Conservation
As an environmental as well as trout oriented organization, the Jersey Shore Chapter of Trout Unlimited is dedicated to improving our own home waters as well as those in other places. Please forward any thoughts that you have to Tom Coopey, our board member in charge of conservation.
Some History on the Toms River and Fishing.
The Toms River Trout Unlimited Chapter, now out of business, conducted an electro fishing survey in September 1991 at four stations on the Toms River, about 5 months after the spring stocking. The stations were in the River Wood Area, at the bottom end of the Trout Conservation Area, Girl Scout Campground, below Edgemere Road and above route 70 bridge. The survey covered a 150 yard section at each station. The TRTU had stocked 1000, 12 to 13 inch long brook trout in the spring of 1990 and 1991. Fish were given a jaw tag and released in the Trout Conservation Area also known as the special regulation area.
Stocked hatchery trout usually experience rapid weight loss and high mortality soon after release. Researchers have attributed this loss to the inability of hatchery fish to adapt to natural conditions, lack of suitable forage and water temperatures which sap reserves. However condition of the trout recovered from the Toms River, during this survey, is evidence that adequate forage and a suitable physical and chemical environment does exist to sustain trout through the summer period and into the fall. As the Toms River is fed primarily by underground springs, temperature in the summer is only at or above the lethal range for a short time.
The primary purpose of this survey was to determine the fish species composition and relative abundance. Also of interest was the question whether the stream contained a reproduction trout fishery. However no wild trout were collected at the four electro fishing stations and no trout of less than 9 inches was found as a result of the electro shocking. During this period the TRTU chapter was tagging only those Brook trout that they stocked and not the NJ F&W stocking program.
Note: When fishing the Tom’s the 4x4 posts with the round pipe along the river edge were to collect the TRTU stocked tags.
Other fish species collected and their relative abundance in the Toms River included:
| American Eel | (Anguilla Rostrata) | Numerous |
| Swamp Darter | (Etheostoma Fusiforme) | Common |
| Pumpkinseed | (Lepomis Gibbosus) | Occasional |
| Chain Pickerel | (Esox Niger) | Occasional |
| Creek Chubsucker | (Erimyzon Oblongus) | Rare |
Eels are common to most streams of the Atlantic costal drainage. The swamp darter is abundant in the New Jersey Pine Barrens and has a high tolerance to acid conditions in streams with low dissolved oxygen. Pumpkinseed and Chain Pickerel are typical found in small lakes and sluggish stream with vegetation. The few individuals collected in the Toms River may have escaped from the Pine Lake in Manchester off route 571. Creek chubsuckers prefer the same habit but will also enter brackish water.
At bottom end of the Trout conservation Area, 21 brook trout (3 w/o tags and 19 w tags) were found, only one tagged brook trout was found at the Girl Scout area, Edgemere and above Route 70 bridge. All trout found were hatchery stock. The survival and conditions of the trout in late summer indicated that the water temperature and forage are adequate to support cacheable-size hatchery trout.
Information is based on the report of Electo fishing Survey of Toms River (NJ) 23 September 1992, Aquatic Resources Consulting, Saylorsburg PA
Duane S. Lloyd
Conservation
Jersey Shore Trout Unlimited
Trout Waters of Monmouth and Ocean County
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJ DEP), Division of Fish and Wildlife (DF&W) has designated fresh water streams in the state with the following classifications:
- Fresh Water-1 (FW1) are those fresh waters that are to be maintained in their natural state of quality (set aside for posterity) and not subjected to any man-made wastewater discharges or increases in runoff from anthropogenic activities. These waters are set aside for posterity because of their clarity, color, scenic setting, other characteristic of aesthetic value, unique ecological significance, exceptional recreational significance, exceptional water supply significance, or exceptional fisheries resource.
- Fresh Water-2 (FW2) is the general surface water classification applied to those fresh waters that are not designated as FW1 or Pine lands Waters (PL).
In addition to the FW1 and FW2 classification, the NJ DEP also has also designated some fresh water streams as:
- Non-trout waters (NT). These waters are generally not suitable for trout because of their physical, chemical, or biological characteristics, but are suitable for a wide variety of other fish species.
- Trout Maintenance waters - (TM) means waters that will support trout throughout the year.
- Trout Production waters - (TP) means waters designated for trout for spawning or nursery purposes. These waters are not always stocked each year and none have been classified TP within the watersheds in Monmouth and Ocean county.
- Pine lands waters - (PL) means all waters within the boundaries of the Pinelands Area.
