The Fishing Line - May 26th Issue

Freshwater Fishing, Fisheries Management, and Fishing Access News

In This Issue:

• Muskellunge Season Opener
• Big Panfish Initiative - Year 3
• Atlantic Salmon Net Pen Project
• Get Outdoors and Get Together Day

Muskellunge Season Opener

Muskellunge, or "muskies" are the largest members of the Pike Family and New York's largest freshwater sportfish, capable of reaching sizes over four feet! So as you could imagine, these toothy predators are at the top of the food chain.

Muskellunge season begins on June 1st in inland waters and June 15th in Great Lakes waters (Lake Erie, Upper Niagara River, Lower Niagara River, Lake Ontario, and the St. Lawrence River). The statewide minimum size limit is 40 inches, and it is 54 inches for Great Lakes waters. Being lucky enough to catch a muskie requires a fair amount of skill and a whole lot of patience - earning them the moniker "the fish of 10,000 casts."

Muskies can be found in 13 lakes and 19 rivers in New York, with the most renowned fisheries in the St. Lawrence River, Upper Niagara River and Chautauqua Lake. Other quality muskie waters include: Waneta, Greenwood, Bear, and Cassadaga lakes and the Susquehanna, Chenango, and Great Chazy rivers.

Check out the article “Muskie 101” for helpful tips on getting started in muskie fishing, as well as how to catch and properly handle them.

Freshwater Fishing Regulations

Big Panfish Initiative - Year 3

Sunfish and crappie surveys for year 3 of the 5-year Big Panfish Initiative (BPI) study are underway across the state! This pilot program was developed to create destination fisheries for larger size panfish in select waters. The sunfish and crappie populations are sampled every spring for the duration of the study to monitor the potential impacts of the experimental regulations.

Here’s a highlight from one of those waters that was recently sampled:

Saratoga Lake (DEC Region 5)

In late April, Fisheries staff set trap nets in nearshore areas of the lake. After 24 hours, nets were pulled to collect captured fish and record the data necessary to assess the status of the sunfish and crappie populations, including lengths and weights. Scales were also collected for aging the fish at a later time. It will be several months before staff are able to analyze all of the data, but it was clear from the captures that there are good numbers of legal-size crappie (>10 inches) and bluegills (>8 inches).

Monitoring through the duration of the study will help determine if the new regulations are having the desired results, and this information will help inform decisions on the future of sunfish and crappie management in New York.

For more information on this program, check out our Sunfish and Crappie Management webpage. The 2023 survey results will be posted later this summer.

Saratoga Lake Fishing Info

Atlantic Salmon Net Pen Project

In it's third year of a five-year experimental pen rearing project, 26,000 landlocked Atlantic salmon smolts were recently stocked into net pens, held for 3 weeks, then released into Lake Champlain. Another 26,000 smolts were stocked directly into the Saranac River.

Comparing the returns between the two stocking methods will determine if pen rearing results in greater survival and homing than conventional, direct stocking.

Click the link below to watch the salmon being transported to their pens.

Lake Champlain Atlantic Salmon Net Pen Project

Get Outdoors and Get Together Day

Join DEC, NY State Parks & Historic Sites, New York State Office for People with Developmental Disabilities, and New York State Department of Veterans' Services on Saturday, June 10, to celebrate Get Outdoors and Get Together Day -- a day of inclusion for all people at New York's accessible parks and DEC lands! New Yorkers of all ages and abilities can discover new skills and try out a range of introductory outdoor activities, such as fishing, paddling, hiking, biking, bird watching, archery, nature photography, camping, and more. Adaptive equipment and opportunities will be available at some locations.

Each location will have its own array of special activities. Visit DEC's website for all event details, including schedules and any registration requirements.