Shark River
Fishing, stocking, and current conditions
Rainbow trout water; 5 stockings on the 2026 record, spread April to May, heaviest in May. A USGS gauge reports from this water, so the conditions card on this page is live.
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 21 | Rainbow trout | catchable | 270 | completed |
| Apr 27 | Rainbow trout | catchable | 270 | completed |
| May 5 | Rainbow trout | catchable | 270 | completed |
| May 11 | Rainbow trout | catchable | 270 | completed |
| May 18 | Rainbow trout | catchable | 170 | completed |
When to fish Shark River
| Major periods (~2 h) | Minor periods (~1 h) | |
|---|---|---|
| Today | 9:33-11:33 am and 9:56-11:56 pm | 3:49-4:49 am and 4:06-5:06 pm |
| Tomorrow | 10:19 am-12:19 pm and 10:43 pm-12:43 am | 4:57-5:57 am and 4:30-5:30 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 May 18
- Flow 148% of the seasonal median
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 5 times here in 2026, moving water)
| Small jerkbaits | floating minnows in the 2 to 3 inch class for the deeper bends |
| Waders or wet-wading boots | stocked stream fish stack in the obvious pools; getting to the next one is the edge |
| Light spinning rod | 5 to 6.5 ft light or ultralight; short rods cast under branches |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Mingamahone Brook | 3.8 mi | May 18 |
| Manasquan River | 4.6 mi | Oct 14 |
| Spring Lake | 5.4 mi | Oct 19 |
| Hockhockson Brook | 6.1 mi | May 18 |
| Yellow Brook | 7.2 mi | Apr 27 |
Follow New Jersey stocking: RSS / Calendar (iCal) / Print the schedule