Following is the classifications of streams and rivers Ocean and Monmouth County by drainage:
Navesink River Drainage
HOCKHOCKSON BROOK (Colts Neck) - Entire length FW2-TM
Pine Brook (Cooks Mill) Entire length - TM
Hop Brook (Holmdel) Entire length - TM
Shark River Drainage
SHARK RIVER - (Colts Neck) - Source to Rt. 33; FW2-NT
(Neptune) - Rt. 33 to Brighton Ave. bridge, Glendola; FW2-TM
(Glendola) - Brighton Ave. bridge to Atlantic Ocean; FW2-NT.
Manasquan River Drainage
The MANASQUAN RIVER - MAIN STEM which is designated as TM (FW2 TM) as follows;
(Freehold) - Source to Rt. 9 bridge.
(Howell) - Rt. 9 bridge to the West Farms Road Bridge in Howell Township,
(Howell) - West Farms Road Bridge in Howell Township to the downstream boundary of Manasquan River Wildlife Management Area.
TRIBUTARIES to the MANASQUAN RIVER are classified as follows;
(Adelphia) - Entire length is classified as non trout (FW2-NT).
(Allaire) - Those portions of the first and second southerly tributaries west of the Hospital Rd. which are located entirely within the boundaries of Allaire State Park are classified as Trout Maintenance (TM).
(Mill Run) - Entire length of Mill Run, including Brisbane Lake and its tributaries FW1 NT
(Allaire State Park) -- The easterly tributary to Mill Run upstream of Brisbane Lake, located entirely within the Allaire State Park boundaries, is classified as FW1-TM.
(Freehold) - Tributaries within the boundaries of Turkey Swamp Wildlife Management Area are classified as FW2-NT.
MINGAMAHONE BROOK - MAINSTEM
(Farmingdale) - Entire length, is FW2-TM except East Branch.
EAST BRANCH --(Farmingdale) - Source to confluence with mainstem north of Farmingdale FW2-NT.
Toms River Drainage
TOMS RIVER - MAIN STEM
(Holmeson) - Source to Rt. 528 bridge, Cassville-- FW2-NT
(Van Hiseville) - Rt. 528 bridge to Rt. 547 bridge in Whitesville, -- PL(TM)
(Whitesville) - Rt. 547 bridge to Pinelands Protection and Preservation Area boundaries at the NJ Central Railroad tracks, except tributaries described separately, under Tributaries below. -- PL(TM)
(Manchester) - NJ Central Railroad tracks to Rt. 571 bridge, except tributaries described separately, under Tributaries below. -- FW2-TM
(Toms River) - Rt. 571 bridge to Barnegat Bay, except tributaries described separately, under Tributaries below. -- FW2-NT
TRIBUTARIES, TOMS RIVER
(Holmeson) - Tributaries within the boundaries of the Pinelands Protection and Preservation Area. -- PL TM
(Van Hiseville) - All tributaries outside the boundaries of the Pinelands Protection and Preservation Area which enter the River between the Rt. 528 bridge, Cassville, and the Rt. 547 bridge, PL TM
Whitesville, except Dove's Mill Branch described separately below. -- FW2-TM
(Toms River) - All tributaries within the boundaries of the Pine lands Protection and Preservation Area. -- PL TM
(Manchester) - NJ Central Railroad tracks to Rt. 571 bridge, except tributaries described separately, under Tributaries below FW2-TM
(Archer's Corners) - All tributaries outside the boundaries of the Pinelands Protection Area and within the boundaries of Colliers Mills Wildlife Management Area. -- FW2-NT
DOVE'S MILL BRANCH
(Van Hiseville) - Entire length, except the segment described separately below. - FW2-NT
(Holmansville) - Stream and tributaries within Butterfly Bogs Wildlife Management Area. FW2-NT.
MAPLE ROOT BRANCH (Jackson) - Source to confluence with Toms River.-- PL-NT
Metedeconk River Drainage
METEDECONK RIVER -SOUTH BRANCH:
(Jackson) Clear Stream Entire length FW2 -. TM
(Lakewood) - Entire length, including all tributaries FW2-NT.
METEDECONK RIVER- NORTH BRANCH (Freehold) - Source to Aldrich Rd., including all tributaries FW2-NT.
(Lakewood) - Aldrich Rd. to Lanes Mills, FW2-TM.
(Brick) - Lanes Mills to confluence with Metedeconk River, South Branch, including the westerly tributary FW2-NT.
MAIN STEM METEDECONK RIVER-TM
(Brick) - Confluence of North and South branches to Forge Pond FW2-NT. (Brick) - Forge Pond to Barnegat Bay FW2-NT
Source:
Surface Water Quality Standards N. J. A. C. 7:9B, NEW JERSEY DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION June 2005