Governor Justice announces agreement to bring back trout stockings
CHARLESTON, WV (WVNS) — An announcement was made by Governor Justice that trout stockings will be reinstated.
The West Virginia Division of Natural Resources (WVDNR) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) reached an agreement for West Virginia’s trout stockings to be returned to the original schedule.
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This agreement represents a victory for West Virginia’s longstanding tradition of world-class trout fishing. My administration has fought to ensure that anglers across the state continue to enjoy the benefits of responsible, sustainable trout stocking practices. I’m proud of our continued commitment to both conservation and recreation, and I applaud the collaborative efforts of the WVDNR, USFWS, and West Virginia University that made this agreement possible.
Governor Jim Justice
The agreement involves the WVDNR reinstating trout stockings in four previously closed waters, as well as having the stocking frequency of 20 streams restored in May 2024. The four streams that will go back to the original stocking schedule include:
Camp Creek – Mercer County
Pinnacle Creek – Wyoming County
North Fork of Cherry – Greenbrier County
Laurel Creek of Cherry – Greenbrier/Nicholas County
“We are thrilled to announce that these waters have returned to the original stocking schedule. Thanks to the support and collaboration of Governor Justice, West Virginia anglers can continue to enjoy our world-class trout program.”
Brett McMillion | West Virginia Division of Natural Resources Director
After an initial decision was made to take the four waters off of the stocking schedule because of concerns for endangered species, a compromise was worked out between Governor Justice, representatives with the WVDNR, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
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“In response to a recent request from the WVDNR to change their trout stocking program while continuing to implement conservation measures for listed species, the Service provided a means to move forward as required under the Endangered Species Act. We have also updated the West Virginia grant to support the trout stocking program. We appreciate our strong working relationship with WVDNR. We collaboratively partner to conserve listed species and provide angling opportunities to the public.”
Wendi Weber | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Regional Director
Trout stockings will resume because of the compromise, and they will follow the 2024-2025 Fishing Regulations outline. Not only will the trout stockings resume, a trout food habitat study will be held by West Virginia University to make sure that there are conservation measures so that the Candy Darter, Big Sandy Crayfish, and the Guyandotte River Crayfish are protected.
The full trout stocking schedule can be found here on pages 14 and 15.
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