What kinds of fish does MassWildlife raise and stock?
MassWildlife raises brook trout, brown trout, rainbow trout, and tiger trout for stocking. Click here for trout identification and fishing tips. MassWildlife also raises landlocked salmon at its Roger Reed Hatchery and MassWildlife stocks about 10,000 landlocked salmon into the Quabbin Reservoir each year.
While MassWildlife does not have a warmwater fish hatchery to raise pike, we occasionally receive pike from the New Jersey Division of Fisheries and Wildlife through a cooperative exchange program. MassWildlife stocks these 10–12” pike in select waterbodies with pike habitat. Northern pike also naturally reproduce in several waterbodies in Massachusetts. Learn more about pike fishing and stocking.
Why does MassWildlife stock fish?
MassWildlife’s trout stocking program is designed as a put-and-take fishery. It is not meant to bolster wild trout populations. Without stocking, most people would never catch or see trout in Massachusetts. The longstanding practice of trout stocking introduces thousands of people to fishing every year, provides additional opportunities for fishing and outdoor enjoyment, and provides a safe source of fish as food.
Do I need a license or stamp to fish for trout?
Anglers 15 years old and older need a freshwater fishing license to fish in lakes, ponds, rivers, streams, and all other freshwater bodies in Massachusetts. Young people under 15 don’t need a license to fish. Purchase a license online on MassFishHunt or in person at MassWildlife offices or select sporting goods stores. Licenses are free for those 15–17 and those aged 70 and older. Massachusetts does not have a trout stamp, so you can fish for trout if you have a freshwater license. Click here for all freshwater fishing regulations, including catch limits.
Where can I fish for stocked trout near me?
Visit mass.gov/trout to see a map of trout stocking locations. During the spring and fall trout stocking seasons, this webpage is updated daily as waters are stocked.
How does MassWildlife decide where to stock?
MassWildlife’s local district fisheries biologists determine which waterbodies to stock and how many trout to put into each waterbody based on several factors, including the size of the waterbody, how many trout it can support, the typical fishing pressure, and level of public access. Because MassWildlife only stocks waterbodies with public access, private ponds are not stocked.
Does stocking trout impact native wild brook trout?
Eastern brook trout are the only native species of trout in Massachusetts. Brook trout need cold, oxygenated water to survive, and areas of silt-free substrate in which to reproduce. Most large streams and rivers in Massachusetts don’t support wild brook trout, and they are not found in any lakes or ponds in Massachusetts. Availability of high-quality habitat is the limiting factor for native brook trout, not stocking. MassWildlife’s Wild Trout Conservation Plan outlines strategic approaches for conserving coldwater habitats through land acquisition, public outreach and regulations, while addressing emerging threats such as climate change, water withdrawal, pollution, and habitat alteration.
MassWildlife’s highly trained aquatic biologists make sure that stocking and wild trout management can coexist. As a result of decades of research, MassWildlife has identified more than 1,300 wild trout streams. Over 1,200 of these streams support wild trout only with no stocking. Most stocked trout go in lakes, ponds, and rivers that do not have wild brook trout. In fact, MassWildlife stocks fewer than 7% of wild brook trout streams and rivers. That 7% includes some larger rivers with popular fisheries that cannot sustain the fishing pressure with limited wild trout resources. Rainbow trout are the most popular fish stocked, but do not tend to reproduce, reducing the likelihood of competing with native brook trout and risk of any genetic impacts.
Each year, MassWildlife biologists conduct stream surveys to assess fish communities. These efforts have been ongoing for decades and have resulted in an extensive amount of information that helps inform both our wild trout conservation initiatives and our stocking program. MassWildlife scientists frequently review the latest literature and population monitoring information when making stocking decisions. Trout stocking and wild trout conservation are both important components of modern, science-based fisheries management. Click here to learn more about how MassWildlife is working to conserve native brook trout.
Can stocked trout reproduce in the wild?
Hatchery raised tiger trout (a cross between a female brown trout and a male brook trout which can occur naturally) are sterile and cannot reproduce in the wild. Wild rainbow trout exist in only a handful of streams in the Deerfield River watershed and have been present since well before the 1980s. Wild brown trout exist in less than 10% of our wild trout waters. Our monitoring shows that neither rainbow nor brown trout are expanding in their distribution in Massachusetts.
Most trout are stocked in lakes, ponds, and rivers that provide good fishing in the spring, but become too warm for trout in the summer. Because trout need cold water to survive, most stocked trout don’t survive beyond the spring and are either caught or consumed by predators such as larger fish, otters, or birds. While a small number of trout may survive in deep, cold ponds or coldwater streams, most stocked trout don’t remain in suitable habitats long enough to reproduce.
MassWildlife’s stocking program is designed to provide fishing opportunities for anglers, not to establish reproducing trout populations.
Are stocked trout invasive?
While rainbow, tiger, and brown trout are not native to Massachusetts, they are not invasive. To be considered invasive, a non-native species must cause harm to the environment, the economy, or human, animal, or plant health. Invasive species are also self-sustaining and able to establish populations. Tiger trout are a sterile hybrid that cannot reproduce and most stocked rainbow and brown trout also do not reproduce (see question above). While there are a limited number of reproducing populations of brown and rainbow trout in Massachusetts, MassWildlife's ongoing monitoring shows that there is no evidence that these species are expanding their range, depleting native brook trout, altering the ecosystem, or otherwise acting as invasive species.
The Massachusetts Biodiversity Goals acknowledge the growing threat of invasive species to our local biodiversity, however, it’s important to distinguish that not all non-native species are invasive. Two of the four pillars of the EO 618 Biodiversity Goals are Connect and Sustain, with the goals of connecting people to nature and sustaining people through access to wild foods. The longstanding practice of trout stocking is aligned with EO 618, as it introduces thousands of people to fishing every year, provides additional opportunities for fishing and outdoor enjoyment, increases appreciation of nature, and provides a safe source of fish as food.
