Stocked Trout (species not listed) gear

Quick setup

Rod	Reel	Line	Leader
Light to medium action spinning or spincast rod, about 5 to 6.5 feet.	Push-button spincast for beginners; a small spinning reel otherwise.	4 to 10 lb monofilament, 6 to 8 lb ideal.	18 to 24 inches of 4 lb line, preferably fluorocarbon, below a swivel.

Rod, reel and line

Rod: Light to medium action spinning or spincast rod, about 5 to 6.5 feet.
Reel: Push-button spincast for beginners; a small spinning reel otherwise.
Line: 4 to 10 lb monofilament, 6 to 8 lb ideal.
Leader: 18 to 24 inches of 4 lb line, preferably fluorocarbon, below a swivel.

Baits

floating dough bait
nightcrawlers
salmon eggs
corn
cheese baits

Lures

small spinners
small spoons
tiny crankbaits
buggy wet flies or nymphs

Rigs

Floating bottom rig: slide a 1/8 oz egg or bullet sinker on the main line, tie a swivel, add the leader and a size 6 or 8 egg or circle hook. Mold enough dough bait to float the hook just off the bottom. Give it about 10 minutes before checking.
Bobber rig when you see trout cruising higher in the water.

Tips

Freshly stocked trout cruise shorelines, drop-offs, corners and points like they did in hatchery raceways, and often stay near the stocking spot. Some bite right away, but most bite better after a day or two.
Keep bait a few inches off the bottom so cruising trout find it.

Starter setup

A 5.5 to 7 foot light to medium-light spinning or spincast rod and matching reel, spooled with 6 lb monofilament. Spincast is easiest for beginners, and a 4 to 5 foot rod suits small kids. Carry size 6 to 10 hooks, a few split shot (pinched on 4 to 8 inches above the hook), small bobbers, a couple of small spinners and jigs, and worms. Learn the improved clinch knot and the palomar knot.

Light line casts farther and draws more strikes. Heavier line and stiffer rods are for bigger fish, heavy cover or sharp teeth, not for everyday fishing.

When to size up

Fish	Gear
Walleye, bass, saugeye, hybrid striped bass	medium rod, 8 to 12 lb line, 6 to 7.5 feet
Channel catfish	medium-heavy rod, 10 to 20 lb line
Northern pike	medium-heavy rod, 15 lb or heavier braid, steel or heavy fluorocarbon (40 lb+) leader
Muskellunge	heavy 7 to 9 foot rod, 50 to 80 lb braid, heavy leader
Trolling for lake trout and salmon	8.5 to 10.5 foot trolling rods, 15 lb mono or 30 lb braid, level-wind reels
Steelhead	8 to 10 foot or longer rods, 6 to 10 lb line
Lake sturgeon	heavy rod, 50 to 100 lb braid

Stocked in the last 2 years

754 waters with a stocking in the last 2 years.

Arizona (44)

California (192)

Connecticut (201)

