US State Fish Stocking Schedules 2026 — Hatchery Release Calendars
Last updated
Most US fishing destinations are stocked. Trout in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast, salmon and steelhead in the Great Lakes and Pacific Northwest, walleye across the Upper Midwest, and Florida-strain largemouth in Texas — the fish are there because state hatcheries put them there. The 33 state programs below all publish their planned and recent stockings; the format varies from searchable databases (best — query any water by date) to weekly reports (good — fresh truck schedules) to downloadable PDFs (works, but you have to scan).
fishregsdoes not re-publish stocking event data — each state's agency is the authoritative source and the data shifts week by week. The page below points to the official schedule per state with the species, scale, hatchery network, and timing window so you know where to look. For seasonal closures and in-season emergency changes, see fishing closures.
Sunfish + tilapia (urban Community Fishing Program)
Annual scale
~1.5 million catchable + fingerling rainbow trout annually statewide; ~250,000 rainbow trout into Community Fishing Program urban ponds November–March
Timing
Mogollon Rim + White Mountains streams April–October; Lake Mohave below Hoover Dam year-round; AZGFD Community Fishing Program urban ponds November–March (winter only — desert summer temps are too high)
How to use this schedule
AZGFD posts a weekly stocking schedule listing the urban ponds + stream sections planted in the prior week. The Community Fishing License ($24) is a separate, restricted-water license — it's only valid at designated Community waters but is cheaper than a full statewide license and covers all the urban-park trout stockings.
Producing hatcheries
Tonto Creek State Fish Hatchery
Page Springs State Fish Hatchery (Sedona)
Bubbling Ponds State Fish Hatchery
Silver Creek State Fish Hatchery
Sterling Springs State Fish Hatchery
Williams Creek National Fish Hatchery (USFWS — Apache trout)
Source link verified . Stocking plans change in-season; always confirm against the agency's current report before a trip.
~2 million catchable trout annually on the White River + North Fork White River + Little Red River + Spring River + Beaver Tailwater + Bull Shoals Tailwater system
Timing
Year-round on the tailwater system (Bull Shoals + Norfork + Beaver + Greers Ferry dams release cold water that supports trout year-round in an otherwise warm-water state)
How to use this schedule
Arkansas is the unlikely capital of southern trout fishing — the White River + Little Red River tailwaters below Bull Shoals + Norfork + Greers Ferry dams hold trophy brown trout (the Arkansas state-record + former IGFA world-record 40 lb 4 oz brown was caught from the Little Red below Greers Ferry in 1992). A Trout Permit ($10) is required to keep trout in addition to the base license.
Producing hatcheries
Norfork National Fish Hatchery (USFWS, Norfork)
Greers Ferry National Fish Hatchery (USFWS)
Spring River State Fish Hatchery (Mammoth Spring)
Andrew H. Hulsey State Fish Hatchery (Hot Springs)
Joe Hogan State Fish Hatchery (Lonoke)
Source link verified . Stocking plans change in-season; always confirm against the agency's current report before a trip.
Striped bass (San Joaquin Delta program — historic, limited)
Annual scale
~3.5 million catchable trout annually statewide via a network of 13+ hatcheries
Timing
Year-round, heaviest April–June across the Sierra range and October–November in Eastern Sierra (Lake Crowley, Bridgeport Reservoir, Convict Lake) on pre-winter put-and-take loads
How to use this schedule
CDFW's planting schedule is an interactive map — filter by county, water, or species. The Eastern Sierra trophy program (Lake Crowley, Bridgeport, Convict, Twin Lakes Mammoth) plants trophy-size brood trout from Hot Creek + Mt. Whitney hatcheries before season opener.
Producing hatcheries
Mt. Shasta State Fish Hatchery
Hot Creek State Fish Hatchery (Mammoth Lakes)
San Joaquin State Fish Hatchery (Friant)
Moccasin Creek State Fish Hatchery
American River State Fish Hatchery
Feather River State Fish Hatchery
Black Rock Rearing Pond
Fillmore State Fish Hatchery
Source link verified . Stocking plans change in-season; always confirm against the agency's current report before a trip.
