To see a sample of Freshwater Fisheries and Hatcheries Division activities to improve Maryland’s fisheries, habitats, and angling access, check out the May Monthly Report.
Highlights include:
- Trout Stocking and Coldwater Conservation – Your trout stamp dollars directly funded stocking 256,000 adult trout and habitat protection to ensure quality coldwater fishing.
- Supporting Future Fisheries – Staff stocked 54,000 Plymouth Rock strain brown trout fingerlings into western Maryland waters to support Put and Grow fisheries.
- Protecting Coldwater Habitats – Biologists deployed over 50 continuous temperature loggers in trout streams to monitor summer water conditions and help guide future management decisions. They also actively investigated and stopped unpermitted pond constructions and illegal pollution discharges that threatened high-quality wild trout streams.
- Enhancing Warmwater and Coolwater Sportfish – License sales fund the propagation, stocking, and management of popular gamefish across Maryland’s lakes and rivers.
- Combating Invasive Species – The division is actively working to manage and mitigate the impact of invasive fish on native ecosystems.
- Improving Angler Access and Community Education – Funds are also reinvested into the angling community by maintaining access areas and fostering the next generation of fishermen through tournament care and facility upgrades, maintenance of access areas, Youth Rodeos and educational fishing events.
- Restoring Fish Passage – Efforts to reconnect waterways for migratory fish through dam removals and fish/eel passage structures.
