Trout Waters Assessment
In January 2025, mountain region fisheries management and production staff began assessing all Hatchery Supported and Delayed Harvest locations across the region to determine if they could be safely accessed by hatchery staff and anglers in 2025. Those assessments consider whether each location is in an active disaster recovery area, has major stream damage impacts, has parking and access infrastructure damage, and whether the location can safely be accessed by stocking trucks and anglers. We are working closely with local and county governments to ensure that they are open to visitors and anglers. The assessment information will be used to develop a list of Hatchery Supported and Delayed Harvest locations that are fully open, partially open, or fully closed for the 2025 season. We will also continue to assess locations that become open during the year.
We know many of you look forward to our winter impoundment trout stockings, which began as a way to use surplus trout that weren’t needed to meet the following year’s stocking requests. Unfortunately, due to impacts from Hurricane Helene at Armstrong State Fish Hatchery, there are no surplus trout available for 2025. In addition, Setzer State Fish Hatchery will undergo a full renovation starting in 2026, reducing trout production through 2028. As a result, winter impoundment stockings will be paused until the Setzer hatchery is fully operational.
We understand that this is disappointing news. We appreciate your continued support as we work to restore and improve trout production for the future.
Public Mountain Trout Waters not being stocked currently:
Delayed Harvest Trout Waters
Hatchery Supported Trout Waters
- Green River (Henderson County)
- Little Buck Creek (McDowell County)
- (Rocky) Broad River (Rutherford and Henderson counties)
- Swannanoa River (Buncombe County)
- (Big) Hungry River (Henderson County)
- North Pacolet River (Polk County
- Wilson Creek (Caldwell County)
The Bobby N. Setzer State Fish Hatchery will undergo a major renovation beginning in 2026. Setzer produces over 75% of trout for the agency’s trout stocking program. There will be a reduction in trout stockings during the 2026, 2027 and potentially 2028 trout stocking seasons. We will continue to update the public during this important process, which ultimately ensures the sport of trout fishing will robustly continue in North Carolina for future generations.
Support Conservation and Management of Native Brook Trout
Motorists can help support the conservation and management of Brook Trout by purchasing a new conservation license plate that depicts North Carolina’s only native trout.