Cutthroat trout (Greenback, Colorado River, Rio Grande subspecies)
Lake trout (mackinaw)
Kokanee salmon
Walleye
Bass
Tiger musky
Annual scale
~90 million fish stocked annually (all life stages — fry through catchable)
Timing
Year-round, with the high-country lake stockings concentrated June–September after ice-out
How to use this schedule
CPW's database is searchable by waterbody + date + species + life stage going back several years. The Greenback + Colorado River + Rio Grande cutthroat restoration stockings are managed under the CPW Native Aquatic Species Reintroduction Program — these specific waters carry catch-and-release-only rules.
Producing hatcheries
Leadville National Fish Hatchery (USFWS — Greenback cutthroat broodstock)
Mt. Shavano State Fish Hatchery (Colorado River cutthroat)
Bellvue State Fish Hatchery
Roaring Judy State Fish Hatchery
Glenwood Springs State Fish Hatchery
Chalk Cliffs State Fish Hatchery
Pitkin State Fish Hatchery
Crystal River State Fish Hatchery
Source link verified . Stocking plans change in-season; always confirm against the agency's current report before a trip.
Spring stocking mid-March through early June, fall stocking on Trout Management Areas mid-September through October, winter Trout Park program for kids
How to use this schedule
DEEP separates the stocking report into Trout Park (kids-oriented intensive stocking), Trout Management Area (regulated fly + lure waters), and general lakes/streams. Check the report before driving to a Trout Park — they fill quickly on stocking-day weekends.
Producing hatcheries
Quinebaug Valley State Fish Hatchery (Plainfield)
Burlington State Fish Hatchery
Kensington State Fish Hatchery
Source link verified . Stocking plans change in-season; always confirm against the agency's current report before a trip.
~1 million catchable trout annually across ~4,000 miles of trout water
Timing
Stockings late March through early September, weekly through prime season
How to use this schedule
GA WRD publishes a weekly stocking report mid-week showing the streams stocked in the prior 7 days. North Georgia trout water is concentrated in the Blue Ridge Mountains — Chattahoochee River headwaters, Toccoa, Coosawattee, Tallulah, and small mountain streams.
Producing hatcheries
Buford State Fish Hatchery (Chattahoochee River below Lake Lanier)
Burton State Fish Hatchery
Lake Burton State Fish Hatchery
Summerville State Fish Hatchery
Chattahoochee Forest National Fish Hatchery (USFWS, Suches)
Source link verified . Stocking plans change in-season; always confirm against the agency's current report before a trip.
~30 million fish stocked annually across all life stages
Timing
Year-round, with high-country lake stockings June–September and Family Fishing Waters stocked weekly through summer
How to use this schedule
IDFG's database is searchable by waterbody + date + species + life stage going back decades. The Snake River chinook + steelhead programs are anadromous — smolts released from Sawtooth + Pahsimeroi + Dworshak + Clearwater hatcheries return to spawn 800+ miles inland.
Producing hatcheries
Sawtooth State Fish Hatchery (Stanley)
Pahsimeroi State Fish Hatchery
Dworshak National Fish Hatchery (USFWS, Ahsahka)
Clearwater State Fish Hatchery
Hagerman State Fish Hatchery
Mackay State Fish Hatchery
American Falls State Fish Hatchery
Source link verified . Stocking plans change in-season; always confirm against the agency's current report before a trip.
~1.2 million trout + salmon annually across ~1,200 waters
Timing
Spring stockings April–June, fall stockings September–October on selected waters
How to use this schedule
Maine's database is searchable by waterbody, town, county, species, year, and date. Maine has more brook trout water than the rest of the lower-48 combined — wild brook trout are NOT stocked over (heritage broodstock policy).
Producing hatcheries
Grand Lake Stream State Fish Hatchery
Enfield State Fish Hatchery
Embden State Fish Hatchery
Governor Hill State Fish Hatchery
New Gloucester State Fish Hatchery
Casco State Fish Hatchery
Phillips State Fish Hatchery
Source link verified . Stocking plans change in-season; always confirm against the agency's current report before a trip.
