Jersey’s drought warning a problems for boaters and fishermen

New Jersey's potential for a drought has started to impact fall water recreation, including boating and freshwater fishing.

Fisheries expert Lisa Barno with the state Division of Fish and Wildlife said we are still enjoying boating and fishing, even with 14 of Jersey's 21 counties under a drought warning.

"The headwaters of a lot of these streams are groundwater-fed, so there will still be water flowing in. But without the rainfall, it will be at a much lower level," she said.

She said fortunately, the current cooler temperatures helps the fish population, so "we are able to complete our fall trout packing."

Low water levels in river and streams will congregate anglers in the deeper pool areas.

Barno said recent cooler nighttime temperatures are helping stocked fish, but some wild trout may have trouble getting to their upstream spawning areas. But she said that remains to be seen, because those impacts and that process go all the way through to February and March.

With reservoir levels low, some fishermen may have trouble launching their boats.

Striking an optimistic note, Barno said "the one thing with low water is that those conditions can change quickly."

She says a couple more days of wet weather like we had Tuesday and Wednesday can make a dramatic effect on our stream flows.

Joe Cutter is the afternoon news anchor on New Jersey 101.5.

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