CACAPON, WV – Gov. Jim Justice celebrated the kickoff of 2022 Fall Trout Stocking and the new Monster Trout Stocking Program today at Cacapon Park Lake.

The Governor joined Cacapon Superintendent Scott Fortney, West Virginia Division of Natural Resources Hatchery Program Manager Jim Hedrick, and additional DNR members to stock the lake at Cacapon Resort State Park.

“We’re doing something really, really special here,” Gov. Justice said. “We’re hoping this will help build even more interest for our state because for the first time ever you have young people genuinely coming to West Virginia, buying hunting and fishing licenses, and doing something that’s touching their soul.”

During the weeks of Oct. 17 and Oct. 24, WVDNR will stock 40 lakes and streams with 30,000 trout, 2,500 of which will be trophy-sized rainbows raised at WVDNR hatcheries and the White Sulphur Springs Federal Hatchery.

Of the 2,500 trophy-size trout, 250 will be tagged with a special number as part of the Monster Trout Stocking Program. Anglers who reel in one of these tagged fish and submit a photo of their catch will receive a commemorative hat and certificate.

“This program is going to do a lot of good things,” Gov. Justice added. “It's bringing more awareness to the diamond in the rough that we have here in West Virginia. Who would've thunk it that we’d have the level of surplus right now? It’s because of all the great stuff we’re doing like this monster trout program.”

Anglers should expect good trout fishing to continue for several weeks even after the Fall Trout Stocking window closes, especially in larger streams and lakes, where trout will have more room to disperse.

Under Gov. Justice’s leadership, in April 2019 the DNR began spreading out over longer sections of streams for trout stocking, allowing for fish to be available to anglers at many new and exciting locations. The state has also committed over $30 million in fish hatchery upgrades.

All anglers 15 years and older are required to have a West Virginia fishing license, trout stamp, and a valid form of identification while fishing for trout. Licenses and stamps can be purchased at 160 retail locations across the state or online at WVfish.com.

Lakes and streams receiving a fall trout stocking are listed below. Each water will be stocked each week for a total of two stockings. Anglers can also find fall trout stocking waters listed on pages 14 and 15 of the 2022 Fishing Regulations Summary by looking for Code F on the stocking schedule.

-Anthony Creek
-Big Clear Creek
-Blackwater River
-Brandywine Lake
-Buckhannon River
-Buffalo Fork Lake
-Cacapon Park Lake
-Coopers Rock Lake
-Cranberry River
-Elk River
-Evitts Run
-Glade Creek of New
-Knapps Creek
-Lost River
-New Creek Lake
-North Branch of Potomac River
-North Fork South Branch
-Opequon Creek
-Pendleton Lake
-Pinnacle Creek
-Pipestem Resort State Park Lake
-Pond Fork
-R.D. Bailey Tailwaters
-Rock Cliff Lake
-Shavers Fork (Lower Section)
-Shavers Fork (Upper Section)
-South Branch (Franklin Section)
-South Branch (Smoke Hole Section)
-Summersville Tailwaters
-Seneca Lake
-Spruce Knob Lake
-Summit Lake
-Sutton Tailwaters
-Tygart River Headwaters
-Tygart Tailwaters
-Teter Creek Lake
-Upper Guyandotte River
-Watoga Lake
-West Fork Greenbrier
-Williams River