Pre-season closure late February through opening day in mid-March, in-season stockings March through early May, fall stocking selected Delayed Harvest waters October–November
How to use this schedule
MD DNR publishes the in-season stocking schedule a week at a time. Look for the Delayed Harvest waters (Big Hunting Creek, Casselman River, Gunpowder Falls Maryland sections) — they hold fish year-round under catch-and-release rules between stockings.
Producing hatcheries
Albert Powell State Fish Hatchery (Hagerstown)
Bear Creek State Fish Hatchery (Garrett County)
Manning State Fish Hatchery
Source link verified . Stocking plans change in-season; always confirm against the agency's current report before a trip.
Spring stocking late March through early June, fall stocking late September through mid-November on selected waters
How to use this schedule
MassWildlife updates the stocking report continuously throughout the season — waters appear on the list within a day or two of being stocked. Tiger trout (sterile brown × brook hybrid) are a Massachusetts signature.
Producing hatcheries
McLaughlin State Fish Hatchery (Belchertown)
Sandwich State Fish Hatchery
Sunderland State Fish Hatchery
Roger Reed State Fish Hatchery (Palmer)
Bitzer State Fish Hatchery (Montague)
Source link verified . Stocking plans change in-season; always confirm against the agency's current report before a trip.
~25 million fish stocked annually across all life stages (the largest state-run salmonid program in the country alongside Wisconsin + NY)
Timing
Lake Michigan + Lake Huron + Lake Superior salmon smolt releases April–May; inland trout April–June; walleye fry + fingerlings April–July
How to use this schedule
MDNR's dashboard maps every stocking event since 2010 and updates within days. The Great Lakes salmon program (chinook, coho, Atlantic) is the foundation of the Lake Michigan + Lake Huron sport fishery — three years downstream of a smolt release determines the fall river run.
Producing hatcheries
Wolf Lake State Fish Hatchery (Mattawan)
Oden State Fish Hatchery (Petoskey)
Marquette State Fish Hatchery
Platte River State Fish Hatchery (Honor)
Thompson State Fish Hatchery
Harrietta State Fish Hatchery
Source link verified . Stocking plans change in-season; always confirm against the agency's current report before a trip.
~250 million walleye fry + fingerlings annually; ~1.5 million trout statewide
Timing
Walleye May–July, trout April–June + fall on Lake Superior tributaries, muskellunge fingerlings fall
How to use this schedule
MNDNR's Lake Finder shows the complete stocking history of every Minnesota lake going back to the 1970s. Walleye are stocked from St. Peter + Spire Valley + Waterville + Park Rapids state hatcheries to supplement natural reproduction on the marquee fisheries (Mille Lacs, Lake of the Woods, Leech Lake, Winnibigoshish, Vermillion, Cass).
Producing hatcheries
French River State Fish Hatchery (Duluth — Lake Superior salmonids)
Spire Valley State Fish Hatchery
Waterville State Fish Hatchery
Park Rapids State Fish Hatchery
St. Peter State Fish Hatchery
Lanesboro State Fish Hatchery (southern MN trout)
Source link verified . Stocking plans change in-season; always confirm against the agency's current report before a trip.
~1.6 million trout annually across Trout Parks + Trophy Trout Areas + Blue Ribbon + Red Ribbon White Ribbon Wild Trout Management Areas + winter urban stockings
Timing
Trout Parks open March 1, season runs March–October; Lake Taneycomo + Roaring River + Bennett Spring + Montauk + Maramec Spring year-round; winter urban trout stocking November–February in St. Louis + Kansas City + Springfield metro lakes
How to use this schedule
Missouri's signature is the four Trout Parks (Bennett Spring, Montauk, Roaring River, Maramec Spring) — heavily-stocked spring-fed parks where daily Trout Tags ($4) sell at the park entrance, no resident license required to fish. Lake Taneycomo below Table Rock Dam is the marquee tailwater trophy water (year-round stocking, no Trout Park rules).
