Rockaway River
Fishing, stocking, and current conditions
Rainbow trout water, stocked 7 times in 2026, spread April to October; 17,340 fish reported. A USGS gauge reports from this water, so the conditions card on this page is live.
New Jersey · see it on the national map
Water temp 56 °F at Whippany River near Pine Brook NJ, 2 km away USGS site 01381800 · read 8:15 pm this evening
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 | 2,800 | completed |
| Apr 20 | Rainbow trout | catchable | 2,490 | completed |
| Apr 27 | Rainbow trout | catchable | 2,490 | completed |
| May 4 | Rainbow trout | catchable | 2,490 | completed |
| May 11 | Rainbow trout | catchable | 2,490 | completed |
| May 18 | Rainbow trout | catchable | 3,120 | completed |
| Oct 15 | Rainbow trout | catchable | 1,460 | completed |
When to fish Rockaway River
| Major periods (~2 h) | Minor periods (~1 h) | |
|---|---|---|
| Today | 9:35-11:35 am and 9:57-11:57 pm | 3:51-4:51 am and 4:07-5:07 pm |
| Tomorrow | 10:21 am-12:21 pm and 10:45 pm-12:45 am | 5:00-6:00 am and 4:31-5:31 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
- Stocked 8 days ago (Oct 15)
- Water 56 °F at a gauge 2 km away, prime coldwater range
- Flow 225% of the seasonal median
Computed this evening, Oct 23 · New Jersey fishing forecast
Gear for this water
Stocked within the last three weeks: fish are still bunched near the release points and keyed on familiar smells.
For the trout (rainbow trout stocked 7 times here in 2026, moving water)
| Light spinning rod | 5 to 6.5 ft light or ultralight; short rods cast under branches |
| Inline spinners | 1/16 to 1/8 oz silver or gold; swing them across the current seams |
| Drifted bait | single salmon egg or half a crawler under light split shot, rolled along the bottom |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Mt. Hope Pond | 2.8 mi | Oct 22 |
| Hibernia Brook | 3.4 mi | May 18 |
| Speedwell Lake | 6.2 mi | Oct 20 |
| Whippany River (above Whitehead Rd.) | 6.9 mi | May 6 |
| Burnham Park Ponds | 7.1 mi | May 6 |
Follow New Jersey stocking: RSS / Calendar (iCal) / Print the schedule