DEC Announces "State of Lake Ontario" Meetings

Biologists to Provide Updates on the Status of Lake's Fisheries

The public will have the opportunity to learn about the State of Lake Ontario fisheries at public meetings to be held in Niagara, Monroe, Oswego and Schenectady counties in March, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Basil Seggos announced today.
"Lake Ontario and its tributaries provide world-class angling opportunities that are generating substantial recreational and economic benefits to towns and cities along the lake," Commissioner Seggos said. "The State of Lake Ontario meetings provide an excellent opportunity for everyone interested in the lake to interact with the scientists who study and manage its fisheries."
New York's Lake Ontario waters comprise more than 2.7 million acres. The open lake, embayments, and tributaries support thriving populations of sportfish, including trout, salmon, bass, walleye, yellow perch, and panfish. A recent statewide angler survey estimated more than 2.6 million angler days were spent on Lake Ontario and major tributaries, resulting in an estimated economic value of $112 million annually to local communities.
The meeting dates and locations are:
Monday, March 4: 6:30 - 9 p.m. at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) campus (Chester F Carlson Center for Imaging Science), Rochester, Monroe County. The meeting is co-hosted by RIT and the Monroe County Fishery Advisory Board.
Thursday, March 7: 6:30 - 9 p.m. at the Cornell Cooperative Extension Building, 4487 Lake Ave., Lockport, Niagara County. The meeting is co-hosted by Niagara County Cooperative Extension and the Niagara County Sportfishery Development Board.
Thursday, March 14: 6:30 - 9 p.m. at SUNY Schenectady County Community College, Stockade Building, Room 101, 78 Washington Ave., Schenectady, Schenectady County.
Tuesday, March 19: 6:30 - 9 p.m. at the Pulaski High School auditorium, 4624 Salina St., Pulaski, Oswego County. The meeting is co-hosted by the Eastern Lake Ontario Salmon and Trout Association.
Staff from DEC and the United States Geological Survey will make a number of presentations, including updates on the status of trout and salmon fisheries in the lake and its tributaries, forage fish, and stocking programs. The meetings will provide ample time at the end of the scheduled program for the audience to ask questions and interact with the presenters. Information about DEC's https://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/7969.html]Lake Ontario fisheries assessment programs[/link] can be found on DEC's website.
For further information contact Christopher Legard, NYSDEC Lake Ontario Unit Leader at the Cape Vincent Fisheries Research Station, (315) 654-2147.
 
http://www.dec.ny.gov/press/press.html]http://www.dec.ny.gov/press/press.html[/link]
    

What do you think the discussion will be ?
The best salmon fishing on the lake in years so I'm told. Now that stocking reductions occurred, will it remain or decline ?
Steelhead seem to be some of the best large class fish in years and no shortage. How will the proposed regulations change improve that if passed ?
Do you think it will be the same story of a baitfish class decline ?
Just curious because it seems to be a broken record from reading the studies but the fishing seemed to be improving before the implications.
Obviously, they nailed the thiamine problem.
Would larger trout if they survive a release and return start a new set of problems ?

They stick pretty close to the annual reports to the Great Lakes Fishery Commission at these meetings, which is why it may seem like a " broken record". (Play 15 different recordings of Jorma playing "Hesitation Blues," as a knowledgeable aficionado, you'll hear all the differences, but some listeners may get bored around 4 or 5 ;)).  They generally do a quick review of stocking totals and egg take,  the Boat Survey, condition of fish returning to the SR hatchery, a review of the pen projects, the SR Fry study, and maybe a review of the SR Angler survey.  Brian Weidel of USGS Oswego has been doing the baitfish trawling summaries the last few years.  Last year, Andy Todd of Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry attended and spoke about the other side of the lake, where they did NOT enjoy great fishing in 2018.  I would expect some discussion of the Stocking cut, and of the proposed regs changes, and they always try to leave a good portion of time for Q+A.  If you watch the LO reports page on the DEC Website, the summary should show up soon ( 2017 is up and the full report, but 2018 is not up yet but the summary is usually up before the meeting.)   A solid presentation, likely not worth driving from Woodstock to Pulaski for the evening, but please note that they are doing a session in Schenectady this year as well, that's closer to your neck of the woods and waters.
 
Sorry the water changed and you missed your SR trip, 2B and I might have done a day trip if you were there, but I'm not crazy about 1500 either.