Producing hatcheries
Shepherd of the Hills State Fish Hatchery (Branson — Lake Taneycomo)
Bennett Spring State Fish Hatchery (Lebanon)
Maramec Spring State Fish Hatchery (St. James)
Montauk State Fish Hatchery (Salem)
Roaring River State Fish Hatchery (Cassville)
Source link verified . Stocking plans change in-season; always confirm against the agency's current report before a trip.
~3 million fish stocked annually — significantly less than peer Western states because Montana's wild-trout management framework on most rivers prohibits stocking over wild populations
Timing
Year-round on stocked-fishery lakes only (high-country reservoirs, community ponds, kokanee waters)
How to use this schedule
Montana operates the country's most aggressive wild-trout protection — the Madison + Yellowstone + Bighorn + Big Hole + Blackfoot Rivers + most blue-ribbon trout streams are NOT stocked. Stocking is concentrated on lakes + reservoirs where natural reproduction is limited (Fort Peck Reservoir + Canyon Ferry + Hauser + Holter + Tiber + Fresno + Nelson + Cooney + Tongue River Reservoirs).
Producing hatcheries
Giant Springs State Fish Hatchery (Great Falls)
Bluewater State Fish Hatchery
Anaconda State Fish Hatchery
Big Springs State Fish Hatchery (Lewistown)
Miles City State Fish Hatchery
Murray Springs State Fish Hatchery
Washoe Park State Fish Hatchery
Source link verified . Stocking plans change in-season; always confirm against the agency's current report before a trip.
High-country waters June–September; lowland community ponds + Urban Pond Stocking Program year-round (winter trout in southern Nevada urban parks)
How to use this schedule
NDOW publishes a downloadable monthly schedule listing every planned stocking. Pyramid Lake (Lahontan cutthroat — country's largest cutthroat strain, trophy fish 10–20 lb+) is the Nevada signature — managed by the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe under a separate tribal permit, NOT a state license.
Producing hatcheries
Lake Mead State Fish Hatchery
Mason Valley State Fish Hatchery
Marlette Lake State Fish Hatchery (Lake Tahoe Lahontan cutthroat)
Ruby Lake National Fish Hatchery (USFWS)
Source link verified . Stocking plans change in-season; always confirm against the agency's current report before a trip.
~1 million catchable trout + ~300,000 fingerlings annually
Timing
April through early September, with weekly mid-spring stockings on Designated Trout Ponds
How to use this schedule
NH F&G publishes the weekly stocking list by region (North Country, Lakes Region, Connecticut Valley, Seacoast, Monadnock, Merrimack Valley). The Designated Trout Ponds receive intensive stocking and are open ice-out through October 15.
Producing hatcheries
Powder Mill State Fish Hatchery (New Durham)
Berlin State Fish Hatchery
Milford State Fish Hatchery
New Hampton State Fish Hatchery
Twin Mountain State Fish Hatchery
Warren State Fish Hatchery
Source link verified . Stocking plans change in-season; always confirm against the agency's current report before a trip.
Pre-season closure mid-March, opening day second Saturday in April, in-season weekly stockings April–May, fall stocking program selected waters October–November, winter stocking on Round Valley + Merrill Creek Reservoirs
How to use this schedule
NJDEP posts a weekly stocking report each Monday evening showing the streams + lakes that received fish in the prior week. Use it to time a weekday trip on a freshly-stocked Class A water before weekend pressure arrives.
Producing hatcheries
Pequest Trout Hatchery (Warren County)
Hackettstown State Fish Hatchery (warm-water species)
Source link verified . Stocking plans change in-season; always confirm against the agency's current report before a trip.
Rio Grande cutthroat trout (state fish — limited conservation stockings)
Gila trout (federal Threatened — limited)
Kokanee salmon
Tiger musky
Walleye
Annual scale
~1.2 million trout stocked annually statewide
Timing
Year-round, with the heaviest cycle April–September
How to use this schedule
NMDGF posts the weekly stocking report Friday afternoon listing the prior week + planned upcoming week. The Rio Grande cutthroat + Gila trout conservation stockings are restricted-access and require a separate Gila Trout Permit ($25) for some Gila Wilderness Area reaches.
