Maryland

A change from how it used to report when it stocks trout streams, Maryland now has a PDF for the 2012 trout fishing seasons that lists when it plans to stock streams in the state. The current version as of January 29, 2012 is for the spring season (“pre-season” to May 2012). It lists the streams and the number of fish planned for stocking in each period (typically but not always a week), all broken down by county.

I’m not sure when “pre-season” begins, but I assume it’s very soon given that the first period listed is “March 11-31.” I guess in some ways this is better than the states like Virginia that just publish this info on their websites for a week or so up to and including the current date.

Caught me off guard — Maryland just began its fall trout stocking program last week. It’s that time of year. The brook trout will soon be spawning but you can still get your trout fishing fix in the stocked streams throughout the east coast.

Bonus stocking of 500 brown trout on Owens Creek in the catch and release section on June 1st. That’s about it.

Bonus troubling news, in case you hadn’t read this, is that whirling disease was found in 8,000 rainbow trout stocked in western Maryland streams. Maryland has a real campaign to prevent the spread of invasive species and whirling disease, which includes a ban on felt soled wading boots and the maintenance of cleaning stations for waders and boots at many streams throughout the state. Heed their advice and be responsible.

Nice compendium of stocked Maryland streams on the map below…

View MD Frederick Co Trout Management Areas in a larger map

Maryland has stocked fish in sections of the North Branch of the Potomac and the Youghiogheny.

No one in the world not from that area can spell Youghiogheny, and if they could, they couldn’t pronounce it (“yock ah gain ee,” in case you needed that).

Way out in western Maryland, fish have been stocked, including the Savage River and streams in Allegany County.

The Savage River has a great population of wild brook and brown trout, possibly some of the best populations of both in the entire state. This includes fly fishing only and artificial lures only sections of the Trophy Trout Management Area. Stocking of hatchery trout in the Savage River tailwater was discontinued “after 1990.” So if you go, you might actually want to hit the real thing after you’ve fished the reservoir.

View MD Garrett Co Trout Management Areas in a larger map

NOTE: Remember, the ban on felt soled wading boots is now in effect in Maryland.

NEW — In our quest for total world domination, the Brook Trout Fishing Guide is now posting Maryland’s trout stocking information each week. In addition to Virginia’s trout stocking info, this brings the total number of states we cover to… two. At this rate, we will cover every state that stocks fish (including Hawaii even though only on Kauai can you find trout) and become your one-stop resource for stocker fishing in about twenty five years. Thanks for being, uh, VERY patient.