Merrill Creek Reservoir
Fishing and stocking
Rainbow trout water, stocked once in 2026; 3,500 fish reported.
New Jersey · see it on the national map
The year here
stocked last 7 days announced ahead · tap a tick for details
What swims here
Rainbow trout
Stocking record 2026
Agency feed checked today.
| Date | Species | Size | Fish | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 13 | Rainbow trout | catchable | 3,500 | completed |
When to fish Merrill Creek Reservoir
| Major periods (~2 h) | Minor periods (~1 h) | |
|---|---|---|
| Today | 9:37-11:37 am and 10:00 pm-12:00 am | 3:53-4:53 am and 4:10-5:10 pm |
| Tomorrow | 10:23 am-12:23 pm and 10:47 pm-12:47 am | 5:02-6:02 am and 4:33-5:33 pm |
Moon: waxing gibbous, 92% lit. These are solunar periods, the traditional feeding-time theory: majors around the moon's transit overhead and underfoot, minors around moonrise and moonset. Theory, not a measurement. Times are Eastern Time (EDT).
What the record actually says
- Last stocked Apr 13
Computed this evening, Oct 23 · New Jersey fishing forecast
Gear for this water
It has been a while since the trucks came. The holdovers have spread out and wised up; downsize and fish natural.
For the trout (rainbow trout stocked 1 time here in 2026, stillwater)
| Ultralight spinning rod | 6 to 7 ft ultralight, 4 lb line; long casts from the bank |
| Dough bait rigs | floating dough bait 18 inches above a small egg sinker; hatchery fish know the smell |
| Casting spoons | 1/8 to 1/4 oz in fluorescent or metallic; count down until you find the depth |
Suggestions follow from what the state actually stocks here and what kind of water it is, nothing else. No sponsored placements.
Nearby stocked waters
The closest waters with stocking pages of their own, straight-line miles from this one.
| Water | Distance | Most recent |
|---|---|---|
| Lopatcong Creek | 2.8 mi | May 19 |
| Buckhorn Creek | 3.8 mi | May 6 |
| Martins Creek PA | 4.7 mi | Apr 16 |
| Pohatcong Creek (below Rt. 31) | 5.4 mi | Oct 15 |
| Lehigh River PA | 6.2 mi | Apr 28 |
Follow New Jersey stocking: RSS / Calendar (iCal) / Print the schedule