Producing hatcheries
Mora National Fish Hatchery (USFWS — Gila trout broodstock)
Lisboa Springs State Fish Hatchery (Pecos)
Red River State Fish Hatchery
Seven Springs State Fish Hatchery
Glenwood State Fish Hatchery
Rock Lake State Fish Hatchery (warm-water)
Source link verified . Stocking plans change in-season; always confirm against the agency's current report before a trip.
~2.3 million catchable trout statewide; ~830K salmonid yearlings + smolts into the Great Lakes + Finger Lakes + Hudson tributaries
Timing
Spring trout stocking March–early June, Great Lakes salmon smolts April–May, fall brown trout stocking on Lake Ontario tributaries September–October
How to use this schedule
DEC publishes the prior-year stocking list as a downloadable PDF per county plus a current-year planned-stocking summary. Cross-reference with the Trout Stream Fishing Maps for the streams that get the heaviest loads. Lake Ontario salmon smolt releases drive the Salmon River + Niagara Bar fall runs three years downstream.
Producing hatcheries
Salmon River State Fish Hatchery (Altmar)
Catskill State Fish Hatchery (Livingston Manor)
Caledonia State Fish Hatchery (Livingston County — country's oldest fish hatchery, 1864)
Rome State Fish Hatchery (Oneida County)
South Otselic State Fish Hatchery (Chenango County)
Randolph State Fish Hatchery (Cattaraugus County)
Source link verified . Stocking plans change in-season; always confirm against the agency's current report before a trip.
~960,000 trout annually across ~1,000 miles of Hatchery Supported water
Timing
Hatchery Supported waters closed Mar 1 – first Saturday in April for pre-season stocking, then open through Feb 28 with monthly stockings April–June
How to use this schedule
NCWRC operates three trout-water classifications — Hatchery Supported (stocked, general regulations), Delayed Harvest (stocked, catch-and-release Oct 1 – first Saturday in June), and Wild Trout Waters (no stocking). Mountain Heritage Trout Waters in towns like Bryson City + Cherokee + Hot Springs carry a special 3-day permit at reduced cost.
Producing hatcheries
Bobby N. Setzer State Fish Hatchery (Pisgah Forest)
Armstrong State Fish Hatchery (McDowell County)
Marion State Fish Hatchery
Table Rock State Fish Hatchery (Burke County)
Source link verified . Stocking plans change in-season; always confirm against the agency's current report before a trip.
~100,000 catchable trout for spring Family Fishing Fairs + ~400,000 steelhead smolts into the Lake Erie tributaries (Conneaut, Ashtabula, Grand, Chagrin, Rocky, Vermilion)
Timing
Spring trout April; Lake Erie steelhead smolts April–May (the fall return is 2–3 years downstream); walleye + saugeye spring
How to use this schedule
ODNR publishes the annual spring stocking calendar showing every state-park lake + community pond planted for the Family Fishing Fairs. The Lake Erie steelhead program is one of the largest in the country — Conneaut + Ashtabula + Grand + Chagrin + Rocky + Vermilion Rivers carry the fall + winter + spring runs.
Producing hatcheries
Castalia State Fish Hatchery (Erie County — steelhead)
Senecaville State Fish Hatchery
Hebron State Fish Hatchery
St. Marys State Fish Hatchery
London State Fish Hatchery
Source link verified . Stocking plans change in-season; always confirm against the agency's current report before a trip.
ODFW publishes a weekly stocking schedule listing the prior week + next two weeks of planned stockings statewide. Oregon's Columbia + Willamette + coastal salmon hatchery system feeds the entire Pacific Northwest sport + commercial fishery — a release year shows up in the river runs 2–4 years downstream.
Producing hatcheries
Bonneville State Fish Hatchery (Cascade Locks — chinook)
Cole M. Rivers State Fish Hatchery (Trail — coho + steelhead)
Roaring River State Fish Hatchery (Scio)
Wizard Falls State Fish Hatchery (Camp Sherman)
Klamath State Fish Hatchery
Leaburg State Fish Hatchery
Round Butte State Fish Hatchery (Deschutes — kokanee + sockeye)
Source link verified . Stocking plans change in-season; always confirm against the agency's current report before a trip.
