Time to end trout stocking at White Pond

It's been known for years that the supply of trout stocked by the MA Division of Fisheries and Wildlife at White Pond does not correspond to the number of people actually interested in fishing. Divers have reported large number of dead fish at the bottom of the pond, and our counts of fishermen from 2022-2025 year-round don't suggest any change. The time has come for the state to stop stocking trout at White Pond altogether.

A big caveat before we continue: we think that fishing is great, just that the practice of introducing non-native species that mostly die at the bottom of the pond has worn out its usefulness here. There are plenty of other fish in the... well, in White Pond.

Boston Globe reporter Billy Baker cited both the weirdness of "put and take" fishing right alongside the great love that fishing can inspire. According to his recent newsletter, "It gets weirder because if anglers (or other wildlife) don’t take those fish somewhat quickly, they will die. They cannot survive in our warm summer waters. And the best way to catch them is to use bait that looks like the pellets they were fed in the hatchery."

We think that the Berkshire Environmental Action Team (BEAT) has the story right. Their campaign against non-native fish stocking cites:

• Displaced native, wild fish from their habitats

• The introduction of disease and parasites

• Disrupting the natural balance of aquatic systems

• The high mortality rates of introduced fish

It's too late for us this year as White Pond has already been stocked - the MA Fisheries map of trout stocking shows this occurred on April 3, 2026.

But maybe this can be the last time. We live in an age of budget reductions and environmental concerns already. The Greater Boston Food Bank reports that "The number of Massachusetts households experiencing food insecurity has increased substantially, rising from 19% in 2019 to 40% in 2025." We at White Pond say, we don't want the fish and there are other places to put taxpayer money.

This seems like a good opportunity to put some thinking together and give trout stocking a rest in places where it is underutilized. White Pond can be at the top of the list.

Here's a link to a BEAT template letter if readers want to write Mass Fisheries.