Matt Smith | lehighvalleylive.com

First day of trout fishing

Saturday marks a hallowed day for New Jersey fishermen: it's the start of trout fishing season in the Garden State.

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection expects more than 100,000 anglers to head to their favorite fishing spots Saturday morning in search of the first catch of the season.

As you fill you tackle box and dig out your waders, here's everything you need to know about trout fishing in New Jersey.

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Why are trout so popular?

Trout are among both the most common and most popular species of fish for freshwater fishing, both in New Jersey and beyond. They're also a popular catch to take home and cook.

One note about eating trout: the NJDEP recommends limiting consumption to one meal per week in order to avoid exposure to mercury and other contaminants.

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Stocking

More than 184,000 newly stocked rainbow trout will populate New Jersey waters Saturday morning, thanks to the work of the state Division of Fish and Wildlife's Pequest Fish Hatchery. In total, about 570,000 trout will be stocked by the state throughout the spring season.

“The DEP’s Division of Fish and Wildlife has been stocking beautiful rainbow trout raised at the Pequest Trout Hatchery in Warren County statewide for several weeks and will continue stocking through the end of May,” said NJDEP Commissioner Catherine McCabe.

The fish that are stocked by the state average about 10 inches long. Some broodstock fish, which are between 14 and 23 inches long and weigh up to seven pounds, will also be stocked. All of the fish stocked this spring will be supplemented by holdover fish from last fall's stocking efforts.

“Fishing has never been better, and the word is spreading about the quality of the trout we stock,” said NJDFW Acting Director Dave Golden. “Every county has waters that are stocked with trout, which means that excellent fishing opportunities and access to great places to fish are always close to home.”

A little caveat with the stocking program: some waters are closed to fishing on days that stocking occurs. For a list of waters that are closed, and which ones remain open, on stocking days, check out this guide from the NJDEP.

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Hot spots

For the spring 2019 season, six New Jersey rivers will be stocked by the state with more than 20,000 trout each.

Musconetcong River - 51,880 trout

South branch of the Raritan River - 37,960 trout

Big Flat Brook, below Steam Mill Bridge - 32,910 trout

Paulins Kill - 27,240 trout

Request River - 26,070 trout

Rockaway River - 23,890 trout

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When to go?

As made clear above, trout fishing is allowed in New Jersey pretty much year-round. Spring is the most popular season for trout, with the action cooling off as temperatures heat up in the summer, according to the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife. Winter, however, is becoming increasingly popular for trout in the state.

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Get a license

You need a valid state fishing license to fish for anything in New Jersey — unless you're younger than 16 years old, 70 and older or fishing on a farm. A standard fishing license will cost you $22.50 and is valid from the date of purchase until December 31. Residents who are active duty service members, N.J. National Guard members, veterans or blind are eligible for free fishing licenses

Senior resident anglers — age 65 to 69 — get a discount on licenses, while nonresidents are charged more but have the option of buying 2-day or 7-day vacation licenses.

To fish for trout specifically, you'll need to pay a little extra and get a trout stamp for that license. An in-state resident trout stamp goes for $10.50, while nonresidents will need to pay $20.

You can buy a New Jersey fishing license online at this website or in person through a license agent. Here's a directory for agents in each county.

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Know the rules

Technically, trout season never closes in New Jersey. The state's regulations break down the trout calendar into four distinct periods.

First is the peak season, which is kicked off by opening day in early April and lasts until the end of May. During this time, anglers are allowed to keep six fish per day with a minimum size of nine inches.

For the rest of the year, from the start of June to the end of December, the daily limit is reduced to four fish.

When the calendar turns, trout fishing continues at the four-fish limit from the start of January until the middle of March.

Finally, a three-week period from the middle of March to early April serves as a de facto closed period. During this time, fishing is prohibited on trout stocked waters to accommodate preseason stocking. Trout caught in other waters must be released during this time.

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Special waters

Certain waters in New Jersey have slightly different seasons than the rest of the state, so be aware of the differences if you're fishing in any of these waters:

Delaware River - Open season from April 13 to October 15, with a five fish daily limit and no minimum size. During the rest of the year, all trout caught must be released.

Trout Conservation Areas - The TCAs have different minimum sizes and daily limits that regular waters; for the most part, the rule is one fish per day at a 15 inch minimum. Some TCAs, like the Point Mountain stretch of the Musconetcong River, are year round while others, like the Pequest River in Warren County, are seasonal.

Catch and release areas - Trout caught on the south branch of the Raritan River within the Ken Lockwood Gorge and on the Big Flat Brook within the Blewett Tract in Sussex County must be released, no matter the time of year.

Brook Trout Conservation Area - Includes all waters west of I-287 and north of Route 202 except for the Delaware River. These waters are home to most of New Jersey's remaining wild brook trout, and all brook trout caught within the zone must be immediately released.

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Wild Trout Streams

The state's stocking program means that trout fishing is available across New Jersey, but the number of streams and rivers that have natural populations of wild trout is smaller. In all of these waters, fishing is allowed year round but any brook trout caught must be released, except for in the section of Saddle River in Upper Saddle River Borough. Brown trout and rainbow trout can only be kept from April 6 to September 15. The state breaks down these wild waters into three categories:

Native brook trout streams - These waters are dominated by brook trout. Beatty's Brook in Lebanon Township, Primrose Brook in Harding Township and Stony Brook in Stokes State Forest are a few examples.

Wild trout streams - These waters are home to multiple wild trout species. Dismal Brook in Mendham Township, Ledgewood Brook in Roxbury Township and Turkey Brook in Mt. Olive Township are some examples.

Wild brown trout enhancement streams - These waters are mostly home to brown trout, though other kinds of trout may be found. Cold Brook in Tewksbury Township, Mill Brook in Randolph Township and Spring Mills Brook in Holland Township.

Not sure how to tell the different kinds of trout apart? The NJDEP has provided this nifty identification chart for freshwater fish found in the Garden State. Brook trout are mostly green and silver with red bellies, rainbow trout are multicolored with a prominent pink stripe in the middle of their bodies and brown trout are, well, brown.

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Courtesy of Dan Krzyzkowski

Trophy Lakes

Two Garden State lakes -- Merrill Creek Reservoir in Warren County and Round Valley Reservoir in Hunterdon County -- are home to some of the biggest trout in the state. The rules vary from the general state trout regulations because of this; the minimum size to keep a fish in both lakes is 15 inches, and Round Valley has a special one fish per day limit on any trout larger than 24 inches.

Dan Krzyzkowski of Glen Gardner, a novelist and a mail carrier for the town of Annandale, caught a giant trout in the Round Valley Reservoir on Super Bowl Sunday.

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Fishing from the shore? Count your rods.

If you're skipping the boat and sticking to shore for trout, be mindful that you are limited to three fishing rods, hand lines or a combination of both.

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Fishing with friends? Mind your own catch.

If you're fishing in a group, state regulations require that each anglers catch be kept separated — either in different buckets or on different stringers.

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Express-Times Photo | Stephen Flood

Remember: Trout season is more than just one day

Opening day is infamous among regular anglers for bringing out hoards of fair-weather fishing fans.

They line lake shores and stream banks at known hot spots for trout, drawing the ire of those who fish on a regular basis.

So just remember: Saturday is the first day of trout season, not the only day.

Michael Sol Warren may be reached at mwarren@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MSolDub. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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