From Stocked Rainbows to a Wild Trophy River

No trout have been stocked in the lower Savage River since 1991. The fish there now are wild brown trout and native brook trout, in a river that was once managed for hatchery rainbows. This is how that happened, drawn from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR), along with a proposed rule change that would alter how the river is fished.

From hatchery rainbows to wild trout

The Savage River Reservoir dam was completed in 1952, creating a cold tailwater in Western Maryland. In 1987 part of the river shifted from stocking hatchery rainbows to managing for wild trout. Stocking ended in 1991, and the full four miles of the lower river became a wild trophy fishery for brown trout and native brook trout.

A rule change under review

In October 2026 DNR proposed repealing the trophy-trout rules on the lower river in favor of catch-and-return areas. The comment period ran through November 2, 2026. If adopted, the change would end harvest on the lower river. We have not checked whether the rule has been adopted, so the rules here are a proposal, not current law.

Why it is remarkable

A tailwater that was built for flood control and water supply became a place where trout reproduce and grow without any help from a hatchery for more than three decades.

Connection to the waterway

The river below the dam is the fishery covered in the Savage River guide. The pending rule matters for anyone planning a trip to keep fish, so read the current regulation before you go.

The river as it fishes today

The Savage River tailwater runs about four miles below the 1952 dam in Garrett County. Under the current trophy-trout rules, the river is open year-round, with two trout a day and minimum sizes of 12 inches for brook trout and 18 inches for brown trout, and none for rainbows. The first 1.25 miles below the dam, to the Allegany Suspension Bridge, are fly-fishing only. The next 2.75 miles to the river mouth allow artificial lures or flies, with treble hooks prohibited and a single hook required.

The fishery relies on natural reproduction. The river holds brown trout and native brook trout, with occasional rainbows. Access is intermittent, with signed parking areas, and some sections are private, so watch for posted signs and blue paint markings. Wade fishing is best, a wading staff and studded boots are strongly recommended, and boats are impractical at fishing flows.

Flows

DNR describes 50 to 100 cfs as a good fishing flow, and says to check the USGS gauge or call 410-962-7687. High releases draw whitewater paddlers to the river.

What anglers can take from it

Check DNR’s trout regulations on the day you fish, because this is a rule in motion. Wild trout are slow to replace, so keep them wet and release them quickly. More stories from Maryland waters are in the Dock Tales index.

Sources and caveats

This tale uses the DNR Savage River tailwater page and the DNR proposed trout regulation published in the Maryland Register on October 2, 2026. Both are official, but the history rests on the hotspot page alone. Do not publish this tale until the fate of the proposal is known, and update the last section to match.