The Fishing Line - December 2nd Issue

Freshwater Fishing, Fisheries Management, and Fishing Access News

In This Issue:

• Holiday Gift Ideas for Anglers
• 2022 Oneida Lake Open Water Creel Summary
• 2022 Fall Egg Collection Summary
• Canal Fall Fishing Program Continues through December

Holiday Gift Ideas for Anglers

We polled our Fisheries staff again this year for their holiday gift recommendations and received more great ideas. Hopefully, you find something for that angler in your life that already has everything!

• Telescoping fishing rod (always have one handy when you're on the go!)
• Sun protection (UPF) clothing
• Rod storage rack
• Tackle backpack
• Cutting board for filleting (so you don't have to use the kitchen one)
• Microspikes (for traction when ice fishing)
• Electronic navigation/mapping subscription
• Castable fish finder
• Hook removing tool
• Handmade "Fishing Day/Trip" coupons (PDF) (because you can't put a price on quality time with a friend or family member)
• Lifetime fishing license

2022 Oneida Lake Open Water Creel Survey Summary

Every five years researchers from Cornell University conduct full open water and ice fishing season creel surveys on Oneida Lake – the largest inland lake entirely within New York’s borders and one of the top fisheries in the state. From May-October angling boat counts and roving angler interviews were conducted to estimate total effort and catch for the 2022 open water season.

Angling effort totaled 220,000 boat-hours, which was slightly higher than the average observed since 2010 (204,000 boat-hours). Most (70%) angling trips included walleye as a target species and 16% included largemouth and/or smallmouth bass. Fewer than 12% of angling trips targeted yellow perch until October when 70% of all trips included yellow perch as a target species.

Walleye: This year the creel limit for walleye on Oneida Lake increased from 3 to 5 fish per day. Catch rates for anglers targeting walleye averaged 0.54 fish/angler-hour- well above rates observed from surveys conducted in 2013 and 2018. Estimates of walleye harvest are based on estimates of angler effort combined with estimates of angler harvest rates from all trips.  The total walleye harvest was 107,000 - the highest observed since 2010 (harvest did not exceed 60,000 walleye during any year over that time span). These trends suggest that recent strong year classes have likely contributed to increased angling success. Ninety-three percent of all legal size walleye (≥15 inches) caught were harvested.

Black bass: Catch rates for anglers targeting black bass averaged 0.62 bass/angler-hour, increasing from 0.70 to 0.92 from May through July and decreasing thereafter. Anglers reported 4 smallmouth bass for every largemouth bass caught in 2022. Anglers targeting smallmouth bass averaged 0.52 fish/angler-hour which was higher than smallmouth catch rates in 2013 (0.37 smallmouth bass/angler-hour) but slightly lower than in 2018 (0.55 smallmouth bass/angler-hour). As with most modern day bass fisheries, less than 1% of all legal size black bass caught were kept.

Yellow perch: Angler catch rates for Oneida Lake yellow perch are typically highest in the fall and 2022 was no exception. Catch rates for anglers targeting yellow perch averaged 0.68 fish/angler-hour for the first 3 months of the season, increased to around 1.00 fish/angler-hour in August and September, and increased further to 1.38 in October. Harvest rates mirrored catch rates as few yellow perch caught were released.

Complete results of both the open water and winter surveys will be available this spring in DEC’s Oneida Lake Annual Report.

(Photo Courtesy of Tony Buffa)

2022 Fall Egg Collection Summary 

Fisheries staff were treated to mostly cooperative weather during the busy fall egg take season in the Adirondacks over the past month. Eggs were collected from lake trout, landlocked (Atlantic) salmon, three different strains of heritage brook trout, and round whitefish. We're happy to report that all our egg quotas were met!

Summary

• Lake Trout (Adirondack strain)
  10/14-10/17- 6 trap nets set on Raquette Lake, 94,000 eggs
• Landlocked Salmon (Sebago strain)
  11/7-11/12- 7 trap nets set on Clear Pond, 819,590 eggs
• Round Whitefish
  11/18-11/21- 1 trap net set on Lower Cascade Lake, 5,470 eggs
  Highlight: Numerous whitefish in pre-spawn condition were returned to the water.
• Brook Trout (Little Tupper strain)
  15,741 eggs
• Brook Trout (Windfall strain)
  11/4-11/7- 14,585 eggs, 2 trap nets set
  Highlight: We were fortunate that two nets were set because an otter gnawed a hole in one allowing most of the brook trout to escape!
• Brook Trout (Horn Lake strain)
  11/7-11/9- 2 trap nets set, 19,205 eggs

Once collected and fertilized, the eggs are distributed to various hatcheries where they’re hatched out and the fish are raised to approximately 3-7 inches before being stocked out into selected waters. Trout and salmon are stocked to provide sportfishing opportunities for anglers and to restore heritage strain populations. Round whitefish are an endangered species in New York, so our egg collection efforts are to help restore their population.

For a glimpse into how our staff conduct egg collections in the remote Adirondacks check out one of our recent videos,
"Brook Trout: Preserving New York's State Fish."

Canal Fall Fishing Program Continues through December

As part of a continued enhancement of Western New York's fishing opportunities, the NYS Canal Corporation’s now permanent annual program has been increasing flows into Lake Ontario tributaries. The draining of the Erie Canal in December, based on weather and operations activity, will mean higher flows from about mid-month to year-end on Sandy, Oak Orchard, Johnson, and Eighteenmile creeks.

For more information:

Canal Fall Fishing 

Steelhead Fishing in Lake Ontario Tributaries

(Photo Courtesy of NYS Canal Corp.)