How many fish does MassWildlife raise and stock?
Each year, we stock nearly 450,000 trout in over 450 lakes, ponds, rivers, and streams in 264 towns across Massachusetts. MassWildlife primarily stocks rainbow trout, followed by brown trout, and brook trout, then tiger trout. We stock a large amount of rainbow trout because they grow very quickly in our hatchery system, allowing us to stock large rainbow trout after a shorter growing period than other species. We can stock big rainbow trout after about a year and a half of growing, while it would take 2 or more years to raise a brown or brook trout to that size. MassWildlife only raises tiger trout at the Sandwich Hatchery and stocks approximately 2,500 annually. Due to the small number released each year, tiger trout are a special fish highly sought by anglers throughout the state.
Why not more fish?
The number of fish produced in a hatchery is dependent on the biomass (total weight produced) capacity of the facility. Biomass capacity is a function of rearing space, water quantity, and water quality. Since our hatcheries currently operate at both our space capacity as well as our permits that regulate how much water we can use and discharge, increasing the number of fish would mean they would have to be smaller. While the quantity of stocked trout (measured in total pounds) has remained about the same for the last decade, MassWildlife has been steadily producing larger trout by adjusting hatchery growing techniques. Just ten years ago, less than 60% of stocked trout were over 12 inches—now, over 80% measure over a foot!
Why does MassWildlife throw the fish when stocking?
Fish are tossed because it gives them an immediate physiological stimulus to begin swimming away without delay on landing in the water, which is the goal. When we pour them in gently, they tend to lay up for extended periods of time before swimming off.
Can I watch you stock or help you stock?
To keep things fair for everyone, we don’t post stocking schedules ahead of time. However, feel free to say hello if you see our trucks at your local waterbody. During April school vacation week, we host public trout stocking events where you can help stock fish and ask our biologists your questions. Check our events calendar for public stocking opportunities.
Can I visit a hatchery?
MassWildlife operates 5 fish hatcheries and 4 are open to the public. Visitors of all ages are welcome to stop by a hatchery to see trout in different stages of growth. MassWildlife does not have staff to offer tours, so be advised that your visit will be self-guided. Please call ahead if you are planning a visit with a large group or school.
- Bitzer Hatchery, Open daily 9 a.m.—3 p.m. at 37 Hatchery Rd., Montague, MA 01351
- McLaughlin Hatchery, Open daily 9 a.m.—3:45 p.m. at 90 East Street, Belchertown, MA 01007
- Sandwich Hatchery, Open daily 9 a.m.—3 p.m. at 164 Rte. 6A, Sandwich, MA 02563
- Sunderland Hatchery, Open daily 8 a.m.—3 p.m. at 559 Amherst Rd., Sunderland, MA 01375
- Roger Reed Hatchery in Palmer is closed to the public. The broodstock trout and landlocked salmon raised at this location are sensitive to visitation.
What do trout eat at the hatchery?
The feed used at our hatcheries consists of a highly digestible, formulated mix of amino acids, proteins, carbohydrates, fats, and vitamins that meet all the nutritional requirements of trout. MassWildlife purchases the feed from a commercial fish feed company that complies with all U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Department of Agriculture standards for food, as required by law.
The standard feed does not contain growth hormones or antibiotics. Medicated feed is only used, when necessary, with a prescription and this use is governed by federal regulation (approximately 0.05% of the total feed used). The feed company we use has been at the forefront of developing fish feeds that are primarily vegetable-based to meet a fish’s nutritional requirements without adding fish meal harvested from ocean-caught fish. This further reduces the risk of mercury and other contaminates making their way into the fish feed.
Do fish hatcheries cause pollution?
MassWildlife follows all state and federal regulations to ensure the fish at our hatcheries are healthy and raised in a way that upholds animal welfare standards and protects local water quality. The Clean Water Act regulates the discharge of pollutants into waters of the United States, and the National Pollution Elimination Discharge System (NPDES) sets pollution limits and ensures adequate monitoring and reporting. Thousands of different facilities in Massachusetts have NPDES permits to cover any type of industrial, municipal, and agricultural waste discharged into water. Four of the five MassWildlife hatcheries produce enough fish to need NPDES permits, which contain limits on Flow, Total Suspended Solids, Biological Oxygen Demand, pH, Total Nitrogen, Total Ammonia Nitrogen, Total Phosphorus, and Dissolved Oxygen. Each hatchery is sampled 12 times per year to ensure compliance.
Are the fish healthy?
MassWildlife hatcheries are managed by experienced biologists who work hard to produce responsibly raised, high-quality fish. Trout stocked by MassWildlife are free of disease and parasites. MassWildlife adheres to the Guidelines for Fish Health Management in Northeastern States to maintain the highest standards. MassWildlife occasionally uses medicated feed to treat sick fish, but only as needed. The use of medicated feed is strictly governed by federal regulation and is approximately 0.05% of the total feed used. The standard trout feed does not contain any antibiotics.
Should I eat stocked trout?
Fish are nutritious and provide a lean source of protein and omega-3 fatty acids. Learning how to prepare and cook a fish you caught yourself can be extremely rewarding. Click here for tips on how to prepare and cook stocked trout, including recipes.
While eating fish is good for you, eating fish caught in polluted waters can harm your health. Stocked trout are raised in hatcheries under highly controlled conditions and typically do not spend much time in the water before being caught. The Department of Public Health issues fish consumption advisories for certain waterbodies and certain groups of people. Familiarize yourself with the latest fish consumption advisories before eating freshwater fish.