How FWC stocks Florida waters
Regional biologists choose waters based on fish population samples, creel surveys, habitat assessments and local community wishes. Some waters are stocked every year for put-and-take fishing; FWC names Fish Management Areas and county or city parks where sub-adult channel catfish or sunshine bass are stocked each fall to produce high catch rates.
About 80 FMAs statewide (mostly community fishing lakes and FWC-managed impoundments); many are stocked with channel catfish, largemouth bass or sunshine bass, with automatic feeders and fish attractors for bank anglers.
FWC average yearly stocking by species.
Florida state fish hatcheries
Florida Bass Conservation Center (FBCC)
Withlacoochee State Forest, Sumter County (3583 CR 788, Webster, FL 33597); site of the old Richloam Hatchery
Larger facility; produces the majority of freshwater fish stocked in public waters throughout the peninsula: largemouth bass, crappie, catfish, bream, triploid grass carp, striped bass and sunshine bass; aquaculture research and fish health analysis.
Blackwater Fisheries Center (BFC)
Blackwater River State Forest near Holt, Santa Rosa County
Primarily panhandle bass stockings and production of Gulf striped bass and sunshine (hybrid striped) bass; all FWC striped bass and hybrid fry spawning happens here; typically stocks 500,000-1,000,000 fish per year, mainly in the Panhandle; also spawns shoal bass for the Chipola River.
Fish stocked per fiscal year
| Fiscal year | Fish stocked (FWC total) |
|---|---|
| 2021-22 | 2,699,133 |
| 2022-23 | 3,034,921 |
| 2023-24 | 3,266,183 |
Florida stocking by county
- Lake County1,720,360 fish
- Gadsden County866,221 fish
- Multiple697,045 fish
- 673,601 fish
- Okaloosa County673,426 fish
- Polk County397,435 fish
- Jackson County333,451 fish
- Duval County307,483 fish
- Gadsden/Leon302,770 fish
- Collier County235,903 fish
- Leon County209,695 fish
- Hardee County209,669 fish
- Sumter County208,429 fish
- Escambia County184,825 fish
- Pasco County160,478 fish
- Putnam County160,213 fish
- Hamilton County157,885 fish
- Orange County145,392 fish
- Okeechobee County143,990 fish
- Hernando County143,281 fish
- Palm Beach County138,353 fish
- Hillsborough County131,846 fish
- Walton County121,432 fish
- Seminole County120,919 fish
- Glades County115,218 fish
- Holmes County102,369 fish
- Santa Rosa County97,589 fish
- Bay County85,918 fish
- Citrus County78,398 fish
- Washington County77,099 fish
- Marion County68,807 fish
- Charlotte County68,400 fish
- Union County65,000 fish
- Columbia County40,477 fish
- Ocala/Marion40,000 fish
- Suwannee County34,000 fish
- Miami-Dade County31,116 fish
- Manatee County29,160 fish
- Pinellas County28,740 fish
- Putnam/Flagler27,441 fish
- Lee County25,500 fish
- Bradford County20,500 fish
- Volusia County18,036 fish
- Sarasota County16,600 fish
- Madison County13,417 fish
- Indian River County12,850 fish
- Baker County10,980 fish
- Suwanee9,520 fish
- Broward County8,000 fish
- Osceola County7,191 fish
- Gulf County6,911 fish
- Clay County6,788 fish
- Taylor County5,405 fish
- Alachua County4,404 fish
- Highlands County2,574 fish
- Mantee1,800 fish
- Martin County500 fish
- Putnum300 fish
- Brevard County112 fish
- Tampa4 fish
Most stocked Florida waters
| Water | County | Fish | Main species |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake County Mosquito Control | Lake | 1,100,000 | Gambusia affinis (Mosquito Fish), Gambusia affinis |
| St. Johns River | Multiple | 697,045 | Atlantic Striped Bass Fingerlings |
| Yellow River | Okaloosa | 511,137 | Gulf Striped Bass Fingerlings (1 – 2 inches), Bluegill Fingerlings |
