Best Bets This Week
50 waters stocked in the last seven days across 14 states, ranked. Freshest trucks first; live gauges break the ties.
How the ranking works, in full: freshest stockings first, weighted by how many fish went in, with a bonus when the water's own gauge reads the 50 to 66 degree band trout feed in and another when flow sits near the seasonal normal. Every claim in the reason column comes from the agency record or a USGS gauge; waters without a gauge rank on recency and count alone.
South
Kentucky
| Water | County | Why now |
|---|---|---|
| Cranks Creek Lake | Harlan | stocked Thursday, 1,000 rainbow trout, nearby gauge 66 F |
| Greenbo Lake | Greenup | stocked 2 times this week, last Thursday, 11,000 rainbow trout |
| Looney Creek | Harlan | stocked Thursday, 500 rainbow trout |
| Prisoners Lake | Kenton | stocked Wednesday, 750 rainbow trout |
| Wood Creek Lake | Laurel | stocked Tuesday, 4,000 rainbow trout |
| Lake Mingo | Jessamine | stocked Wednesday, 500 rainbow trout |
| Beaver Creek | Wayne | stocked Wednesday, 500 rainbow trout, flow 74% of normal |
| Big Bone Creek | Boone | stocked Wednesday, 400 rainbow trout |
| Gunpowder Creek | Boone | stocked Wednesday, 400 rainbow trout, flow 32% of normal |
Maryland
| Water | County | Why now |
|---|---|---|
| Deer Creek | Harford | stocked Tuesday, 500 rainbow trout, nearby gauge 62 F, flow 70% of normal |
West Virginia
| Water | County | Why now |
|---|---|---|
| Shavers Fork (upper section) | stocked 2 times this week, last Thursday, trout, nearby gauge 51 F, flow 195% of normal | |
| Elk River (Randolph, Webster) | stocked Wednesday, trout, water 59 F | |
| Cranberry River | stocked Tuesday, trout, water 50 F, flow 179% of normal |
South Carolina
| Water | County | Why now |
|---|---|---|
| South Saluda River | stocked Thursday, trout, water 61 F, flow 64% of normal |
West
Oregon
| Water | County | Why now |
|---|---|---|
| Henry Hagg Lake | stocked Monday, 4,100 trout, nearby gauge 61 F |
Utah
| Water | County | Why now |
|---|---|---|
| Smith-Morehouse Reservoir | Summit | stocked Thursday, 12,365 arctic grayling |
| Jackson Flat Reservoir | Kane | stocked Tuesday, 1,003 tiger trout |
| Willow Park Pnd | Salt Lake | stocked Wednesday, 300 rainbow trout |
Midwest
Nebraska
| Water | County | Why now |
|---|---|---|
| Gracie Creek Pond | Loup | stocked 2 times this week, last Friday, 1,021 rainbow trout |
South Dakota
| Water | County | Why now |
|---|---|---|
| Lynn | Day | stocked Wednesday, 1,442 muskellunge |
Northeast
New Jersey
| Water | County | Why now |
|---|---|---|
| Passaic River | stocked Tuesday, 280 rainbow trout, nearby gauge 62 F, flow 219% of normal | |
| D&R Feeder Canal | stocked Wednesday, 990 rainbow trout | |
| Maurice River | stocked Tuesday, 190 rainbow trout, nearby gauge 59 F | |
| Mt. Hope Pond | stocked Thursday, 300 rainbow trout | |
| Barbour Pond | stocked Thursday, 290 rainbow trout | |
| Shaws Mill Pond | stocked Thursday, 230 rainbow trout | |
| Haddon Lake | stocked Thursday, 220 rainbow trout | |
| Ramapo River | stocked Oct 16, 1,050 rainbow trout, water 56 F | |
| Birch Grove Park Ponds | stocked Thursday, 210 rainbow trout | |
| South Vineland Park Pond | stocked Thursday, 210 rainbow trout |
Pennsylvania
| Water | County | Why now |
|---|---|---|
| Muddy Creek | York | stocked Thursday, rainbow trout, water 51 F, flow 72% of normal |
| East Branch Perkiomen Creek | Bucks | stocked Wednesday, rainbow trout, nearby gauge 55 F, flow 52% of normal |
| Deer Creek | Allegheny | stocked Tuesday, rainbow trout, nearby gauge 58 F |
Vermont
| Water | County | Why now |
|---|---|---|
| Harriman Reservoir | Windham | stocked 2 times this week, last Thursday, 525 brook trout |
Maine
| Water | County | Why now |
|---|---|---|
| Porter Lake | Franklin | stocked Wednesday, 1,500 brook trout |
| Mousam River | York | stocked Tuesday, 600 brown trout, flow 83% of normal |
| Lunksoos Lake | Penobscot | stocked Wednesday, 1,200 brook trout |
| Third (Matagamon) Lake | Piscataquis | stocked Wednesday, 1,000 brook trout |
| Echo Lake | Hancock | stocked Wednesday, 800 brook trout |
| Kennebec River | Somerset | stocked 3 times this week, last Tuesday, 6,050 brown trout |
| Messalonskee Lake | Kennebec | stocked Tuesday, 2,000 brown trout |
| Saint George Lake | Waldo | stocked Tuesday, 2,000 brook trout |
| Spring Lake | Somerset | stocked 2 times this week, last Tuesday, 825 fish (brook trout, atlantic salmon) |
| Stevens Brook | York | stocked Tuesday, 800 brown trout |
| Piscataquis River | Piscataquis | stocked Tuesday, 750 brook trout, flow 27% of normal |
Connecticut
| Water | County | Why now |
|---|---|---|
| Shetucket River | New London | stocked Friday, trout, flow 79% of normal |
| Naugatuck River | New Haven | stocked Thursday, trout, flow near normal |
| Salmon River | New London | stocked Thursday, trout, flow near normal |
New Hampshire
| Water | County | Why now |
|---|---|---|
| Pearl Lake | stocked Tuesday, 775 rainbow trout | |
| Martin Meadow Pond | stocked Tuesday, 550 rainbow trout |
Computed Oct 23 from state agency stocking records and USGS
live gauges. Rankings are a report, not a promise; conditions move
faster than any page. Verify schedules with the agency before a
long drive.