~3.2 million adult trout annually across ~700 streams + 130 lakes
Timing
Pre-season Feb–March (closed waters), opener early April (first Saturday), in-season weekly stockings through May, fall stocking October on selected waters
How to use this schedule
Search by county or by water body to pull the current-year stocking list for any Approved Trout Water. The schedule shows the date a load is planned and how many of each species. Note that Approved Trout Waters are closed to all fishing roughly Mar 15 through opener for pre-season stocking.
Producing hatcheries
Big Spring State Fish Hatchery (Cumberland County)
Tylersville State Fish Hatchery (Clinton County)
Pleasant Mount State Fish Hatchery (Wayne County)
Reynoldsdale State Fish Hatchery (Bedford County)
Huntsdale State Fish Hatchery (Cumberland County)
Source link verified . Stocking plans change in-season; always confirm against the agency's current report before a trip.
Pre-season closure late February through opening day second Saturday in April, in-season stockings April–May, fall stocking October–November on selected waters
How to use this schedule
RI DEM lists the seven Designated Trout Waters separately from general stocked waters — the Designated waters open second Saturday in April after a pre-season closure, others stay open year-round. A $5.50 Trout Conservation Stamp is required in addition to the fishing license.
Producing hatcheries
Lafayette State Fish Hatchery (North Kingstown)
Source link verified . Stocking plans change in-season; always confirm against the agency's current report before a trip.
~600,000 catchable trout annually plus ~150,000 fingerlings across ~300 waters
Timing
Year-round stockings, heaviest spring March–May, with fall + winter stockings on tailwaters (South Holston, Watauga, Caney Fork, Clinch)
How to use this schedule
TWRA publishes the annual stocking calendar listing every planned date + water + load. The marquee tailwater fisheries — South Holston + Watauga (East TN) and Caney Fork (Middle TN) — are TVA dam-release waters that hold trout year-round under aggressive stocking.
Producing hatcheries
Erwin National Fish Hatchery (USFWS, Unicoi County)
Tellico State Fish Hatchery
Buffalo Springs State Fish Hatchery
Eagle Bend State Fish Hatchery
Springfield State Fish Hatchery
Normandy State Fish Hatchery (warm-water)
Source link verified . Stocking plans change in-season; always confirm against the agency's current report before a trip.
~30 million fish stocked annually statewide; ~250,000 catchable rainbow trout winter-stocked December–February into ~150 community waters
Timing
Trout in Texas winter December–February (Texas is too warm for year-round trout — winter stocking is put-and-take only); Neighborhood Fishin' year-round; Florida-strain largemouth ShareLunker fall + spring
How to use this schedule
TPWD's stocking map is interactive — filter by date + species + region. The two TPWD signatures: (1) Trout in Texas — ~250,000 winter rainbows into 150 city + county parks December–February so kids in Houston + Dallas + Austin + San Antonio metro can catch trout. (2) Neighborhood Fishin' — community ponds stocked with catfish year-round for urban kids + families.
Producing hatcheries
A.E. Wood State Fish Hatchery (San Marcos)
East Texas State Fish Hatchery (Jasper)
John D. Parker East Texas State Fish Hatchery
Possum Kingdom State Fish Hatchery
Heart of the Hills Fisheries Science Center
Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center (Athens — Florida-strain largemouth)
Source link verified . Stocking plans change in-season; always confirm against the agency's current report before a trip.
~10 million fish stocked annually across 1,000+ waters
Timing
Year-round, with high-country lake stockings June–September and lowland community fishery year-round
How to use this schedule
UDWR's database updates within days of each stocking and is searchable by waterbody + date + species. Tiger trout (sterile brown × brook hybrid) are a Utah signature — fast-growing, aggressive, planted in selected high-country lakes for trophy management.