| Lake Talquin | Gadsden | 423,420 | Largemouth Bass: Phase II (3 – 4 inches), 2022 YC Florida Largemouth Bass Phase II |
| Lake Harris | Lake | 226,132 | Striped Bass Hybrids (Sunshine Bass), 2022 YC Striped Bass Hybrids |
| Lake Trafford | Collier | 183,861 | Largemouth Bass: Phase II (3” – 4”), 2022 YC Florida Largemouth Bass Phase II |
| St. John’s River | 183,786 | Sunshine Bass Fingerlings (1 – 2 inches) | |
| Withlacoochee River – Silver Lake | Sumter | 173,600 | Channel Catfish Fingerlings |
| Escambia River | Escambia | 164,913 | 2022 YC Striped Bass Hybrids |
| Lake Seminole | Jackson | 164,500 | 2022 YC Gulf Striped Bass, 2022 Gulf Striped Bass Phase I Produced and Stocked by USFWS |
| St. Johns River | Duval | 160,000 | Sunshine Bass Fingerlings (1 – 2 inches) |
| St.Johns River @ Mandarin ramp | 155,142 | 2022 Atlantic Striped Bass Phase I Produced and Stocked by USFWS | |
| Harris – Hickory Point | Lake | 147,407 | Sunshine Bass Fingerlings (1 – 2 inches) |
| Kissimmee River | Okeechobee | 136,552 | Sunshine Bass Fingerlings (1 – 2 inches), Striped Bass Hybrids (Sunshine Bass) |
| Lake Talquin – Stoudamire Landing | Gadsden | 136,406 | Largemouth Bass: Phase II (3” – 4”) |
| Moon Lake | Pasco | 121,088 | Bluegill Fingerlings, Redear Sunfish Fingerlings |
| Withlacoochee River | Hernando | 120,664 | 2022 YC Channel Catfish Fry and Phase I Fingerlings |
| St. Johns River @ Lake Monroe | Seminole | 117,019 | 2022 YC Striped Bass Hybrids |
| Caloosahatchee River | Glades | 115,218 | Sunshine Bass Fingerlings (1 – 2 inches), Striped Bass Hybrids (Sunshine Bass) |
| Lake Talquin – Wainwright Landing | Gadsden | 112,141 | Largemouth Bass: Phase II (3” – 4”) |
| Lake Talquin | Gadsden/Leon | 107,324 | 2022 YC Gulf Striped Bass, 2022 Gulf Striped Bass Phase I Produced and Stocked by USFWS |
| Lake Talquin – Coes Landing | Gadsden/Leon | 107,239 | Gulf Striped Bass Fingerlings (1 – 2 inches) |
| Welaka National Fish Hatchery | Putnam | 104,098 | 2021 YC Channel Catfish Sub Adults, 2022 YC Channel Catfish Fry and Phase I Fingerlings |
| St; John River @ Palatka ramp | 103,157 | 2022 Atlantic Striped Bass Phase I Produced and Stocked by USFWS | |
| Lake Victor | Holmes | 102,369 | Bluegill Fingerlings (1 – 4 inches), Redear Sunfish Fingerlings (1 – 4 inches) |
| Bee Haven Bay | Hamilton | 101,865 | Sunshine Bass Fingerlings (1 – 2 inches), Striped Bass Hybrids (Sunshine Bass) |
| St. Johns River @ Green Cove | 88,556 | 2022 Atlantic Striped Bass Phase I Produced and Stocked by USFWS | |
| Lake Talquin – DNR Park | Leon | 84,384 | Gulf Striped Bass Fingerlings |
| Lake Seminole – Sneeds Park Ramp | Jackson | 79,708 | Gulf Striped Bass Fingerlings (1 – 2 inches) |
| St. Johns River @ Astor | Lake | 77,985 | 2022 YC Striped Bass Hybrids |
FWC Completed Stockings reports, fiscal years 2021-22 to 2023-24.
Questions about Florida fish stocking
Does Florida stock fish?
Yes, about 3,266,183 fish a year from two state hatcheries.
What fish does FWC stock?
TOTAL PRODUCTION, Sunshine bass, Florida largemouth bass, Channel Catfish and Bluegill.
Where are Florida's hatcheries?
The Florida Bass Conservation Center in Sumter County and the Blackwater Fisheries Center in Santa Rosa County.
Can I stock my own pond?
FWC stocks only selected public waters; private pond owners are referred to a supplier list.
Which county gets the most fish?
Lake County in the years on file.
Is trout stocked in Florida?
No, Florida has no trout stocking program.
How does FWC pick waters?
Regional biologists choose waters based on fish population samples, creel surveys, habitat assessments and local community wishes. Some waters are stocked every year for put-and-take fishing; FWC name
Where is the data from?
FWC annual Completed Stockings PDFs.