The Fishing Line - September 17th Edition

Freshwater Fishing, Fisheries Management, and Boating News

In This Issue:

• Reminder: Proposed Regulation Change for Oneida Lake Walleye
• Enhanced Fishing Opportunities on Lake Ontario Tributaries
• Banner Year for Catskill Fish Hatchery Egg Collection
• Long Island Women's Fishing Expo Scheduled
• Lake Champlain Atlantic Salmon Study This Fall
• Lake Erie Open Lake Angler Survey Update - August 2021
• Lake Erie Coldwater Fish Community Survey - August 2021
• Rome Fish Hatchery Flooding

Reminder: Proposed Regulation Change for Oneida Lake Walleye

Anglers are reminded that regulations are being proposed to increase the daily possession limit of walleye in Oneida Lake from three fish/day to the statewide daily possession limit of five fish/day. The regulatory proposal is available on DEC's website for review and public comment. Comments on the proposal should be submitted via e-mail to regulations.fish@dec.ny.gov or via mail to the Inland Fisheries Section, NYSDEC, 625 Broadway, Albany, NY 12233-4753; subject line "Oneida Lake Walleye Regulations."

DEC will accept comments through October 17, 2021.

Enhanced Fishing Opportunities on Lake Ontario Tributaries

The NYS Canal Corporation will be releasing water into some Lake Ontario tributaries this fall to improve fall fishing conditions. Eighteenmile Creek, Oak Orchard Creek, and Sandy Creek will all receive increased flows beginning on September 16 2021. You can find more information about the program by visiting the NYS Canal Corp. website.

Banner Year for Catskill Fish Hatchery Egg Collection

The Catskill Fish Hatchery's annual brown trout egg take was completed in two days this year! DEC Fisheries staff collected approximately 2.1 million eggs (about 5,600 eggs/female) and will share the wealth with Rome and Bath hatcheries in raising these fish until they're ready to be stocked. The eggs will hatch in early October and begin feeding in November, keeping hatchery staff busy throughout the winter months as they grow and their diet and space requirements change.

Long Island Women's Fishing Expo Scheduled

DEC and NY State Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation (OPRHP) will hold the second annual Women's Fishing Expo at Connetquot River State Park Preserve on Saturday, September 25th, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The Women's Fishing Expo will provide hands-on instruction and experiential learning in a fun and supportive environment. This event will be run primarily by women anglers and fisheries professionals and includes networking opportunities for women-owned businesses and fishing clubs. Everyone is welcome to attend, although the event's primary focus is introducing women to fishing.

See the recently issued Press Release for more information.

Lake Champlain Atlantic Salmon Study This Fall

DEC, along with USFWS, will be collecting genetic samples from adult Atlantic salmon returning to New York tributaries of Lake Champlain to spawn. Over the last few years, genetically tagged Atlantic salmon fry and smolts have been stocked into New York and Vermont rivers so that managers can gain a better understanding of the movement and survival of Atlantic salmon within the Lake Champlain system. The information collected will help determine the success of different stocking strategies and provide insight on the fitness of different strains of Atlantic salmon being stocked. Fish collected will be examined and released back to the river where they were captured. Collection efforts will have a minimal effect on recreational fishing, but anglers should be aware of these efforts and avoid nets marked with orange buoys. Fishing tackle can get caught in the nets and impact the ability of the gear to effectively capture fish.

Photo courtesy of USFWS

Lake Erie Open Lake Angler Survey Update - August 2021

Total angler effort in August 2021 was down by about 14,000 angler hours compared to last August and was slightly above the 20-year average (66,000 angler hours). Ninety-one percent of August anglers focused on walleye or smallmouth bass.

Walleye
Daytime walleye angling effort in August (53,300 angler hours) was above the 20-year average (42,000 angler hours). Nearly one third (31 percent) of the walleye angling effort in August was based out of Cattaraugus Creek. Anglers targeting walleye harvested 4.2 walleye per boat trip on average with a catch rate of 0.37 fish per angler hour, which is the 6th highest in the last 20 years for the month of August. About 4.9 percent of daytime walleye anglers achieved a six fish limit this August with an average length of 20.9 inches.

Smallmouth Bass
Smallmouth bass fishing effort in August (8,100 angler hours) was higher than the past three years, but was below the 20-year average (12,100 angler hours). The bulk of the smallmouth angler effort (70 percent) was based out of Buffalo. The August bass fishing quality was well above average in 2021 for the New York waters of Lake Erie, with anglers targeting bass catching an average of 10 bass per boat trip with a catch rate of 1.05 fish per angler hour (August average = 0.73 fish per hour).

Yellow Perch
Yellow perch fishing effort was very low in August 2021, with only five perch angler interviews for the entire month.

Lake Erie Fisheries Research & Management

Lake Erie Coldwater Fish Community Survey - August 2021

DEC’s Lake Erie Fisheries Research Unit completed it annual assessment of the Lake Erie coldwater fish community this August. The survey catches a variety of species including lake whitefish and burbot, but its main target is lake trout and determining the status of the population compared to the restoration goals. Lake trout also provide a measure of sea lamprey wounding that helps determine the success of lakewide treatments to control their populations.

While large lake trout - some weighing in excess of 22 lbs. - were the main species caught during the 2021 survey, the highlight was an abundance of lake whitefish. Lake whitefish populations in Lake Erie are increasing in recent years due to several good hatches. Worth noting was the capture of one large lake whitefish that weighed in excess of 11 pounds – larger than the state record by over half a pound!! Lake Erie is well known as a destination for its walleye and smallmouth bass fisheries, but anglers looking to catch trophy-sized lake trout that average over 10 pounds might want to add the deep waters of the Eastern Basin to their fishing wish list.

Lake Erie Fisheries Research & Management

Rome Fish Hatchery Flooding - August 2021

In what would otherwise be a routine day in August at the Rome Fish Hatchery was anything but when the lingering effects of a tropical storm dropped over nine inches of rain, inundating the Mohawk River enough to flood a part of the hatchery known as the East Pond Complex. The East Ponds are seven series of ponds with five ponds in each series. At the time of the flooding, only nine of the 35 available ponds were being occupied by approximately 270,800 fingerling brown trout. As the water continued to rise, hatchery staff quickly stepped into action to minimize fish loss and infrastructure damage. As the water reached it’s maximum, there was nothing staff could do at that point due to safety except wait for the water to recede.

Post-flood assessments calculated an eight percent loss (21,550) of fish from flooded ponds, and given the extent of the flooding that occurred at the hatchery, that’s quite remarkable. Hopefully, this isn’t something the hatchery has to deal with anytime soon, but should it occur again, staff have developed potential ideas to further prevent fish loss.