Amos Lake, Southeastern Connecticut
Angus Park Pond, Capitol
Baldwin Pond, New Haven
Ball Pond, Western Connecticut
Bantam River, Inlet, Litchfield
Bantam River, Outlet and fly area, Litchfield
Bantam River, W. Branch, Litchfield
Bashan Lake, Lower Connecticut River Valley
Baummer Pond, Naugatuck Valley
Beach Pond, Northeastern Connecticut
Beacon Hill Brook, Naugatuck Valley
Beaver Brook (incl. Ponds), New London
Beaver Brook Park Ponds, Windham
Beaver Park Pond/Lagoon, New Haven
Bible Rock Brook, Lower Connecticut River Valley
Bicentennial Pond, Tolland
Bigelow Brook (outside State Park), Windham
Bigelow Pond, Northeastern Connecticut
Billings Lake, Southeastern Connecticut
Birge Pond, Naugatuck Valley
Black Pond (Meriden/Middlefield), Middlesex
Black Pond (Woodstock), Windham
Black Rock Impoundment, Litchfield
Black Rock Pond, Naugatuck Valley
Blackberry River, Open, Litchfield
Blackberry River, WTMA, Litchfield
Blackledge River (lower), Hartford
Blackledge River (upper), Hartford
Blackwells Brook, Windham
Branch Brook, Naugatuck Valley
Branford River, New Haven
Branford Supply Pond, New Haven
Broad Brook (Preston), New London
Broad Brook Mill Pond, Tolland
Bunnells Pond (Beardsley Park Pond), Fairfield
Butternut Brook, Northwest Hills
Candlewood Lake, Fairfield
Cedar Lake, Lower Connecticut River Valley
Center Springs Park Pond, Tolland
Chatfield Hollow POND/Schreeder Pond, Middlesex
Choate Brook, Southeastern Connecticut
Christensen's Pond, Hartford
Colebrook Reservoir, Litchfield
Colony Park Pond, New Haven
Congamond Lakes, Hartford
Coventry Lake, Tolland
Crystal Lake, Capitol
Day Pond, Southeastern Connecticut
Dickenson Creek, Hartford
East Swamp Brook, Western Connecticut
East Twin Lake, Litchfield
Eightmile Brook (Open), New Haven
Eightmile Brook (Southford Falls State Park), New Haven
Farm River (lower), WTMA, New Haven
Farm River (upper), New Haven
Farmington River 2 (Old Foot Bridge to Rt. 219 ), Hartford
Farmington River 3 (Rt. 219 to Rt. 177), Litchfield
Farmington River 4 (Lower Collinsville to RT 177), Hartford
Farmington River 5 (RT 177 Downstream to Rte 4.), Hartford
Farmington River 6 (Rte 4 to Tarrifville), Hartford
Farmington River TMA 1 (Goodwin Dam to Old Foot Bridge), Litchfield
Fivemile River (lower), Windham
Fivemile River (upper), Windham
Fountain Lake, New Haven
Freshwater Pond, Capitol
Gallup Pond, Southeastern Connecticut
Gardner Lake, Southeastern Connecticut
Gay City Park Pond, Tolland
Great Hollow Lake at Wolfe Park, Fairfield
Green Fall Reservoir, New London
Green Fall River, New London
Hammonasset River TMA, Middlesex
Hancock Brook Impoundment, Litchfield
Hanover Reservoir, Southeastern Connecticut
Higganum Reservoir, Lower Connecticut River Valley
Highland Lake, Northwest Hills
Hockanum River TMA, Tolland
Hop Brook Impoundment, New Haven
Horse Pond, Southeastern Connecticut
Housatonic River (Bulls Bridge TMA), New Haven
Housatonic River (Upper TMA), New Haven
Howells Pond, Northwest Hills
Huntington Pond (Starret Pond), Fairfield
Keach Pond/Peck Pond, Windham
Keney Park Pond, Capitol
Kent Falls Brook, Northwest Hills
Lake McDonough, Litchfield
Lake Saltonstall, South Central Connecticut
Lake Stibbs/Gravel Pit Pond, New Haven
Lake Wintergreen, South Central Connecticut
Little River (Canterbury), Windham
Little River (Oxford), Open, New Haven
Little River (Oxford), WTMA, New Haven
Long Pond, Southeastern Connecticut
Lower Storrs Pumping Station Pond, Tolland
Macedonia Brook (State Park), Litchfield
Mad River Impoundment, Litchfield
Mansfield Training Ponds, Tolland
Mashapaug Lake, Tolland
McGovern Pond, Hartford
Mianus River, TMA, Fairfield
Mill Brook (Woodstock), Windham
Mill River (Open-Fairfield), Fairfield
