It's a sad time of year when we have to say good bye to our little ones, put away the equipment and wait for the new TIC year to begin once again. Just because it's time to say good bye to the fry, doesn't mean you can't have a great time doing it - plan a trip, visit a nature center, do some stream exploring, cleanup a stream - the possibilities are endless!

Many people wonder why their fry can't just go into any stream or pond near their school, but if you have just spent the year teaching your students about the values of clean, cold water, why would you just dump them anywhere? The answer is - you wouldn't!

With the Trout in the Classroom Program, NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife biologists want the fry going into streams where they have a chance of surviving once they have left your care. It's like having your kids leave home for the first time - you want them to be in a place where you know they have a good chance of making it on their own. That means, the fry need to go into the best habitat for them - not the pond down the street.

Streams are classified by Fish and Wildlife biologists based on biological characteristics of the water body. They look at water quality and quantity - is it polluted, silted up, clear and free flowing? What fish and other organisms live in that water body? Are trout present? Are the fish all the same age or are trout reproducing in the water body?

Freshwater (FW) water bodies are classified based on whether they are wholly contained within state, federal or special holding properties (FW1) or if they flow through other areas of the state (FW2). These water ways are then further classified into three categories based on their ability to support trout.

TP = Trout Production: These waterways have been designated for use by trout for spawning or nursery purposes during their first summer.
TM = Trout Maintenance: These waterways can support trout throughout the year.
NT = Nontrout: These waters fall do not fall into any of the above categories. They are generally not suitable for trout because of their physical, chemical or biological characteristics, but can support other fish species.