detailed synopsis of our 2007 whirling disease testing results and related information is now available at this site. For more information go to www.dnr.state.md.us/fisheries/recreational/whirlingd/whirling.html.
An invasive and potentially detrimental algae known as Didymo (Didymosphenia geminata) has been identified in the Gunpowder River below Prettyboy Dam. This algae, also known as ‘rock snot’, can have negative impacts on stream biota such as aquatic insects. It can also hinder reproduction of trout and other fish species.
Anglers and boaters are asked to take the same precautions that were suggested for containing whirling disease and other invasive species.
Scrub all gear to remove mud and plants
Drain all water from bilges and livewells, don’t move water from one area to another
We recommend the use of new ‘sticky rubber’ wading boots to facilitate cleaning, if you must use felts allow them to dry completely before moving to another waterbody
Other useful web pages with information pertaining to didymo include:
Albert Powell Fish Hatchery currently raises a majority of the fish for Maryland's freshwater trout fishery, check out the hatchery through the video provided. If you can't view the embedded video just go to YouTube at www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZlTJno8Of0.
The below information is for the spring trout stocking, not the much smaller fall stocking mentioned above, this schedule is the full spring listing of all locations along with closure schedules, this is kept online all year as a reference and courtesy to all users.
To view the online version of The Fisheries Services' 2009 Spring Trout Stocking Schedule, click on this link, this page has additional links to Google Maps of the particular waterbodies, just click on the stream/pond names, the maps can provide directions to stocked locations across the state along with some fishing regulations and other useful information. The Google Maps show the traditional stocking areas, for actual locations, dates and numbers stocked please refer to the schedule. You can also get continued stocking up-dates at 1-800-688-3467.
For a printable version click here (it's in pdf format).
The DNR trout stocking program is funded entirely by the sale of freshwater fishing licenses, trout stamps and Federal Sportfish Restoration Program (Wallop-Breaux) funds which are generated by anglers and boaters’ tax dollars.
If you have any questions please contact us and we will be happy to help. Email us here with questions, comments, and suggestions.
Although stocking dates and locations are dependent on water flow and temperature, we generally find conditions are right in many areas beginning the second week of October and stocking is usually complete by the end of the month. In most years, cool water allows trout stocking in Delayed Harvest Trout Fishing Areas and locations such as the North Branch Potomac, Bear Creek, Town Creek, Blairs Valley Lake, Antietam Creek, Beaver Creek, Cunningham Falls, Rainbow Lake, Greenbrier Lake, Morgan Run, Patapsco River, Gunpowder Falls, Great Seneca, Wheatley Lake, Lake Artemesia, Greenbelt Lake, Big Elk, Deer Creek and Tuckahoe. We expect to stock these areas and numerous others as conditions allow.
An invasive and potentially detrimental algae known as Didymo (Didymosphenia geminata) has been identified in the Gunpowder River below Prettyboy Dam. This algae, also known as ‘rock snot’, can have negative impacts on stream biota such as aquatic insects. It can also hinder reproduction of trout and other fish species.