Hackettstown State Fish Hatchery boosts Smallmouth Bass production with new pond project

HACKETTSTOWN, N.J. (Warren County) — Staff at the Hackettstown State Fish Hatchery have dramatically increased Smallmouth Bass production after transforming three long-abandoned ponds into one larger, more functional rearing pond, New Jersey Fish & Wildlife announced.

The hatchery had struggled with Smallmouth Bass culture for the past five years, largely due to poor spawning and unsuitable fry culture ponds. The three smaller ponds had not been used in more than a decade because of their size, shape and depth.

Crews cleared brush and trees from the banks and removed two shale dikes that divided the ponds. The pond bottom was graded and channels were created to improve water flow and drainage. The project was completed this past spring, and on April 16, staff stocked 100 adult Smallmouth Bass into the newly designated Pond 87.

Nesting behavior was quickly observed, and fry were transferred in May to Production Pond 82, which has been a reliable grow-out location. This year’s production yielded 40,000 fingerlings, surpassing the hatchery’s combined total for the previous six years.

Of those fish, 35,000 fingerlings were stocked in Lake Audrey, Mercer Lake, Manasquan Reservoir and Union Lake. Another 2,500 were moved to a hatchery pond to grow larger on live forage, and 2,500 more were brought indoors and transitioned to a dry pelleted diet.

Officials said the project will provide long-term benefits to anglers across the state.

“Hatchery staff did a great job creating a new pond that New Jersey anglers should benefit from for years to come,” Fish & Wildlife said in a statement.

More information on the Hackettstown State Fish Hatchery is available on the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s website.