I’m sure you attend plenty of meetings and have more than enough deadlines in your life as it is, but if you care about the way our saltwater and freshwater fisheries are managed, here are a few more of interest for striped bass and trout fishermen.
On the striper front, there’s a full write-up in our weekly News Briefs section about the upcoming public hearings on striped bass changes coming in 2026. As a reminder, New Jersey is hosting a public hearing on Tuesday, September 16 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Stafford Township Fire Company at 133 Stafford Avenue in Manahawkin. That’s followed by two New York meetings, one on Wednesday in Kings Park and another on September 22 in New Paltz.
Delaware striper fishermen will convene on Thursday, September 18 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Little Creek Hunter Education Training Center at 3018 Bayside Drive in Dover, while Pennsylvanians have a chance to weigh-in on striped bass on September 24 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the Silver Lake Nature Center at 1306 Bath Road in Bristol. As noted in our News Briefs you only have until October 3, 2025 to submit comments.
On the freshwater side, there was a meeting last Wednesday at the New Jersey Division of Fish & Wildlife’s Central Regional Office to discuss proposed amendments to the state Fish Code proposed for 2026, including changes to the waters managed as Lunker Bass Lakes and the warmwater Conservation Regulations, as well as regulatory modifications on Trophy Trout Lakes. It also adds freshwater drum to the definition of potentially dangerous fish, while also adding 23 new waters to the spring trout stocking program. The proposal would also remove Colonial Lake in Lawrence Township and Neldon Brook in Stillwater Township from the list of current trout-stocked waters.
One rather significant change being proposed is the elimination of the three-week preseason closure to fishing on all trout-stocked lakes and ponds. In other words, no more opening day of trout season on lakes and ponds, because they’re never closed. Specifically, the proposal would increase the daily creel of zero trout to two trout per day during the three-week preseason period on lakes and ponds, though trout stocked rivers and streams would remain closed during the three-week stocking period.
According to the Fish and Game Council, the proposal to keep trout-stocked lakes and ponds open to trout fishing during the three-week stocking period would provide anglers the ability to capitalize on early-spring weather, opening waters for anglers who may fish for trout but would like to fish for other species like bass and panfish, while allowing anglers to keep trout before predators like cormorants get to them during the current three-week preseason closure.”
Written comments this proposal may be submitted electronically by October 16, 2025. Opposition to the plan is coming by way of the Shark River Surf Anglers and the town of Spring Lake. In an official letter to the state of New Jersey, the group is seeking an exemption in order to ensure that stocked trout will still be available at Spring Lake for the opening day kids’ event, and not harvested prior to the Saturday event.
“Generations of families enjoyed this long-standing tradition and hundreds of kids have gotten their start fishing at this event,” said Greg Hueth from the Shark River Surf Anglers, adding “It would be a shame for the State of New Jersey to ruin this for kids for a silly change in the law that could easily be amended for the kids and town.”
You know I’ve never met a closed season I ever liked; that said, I also believe the opening day of trout season in New Jersey on the first Saturday in April is sacrosanct, and should be forever preserved for kids, families and traditions.
