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Fish Stocking

Each year DEC releases over one million pounds of fish into more than 1,200 public streams, rivers, lakes and ponds across the state. These fish are stocked for two main purposes-- to enhance recreational fishing and to restore native species to waters they formerly occupied.

Raising these fish is a big task that requires precise methods and specialized equipment and facilities. The DEC runs 12 fish hatcheries, each specializing in raising one or more species of fish, including brook trout, brown trout, rainbow trout, lake trout, steelhead, chinook salmon, coho salmon, landlocked salmon, walleye, muskellunge and tiger muskellunge.

For a listing of waters (by county) anticipated to be stocked with yearling and older trout for the spring fishing season, refer to the Spring Trout Stocking link below.

For a list of waters (by county) that were actually stocked the previous year, refer to the Fish Stocking Lists link below. The fish are stocked in cooperation with County Federated Sportsmen.


More about Fish Stocking:

  • Spring Trout Stocking - A list of waters and the trout species and their numbers that DEC anticipates stocking in Spring 2009; organized by county.
  • Fish Stocking Lists - A list of waters and the fish species and their numbers that DEC stocked last year; organized by county.