Being that it’s located in a portion of the state that has seen a lot of development in recent years, the Rockaway River receives heavy fishing pressure, but continues to offer fine angling. Most of the better fishing takes place in the small pools and eddies that are numerous during the spring. However, as on many of the state’s trout streams, water levels can drop really low during a dry summer.

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Though Round Valley Reservoir is most likely to be where the next brown or rainbow record trout comes from, several other waters also share a decent chance of housing a future record trout.

The state’s change to stocking larger trout in fall has changed the fishing landscape in the Garden State. Because the state is stocking a larger number of larger trout each season, there’s an increasing likelihood that some of the trophy trout being stocked will survive for a few years. If so, some should be big enough to break one of the state’s trout records.

One body of water that may hold a future state record is the Manasquan River, home to the state’s sea-run brown trout program.

The program has not been very successful -- over 300,000 trout have been stocked in the river, and only a few hundred have been caught. But sooner or later, one of the stocked brown trout will make its way out into the brine and evade the bluefish, fluke, stripers and seals. If it does, it may return super-sized!

Another body of water that could hold a new state record is the South Branch of the Raritan River, one of the most heavily stocked streams in New Jersey.

In addition to the stocking the river gets from the state, several other clubs and concerns stock the river with good-sized trout as well.

Jim Holland, proprietor of Shannon’s Fly Shop in Califon, stocks the river in the Ken Lockwood Gorge for a pair of trout-fishing contests held each year. In recent years, trout topping the 6- and 7-pound marks have been taken from the river.

The river, in its upper reaches, has reproducing brown trout. The river’s excellent water quality sees a lot of annual holdover trout.

The Pequest River is another stream that receives a lot of larger trout. Its waters, being right next to the Pequest Trout Hatchery, make it an easy river to stock. As a result, it’s the beneficiary of a lot of the hatchery’s surplus trout.

Every year, lots of holdover trophy trout are taken from its waters, especially during the winter months.

Another big reservoir with the potential to produce some huge trophy trout is Merrill Creek Reservoir, Round Valley’s sister reservoir when it comes to lake trout. As with Round Valley, Merrill Creek is stocked with lakers, browns and rainbows.