Anyone with an interest in fish, wildlife or the outdoors will enjoy a visit to the state-of-the-art Pequest Trout Hatchery and Natural Resource Education Center. Pequest began operations when trout production was transferred from the Charles O. Hayford Hatchery in Hackettstown in 1981.

Open Monday through Friday (excluding holidays) between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., the center offers visitors a look at how more than 600,000 brook, brown and rainbow trout are raised each year for stocking the public waters of New Jersey. Take a Virtual Tour (pdf, 545kb). A 15-minute video shows the trout rearing operation from egg-gathering to stocking, and a self-guided tour allows visitors to see where the trout are actually raised. The exhibit hall contains live fish as well as a display of mounted New Jersey wildlife specimens. The entire facility is barrier-free.

Children will find the interactive displays fun as well as educational. Visitors are encouraged to take advantage of the hiking trails, including the self-guided interpretive "Natural Resources Trail," picnic areas and free literature. Many opportunities exist for hunting, hiking, fishing and birding on the 4000-acre Pequest Wildlife Management Area - see the topo map (pdf, 500kb) for details.

A year-round schedule of weekend programs cover a wide range of wildlife and natural resource topics. A list of upcoming programs can be viewed on-line. Organized group programs may be scheduled and can include an actual fishing experience at the "Fishing Education Pond." Pequest is located on Rt. 46 nine miles west of Hackettstown in scenic Warren County. On-line directions are available. For further information about programs and visitation call 908-637-4125, or write:

N.J. Division of Fish and Wildlife Pequest Trout Hatchery & Natural Resource Ed. Ctr. 605 Pequest Rd. Oxford, NJ 07863 Pequest Trout Hatchery Brochure (pdf, 100kb) Pequest Trails Guide (pdf, 212kb) Pequest Trout Hatchery Virtual Tour (pdf, 545kb) Trout Stocking Summaries

Weather fans take note: Pequest has become the newest link in Rutgers University's weather station network. The hatchery is now the site of one of 13 stations throughout the state that feed data to the state's weather and climate monitoring system. To view current weather conditions visit: http://climate.rutgers.edu/njwxnet/station.php?s=1029

New Flow Monitoring System at Pequest - February 2007 Feature Article