This fall, Hackettstown State Fish Hatchery has stocked 12,780 channel catfish in 84 waterbodies throughout New Jersey’s 21 counties. The fish average 14.4 inches in length and weigh approximately one pound each.
This year has been the most productive year since 2009 when the program switched from a spring to a fall stocking period. The hatchery has stocked more than 60,000 channel catfish since 2009. Most channel catfish stockings occur in waterbodies ranging from 2 to 25 acres, where shoreline fishing opportunities exist.
For more information, visit: www.state.nj.us/dep/
source: NJDEP Division of Fish and Wildlife