Producing hatcheries
Mantua State Fish Hatchery
Glenwood State Fish Hatchery
Springville State Fish Hatchery
Whiterocks State Fish Hatchery
Loa State Fish Hatchery
Egan State Fish Hatchery
Kamas State Fish Hatchery (closed for renovation through 2026)
Source link verified . Stocking plans change in-season; always confirm against the agency's current report before a trip.
Trout April–early June; landlocked Atlantic salmon + Lake Champlain steelhead yearlings April–May; lake trout fall stocking
How to use this schedule
Vermont's schedule is a downloadable PDF released annually — search by water body or species. Lake Champlain landlocked Atlantic salmon are jointly stocked with NY DEC under the Lake Champlain Fish and Wildlife Management Cooperative.
Producing hatcheries
Salisbury State Fish Hatchery
Bald Hill State Fish Hatchery
Bennington State Fish Hatchery
Roxbury State Fish Hatchery
Grand Isle State Fish Hatchery
Source link verified . Stocking plans change in-season; always confirm against the agency's current report before a trip.
~1.2 million trout annually across ~190 Stocked Trout Waters
Timing
Stockings run October through mid-May, with the heaviest schedule late March through April
How to use this schedule
VDWR posts the stocking schedule the day-of so anglers can't pattern hatchery trucks. Subscribe to the email/text alert to get the same-day notification. Heritage Day Trout waters are stocked once and held to catch-and-release management. Special-Regulation Trout waters carry tackle restrictions on top of stocking.
Producing hatcheries
Marion State Fish Hatchery (Smyth County)
Buller State Fish Hatchery
Coursey Springs State Fish Hatchery (Bath County)
Paint Bank State Fish Hatchery
Wytheville State Fish Hatchery
Source link verified . Stocking plans change in-season; always confirm against the agency's current report before a trip.
~16 million catchable + fry rainbow trout annually; ~50 million salmon + steelhead smolts
Timing
Lowland Lakes opener fourth Saturday in April — peak pre-season stocking April; high-country lakes June–September; Puget Sound + Columbia River salmon smolt releases April–May
How to use this schedule
WDFW's trout-plant database is searchable by waterbody, county, year, and species. The Lowland Lakes opener (fourth Saturday in April) is a major regional event — most lowland lakes in Western WA + Eastern WA receive heavy pre-opener stockings in late March + early April.
Producing hatcheries
Issaquah State Fish Hatchery
Soos Creek State Fish Hatchery
Sol Duc State Fish Hatchery
Wallace State Fish Hatchery
Spokane State Fish Hatchery
Ringold State Fish Hatchery
Goldendale State Fish Hatchery
Source link verified . Stocking plans change in-season; always confirm against the agency's current report before a trip.
Stockings January through May, with selected fall stockings October–November on Catch-and-Release-only waters
How to use this schedule
WVDNR publishes the prior-week + planned-current-week stockings. The Elk River + South Branch Potomac + Cranberry Backcountry are the marquee waters. Trout Stamp ($10) required in addition to the base fishing license.
Producing hatcheries
Edray State Fish Hatchery (Pocahontas County)
Petersburg State Fish Hatchery (Grant County)
Reeds Creek State Fish Hatchery
Spring Run State Fish Hatchery
Bowden State Fish Hatchery
Source link verified . Stocking plans change in-season; always confirm against the agency's current report before a trip.
~30 million fish stocked annually across all life stages
Timing
Lake Michigan + Lake Superior salmonid smolts April–May; inland trout April–June; walleye fry + fingerlings May–July; muskellunge fingerlings fall
How to use this schedule
WDNR's database is searchable by waterbody, county, year, and species going back decades. The Lake Michigan salmon program is one of the largest in North America — chinook + coho salmon were introduced to control alewife in the late 1960s and the sport fishery has run continuously since.
Producing hatcheries
Wild Rose State Fish Hatchery
Kettle Moraine Springs State Fish Hatchery
Lake Mills State Fish Hatchery
Bayfield State Fish Hatchery
Brule River State Fish Hatchery
Governor Tommy G. Thompson State Fish Hatchery (Spooner)
Westfield State Fish Hatchery
Woodruff State Fish Hatchery (musky)
Source link verified . Stocking plans change in-season; always confirm against the agency's current report before a trip.
