Verona Park’s pond will be stocked with 470 trout Thursday to kick off Monday's opening day of trout season.

This year Verona Park made the list of only nine ponds that will receive 30 to 50 breeder trout.

The breed trout, or “Bonus Broodstock” as the state Division of Fish and Wildlife call them, are 17- to 24-inches long and Verona Park is the only place in Essex County to receive the larger trout.

“Trout fishing is New Jersey is getting better every year,” Jim Sciascia, chief of information and education for the division of fish and wildlife said. “Every year we try to raise a better fish.”

More than 200 rivers, streams and lakes in all 21 counties will be stocked between March 19 and today. The fish come from the state Department of Environmental Protection’s Pequest Trout Hatchery in Warren County, where more than 600,000 trout are raised each year. 

“It’s almost year-round now, fishing in New Jersey, because almost every month you can find a place,” Sciascia said. “It used to be only seven to eight weeks but now we stock the waters in fall and winter.”

The fish farming and stocking is completely funded by licenses and taxes on fishing and hunting equipment.

A fishing license in New Jersey is $22.50. For trout, you need an extra trout stamp for $10.50. Both can be bought online. For a full list of stocked waters click here.