Mill River (Open-Hamden), New Haven
Mill River (Sleeping Giant SP), New Haven
Mill River, TMA, Fairfield
Millers Pond, Lower Connecticut River Valley
Mirror Lake (Hubbard Park Pond), New Haven
Mohawk Pond, Northwest Hills
Mohegan Lake, Fairfield
Mohegan Park Pond, New London
Moosup Pond, Northeastern Connecticut
Moosup River TMA, Windham
Morgan Brook, Northwest Hills
Mount Misery Brook, Northeastern Connecticut
Mt. Tom Pond, Litchfield
Myron Kinney Brook, Northeastern Connecticut
Natchaug River Trout Park, Windham
Naugatuck River (Lower), New Haven
Naugatuck River (Mid), New Haven
Naugatuck River (TMA), Litchfield
Naugatuck River (Upper), Litchfield
Naugatuck River, E. Branch, Litchfield
Naugatuck River, W. Branch, Litchfield
Nells Rock Reservoir/Lake Hope/Shelton Res #3, Fairfield
Nonewaug River, New Haven
Northfield Impoundment, Litchfield
Pasture Pond, Windham
Pattaconk Reservoir, Lower Connecticut River Valley
Pequabuck River (Rockwell Park - Blvd.), Hartford
Pequabuck River (RT 229 to 177), Hartford
Pequonnock River (Beardsley Park), Fairfield
Pequonnock River (Trumbull Basin), Fairfield
Pequonnock River, Open, Fairfield
Pequonnock River, W Branch, Fairfield
Pickett's Pond, New Haven
Ponset Brook, Lower Connecticut River Valley
Pootatuck River (Lower), Fairfield
Quanduck Brook, Northeastern Connecticut
Quinebaug River (Griswold, Lisbon), New London
Quinebaug River (Killingly, Plainfield, Canterbury), Windham
Quinebaug River (Killingly), Windham
Quinebaug River (Preston), Windham
Quinebaug River (Putnam), Windham
Quinebaug River (Thompson), Windham
Quonnipaug Lake, South Central Connecticut
Roaring Brook (Glastonbury), Hartford
Roaring Brook (Stafford), Tolland
Rogers Lake, Lower Connecticut River Valley
Rogers Park Pond, Western Connecticut
Roseland Lake, Northeastern Connecticut
Rowan's Pond (Butternut Park Pond), Middlesex
Saint Martha's Pond/Washington Road Pond, Hartford
Salmon Brook Pond, Hartford
Salmon Brook, E. Branch (Open), Hartford
Salmon Brook, E. Branch (WTMA), Hartford
Salmon Brook, W. Branch, Hartford
Salmon River TMA, New London
Saugatuck Reservoir, Western Connecticut
Saugatuck River (Fly), Fairfield
Saugatuck River, Lower, Fairfield
Saugatuck River, Upper, Fairfield
Saugatuck River, W. Branch, Fairfield
Sawmill Brook, Western Connecticut
Scantic River (Lower), Tolland
Scantic River (upper), Tolland
Scoville Reservoir, New Haven
Shenipsit Lake, Capitol
Shunock Brook, New London
Somersville Mill Pond, Tolland
Southford Falls Pond, New Haven
Squantz Pond, Western Connecticut
Stanley Quarter Park Pond, Hartford
Still River (Colebrook), Litchfield
Still River (Danbury), Fairfield
Still River (Eastford), Windham
Stillwater Pond, Northwest Hills
Stony Brook (Suffield), Hartford
Stratton Brook Trout Park, Hartford
Taylor Brook, Northeastern Connecticut
Ten Mile River (Lebanon), New London
Tenmile River (Bulls Bridge TMA), New Haven
Twin Brooks Pond, Fairfield
Tyler Lake, Northwest Hills
Uncas Lake, New London
Upper Fulton Park Pond, Naugatuck Valley
Valley Falls Park Pond, Tolland
Walkers Reservoir, Tolland
Wauregan Reservoir, Windham
Wepawaug River, South Central Connecticut
West Branch Reservoir, Northwest Hills
West Hill Pond, Northwest Hills
West Side Pond, Northwest Hills
Wharton Brook Pond, New Haven
Whitfords Brook, New London
Willimantic River (above TMA), Tolland
Willimantic River (below TMA), Windham
Willimantic River TMA, Tolland
Wononskopomuc Lake, Northwest Hills
Wyassup Lake, Southeastern Connecticut
Yantic River TMA, New London

Georgia (31)

Massachusetts (100)

New Jersey (63)

North Carolina (119)

South Carolina (4)

Gear types only. Check your state's fishing regulations before you go.