Freshwater Fishing and Boating News

Oneida Lake Walleye Fishing Trending Up

Oneida Lake walleye anglers will be pleased to learn that after a down year in 2016, walleye fishing appears to have rebounded. Preliminary results of a summer 2017 creel survey noted improved walleye catch rates, and the gill net catch this past summer was the highest since 1988.

Researchers believe that the reduction in the round goby population in the lake may be the reason. When gobies are abundant, walleyes typically feast on them and are less likely to take a bait presented by an angler. Gobies are also notorious bait thieves and can make fishing difficult. Find out more about the Oneida Lake Fishery.

Catskill Hatchery Helps Bring Trout Into the Classroom

Each year, the Catskill Fish Hatchery takes nearly 2 million brown trout eggs. Perhaps the most rewarding part of this process is the engagement with future generations. The Trout in the Classroom (TIC) program allows students in New York State to raise their own trout in a classroom setting and release them in the spring. This spawning season, staff adjusted spawning practices, allowing the Catskill Hatchery to deliver eggs to over 200 NYS schools!
See additional information on how your school can be a part of TIC.

Restoring Native Cisco in Lake Ontario

DEC Region 8 Fisheries and Caledonia Hatchery staff recently assisted staff from the U.S. Geological Survey lab in Tunison, NY and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service  Northeast Fishery Center in stocking 100,000 fingerling ciscoes (lake herring) into Lake Ontario.

DEC staff collected cisco eggs during the late fall and winter of 2016, and they were hatched at the Tunison Lab and Northeast Fishery Center. The stocking is part of an effort to restore Lake Ontario's native herring, which were once an important prey fish in the lake.
Learn more about Lake Ontario fishery management.

Only You Can Prevent Aquatic Invasions

Clean, Drain and Dry Your Fishing and Boating Equipment After Every Use