The Bureau of Freshwater Fisheries is responsible for the protection and management of the aquatic resources in the state's 26,000 miles of freshwater streams and over 400 public lakes. These diverse resources include habitat and fisheries resources in waters from small, coldwater streams in the northwest to tidal rivers along the state's borders including seasonal migrations of anadromous fish.

To meet management goals and assure the long term protection of the state's aquatic resources, fisheries biologists conduct fishery surveys on the state's freshwater lakes and streams, propose surface water classifications and provide technical input on a multitude of land use, watershed, and habitat based issues. The Bureau also oversees the Division's fish stocking programs coordinating the distribution of 16 species of fish with over 2,000,000 fish annually in over 250 waterbodies located throughout the state.

Additionally, the bureau also facilitates habitat restoration projects and serves as a liaison to a variety of forums concerning the status of the state's fishery resources. The bureau, in coordination with the New Jersey Fish and Game Council, establishes season and daily creel limits for freshwater fish species. It also administers permits for fish stocking, water lowering, commercial harvests, and scientific collecting to further provide for the effective management and protection of the state's aquatic resources.

For more efficient management of aquatic resources, the state is divided into seven regional management areas. In addition to administering to these regional responsibilities, each fisheries biologist has a specific area of expertise and oversees related research and management projects.

The bureau is funded by New Jersey sportsmen, through the sale of fishing licenses and permits and through a Federal excise tax on the manufacturing fishing related equipment. Federal excise tax money is distributed through the Sport Fish Restoration Program administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

For information regarding management programs, or about a water you fish in, contact the appropriate biologist using the topics or the "clickable map" below.

FRESHWATER BIOLOGISTS and RESPONSIBILITIES

Fisheries Management in the Lower Atlantic Coastal Warmwater Fish Management     Eric Boehm, Assistant Fisheries Biologist Fisheries Management in the Lower Passaic and Upper Atlantic Watersheds Anadromous Fishes Management, Water Lowering Permits     Mark Boriek, Principal Fisheries Biologist Fisheries Management in the Upper Passaic Watershed Coolwater Fisheries Assessment, Stream Temperature Monitoring, Wild Trout Stream Team     Scott Collenburg, Assistant Fisheries Biologist Fisheries Management in the Raritan Watershed Native Fishes Management     Shawn Crouse, Principal Fisheries Biologist Fisheries Management in the Upper Delaware (South) Watershed Coldwater Fishes Management, Wild Trout Stream Team, Federal Grant Coordinator     Patricia Hamilton, Principal Fisheries Biologist Fisheries Management in the Upper Delaware (North) and Wallkill River Watersheds Trout Stocking Coordinator, GIS, Database Management, Wild Trout Stream Team     Ross Shramko, Senior Fisheries Biologist Fisheries Management in the Lower Delaware Watershed Warmwater Fisheries Management and Invasive Species     Chris Smith, Principal Fisheries Biologist

Click on watershed region of water you are interested in to e-mail a biologist. Larger map

RELATED PAGES

	Fish Health in New Jersey
	Freshwater Fishing in NJ
	Freshwater Fish of New Jersey
	Genetic Diversity of Wild Brook Trout Populations in New Jersey: Conservation and Management Implications
	Coldwater Fisheries Management Plan
	Largemouth Bass Virus Information
	Pequest Trout Hatchery
	Hackettstown State Fish Hatchery
	Lakes Benefit from Habitat Projects

EXTERNAL SITES

	Current Water Data for New Jersey - USGS Site
	Nutrient Pollution - US EPA Site
	How's My Waterway? - US EPA Site
	Spawning Warmwater Fish at the Hackettstown Hatchery - NJ.com Video Feature
	Electrofishing a Small Tributary to the South Branch of the Raritan River - NJ.com Video