The Lake Hopatcong Commission, in cooperation with the Lake Hopatcong Foundation and Knee Deep Club of Lake Hopatcong, is now in the second year of a trout tagging study to monitor trout survival in Lake Hopatcong over the summer months. All trout stocked under the study are tagged, and we are requesting that all tagged trout be reported and safely released.
If a fish is kept, please still fill out the form below and turn in tags at Dow’s Boat Rental (145 Nolan’s Point Rd, Lake Hopatcong 07849), Lake’s End Marina (91 Mt Arlington Blvd, Landing, NJ 07850), or to the Knee Deep Club (PO Box 404, Lake Hopatcong NJ 07849).
It is essential to Not Stress Out the Fish. Please report only the tag color to ease any stress on the fish.
The study is expected to run three years. At the end of each year five participants will be randomly selected for a $100 Visa Gift Cards generously donated by Live the Lake NJ. To be eligible for prizes you must fill out the form below and either turn in the tags at one of the locations above, or submit a photo of the fish with tag.
Year Two of Lake Hopatcong Trout Study
The planned three-year trout study being conducted by The Lake Hopatcong Commission in conjunction with The Lake Hopatcong Foundation and The Knee Deep Club that began at Lake Hopatcong last spring has entered its second year. The goal of the study is to track and document holdover trout habitat through tag returns and more rigorous water quality studies than have ever been conducted at New Jersey’s largest lake. Instead of the typical monthly water quality sampling that has been done for nearly 40 years, during the summer months of the trout study, water quality monitoring will be conducted on a weekly basis. Also, the water conditions of the many streams entering the lake will be studied. Funding for the initial studies, conducted by lake environmental consultants Princeton Hydro, is largely funded through a grant from the New Jersey Highlands Council in partnership with Jefferson Township. The trout study group is hopeful it will be able to secure additional funding for these more frequent water quality studies, especially in light of the harsh temperatures and limited rainfall that occurred in both July and August of last year.
According to Fred Lubnow Ph.D., Senior Technical Director at Princeton Hydro, “some interesting results were already obtained during the first year…READ THE FULL ARTICLE
Learn more about the history of the study in this article by Tim Clancy, originally published in the Knee Deep Club newsletter.
Tagged Trout Stocking Day