Cutthroat trout (Yellowstone, Bonneville, Colorado River, Snake River fine-spotted subspecies)
Splake
Kokanee salmon
Walleye
Tiger musky
Annual scale
~5 million fish stocked annually across all life stages
Timing
Year-round, with high-altitude lake stockings June–September after ice-out
How to use this schedule
WGFD's database is searchable by waterbody, county, year, and species — going back to the 1990s. Native cutthroat (Yellowstone, Bonneville, Colorado River, Snake River fine-spotted) restoration stockings are concentrated on Wilderness reaches under aggressive conservation framework.
Producing hatcheries
Story State Fish Hatchery
Boulder State Fish Hatchery
Daniel State Fish Hatchery
Tillett Springs State Fish Hatchery
Wigwam State Fish Hatchery
Auburn State Fish Hatchery
Speas State Fish Hatchery (Casper)
Source link verified . Stocking plans change in-season; always confirm against the agency's current report before a trip.
How to fish a stocking schedule
Truck-chasing works on put-and-take, not wild waters. Stocked rainbow trout in put-and-take fisheries (Mid-Atlantic streams, Texas winter parks, Arizona urban ponds, Colorado high-country reservoirs) feed aggressively for the first 24–48 hours after release and pressure thins them quickly. Wild brown + brook trout populations do not benefit from a stocking truck — most blue-ribbon trout states (Montana, Idaho, large portions of Pennsylvania, Maine) protect wild water from stocking.
Salmon + steelhead smolt releases pay off years later. Great Lakes chinook + coho smolts released in spring return to spawn 3 years downstream; Pacific anadromous smolts return 2–4 years downstream. The 2023 + 2024 release-year data in a state's database predicts the 2026 + 2027 + 2028 fall runs, not this fall's.
Walleye and musky stockings are multi-year investments. Walleye fingerlings stocked in May reach the 15-inch minimum statewide-standard 4–6 years later; muskellunge fingerlings stocked in fall reach 30 inches in 4–6 years and 40 inches in 8–10 years. The current year's stocking shapes the trophy fishery a decade out.
Schedule cancellations are common.Drought, low hatchery effluent flow, fish-health audits (whirling disease, gill lice, viral hemorrhagic septicemia), and truck mechanical failures can scrub a planned stocking. Always confirm a planned date with the agency's most recent weekly report before driving to a specific water for an opening-day load.
The license + stamp requirement is separate. Most states with a heavy trout-stocking program also require a Trout Stamp or Trout Permit on top of the base fishing license (PA Trout Permit $10.97; WV Trout Stamp $10; RI Trout Conservation Stamp $5.50; AR Trout Permit $10; OR Combined Angling Tag for salmon / steelhead). The license + stamp goes to hatchery-program funding. See non-resident license fees by state for the full fee schedule.
States not yet on this page
The 33states above are the ones whose agencies publish a structured, public-facing stocking schedule that an angler can consult before a trip. Other state agencies do stock fish but either publish only an annual summary or treat the schedule as internal — for those states, the fastest path is the agency's main fisheries-management page, linked from each state directory entry. Alaska + Hawaii in particular run very different stocking models (Alaska is mostly wild salmon + char with limited supplemental lake stocking; Hawaii has minimal freshwater stocking outside Kokee State Park rainbow trout on Kauai).
Stocking events get cancelled through the emergency-order channel
The planned schedules above are the agency's intent — but stocking trucks get pulled when a water's temperature spikes, when a hatchery raceway tests positive for whirling disease / gill lice / VHS, when drought drops effluent flow below transport tolerance, or when an emergency closure shutters the destination water before the load can be released. The cancellation typically posts to the same channel as in-season closures and slot revisions: the state DFW emergency-order feed. Before you chase a truck on opening day or drive multiple hours for a put-and-take load, watch the destination state's feed below — non-refundable lodging and guide fees can't recover a load that never left the hatchery.
Emergency-order feeds — 33 of 33 stocking-program states · 48 email sign-ups