I always appreciate the insight on information you offer. Always check the dec site weekly as I get a kick out of the lawbreakers getting caught. Read the LO report as well but sometimes yes , I still get puzzled on some contradicting choices. Pretty sure a Flyguy, named chrome, pushed hard for a 25" size years ago and was scoffed. Now it seems there is a good rebound on steelhead ( compared to then ) and " now" there is a proposal, strange.
From the charters and mates I personally know, it was a banner salmon season like no other in decades, again strange with a state fear of collapse.
I believe that so many were boxed that it just seemed average on the river.
Flip side, the river guys are having a banner steelhead season, albeit the fall was not what was expected.
Personally, I've lost interest into that fishery, for now. First time in 33 years I didn't try for salmon and possibly 38th year for steelhead.
Things may change once I retire but that's still a few year out with much more on my to do list yet.

It's probably a blessing in disguise we didn't make the trip because day one of my vacation I became ill and been moping around the house trying to shake this virus instead of fishing. Gonna try and hit my local ice tomorrow but hopefully Jack's warmup dance today didn't kill the shoreline. I'll bring a plank incase.

Hope someday again we share water and spin a yarn

Too bad its on a Tuesday, that's my pith league

You will likely see a summary of the meeting in NY Outdoor News, Bill Hilts Jr from the Buffalo area generally attends Lockport and writes it up.  There may not be a lot of discussion of the stocking cut, as separate meetings were held on that last fall.  But the results of the baitfish surveys will say a lot about the need for that.
 
Chrome, Connie Rogers and Mike Miller, "King Davy" and others including myself pushed for a lakewide 25" limit at the same time that we pushed for a lakewide one fish limit.  The "compromise" that was adopted was the 21" limit and one fish in the tribs.  This proposal cuts the lake limit to 2 fish and adopts the 25" minimum IN THE TRIBUTARIES, and keeps the one fish limit in the tribs.  This proposal came from a panel of NYS LO anglers (I'm not on this one) that includes some tributary anglers and a number of Charter Operators.  While harvest of steelhead on the lake is in principal lower when there are strong year classes of kings,  there is a sense that harvest goes way up especially in the west end, where the deep pelagic area preferred by the 'bows is closer to shore, in August when the kings go off the feed in preparation for their run, and many of them head east to run the SR.  The idea is to get a few more into the tributaries where they are the only game all winter and spring, and by saying 25" to keep,  many more should be able to spawn, which would be a good thing if the fry can make it through a whole year plus in the river to grow to smolt size.  And the brown limit comes from the massive harvest that occurs on west end and CNY tribs that are close to BT stocking sites, where the browns get hammered for eggs every fall.  We used to catch browns all winter at places like Russell Station and the mouth of Irondequoit Creek, but there are far fewer lately because so many have been kept in the streams, often stripped of the eggs and the carcass dumped.  Even a lot of the Charter Operators have vocally supported reductions in the tributaries because of this "wanton waste."   It will likely have less impact in the Mexico Bay area because the runs are smaller, I think because the spring trollers are so efficient at removing the browns up there, or a lot of the captains down here encourage at least some C+R.
 
If the fishing in the big pond is what was reported last summer, you'd do well to try a couple of trolling weekends with the Daisy this summer, HT.  You might want to investigate launching at Irondequoit Bay Marine Park (https://parks.ny.gov/parks/100/details.aspx) and camping in Webster Park (https://www2.monroecounty.gov/parks-webster.php), or out to Hughes Marina (http://www.hughesmarina.com/), you'd be right in the middle of what was hot last year, although the only place that sounded like it was only luke warm was Henderson, and even they were getting lots of Kings out in the trench in June and July.  But you may want to wait to see what is being reported in April and May, if the Canadian side lights up it may be more normal on this side of the lake.

Ny outdoors news rag is a waste of paper, same with the Albany times union rob streeter blogs years ago.
The only worthy rag read was from Troy years ago and that was free.
Rod and reel streemside with Don on PBS real deal.
I will actually attend the Schenectady SOL .

For me, last year was the best steelhead season in the 8 years I've been going.  But, I always go early October so maybe they were just early last year?  Haven't seen big Coho numbers.

chartist1
For me, last year was the best steelhead season in the 8 years I've been going.  But, I always go early October so maybe they were just early last year?  Haven't seen big Coho numbers.

That's cool. I think you stayed low as I heard that was sweet most fall.
I don't mind later in year, just timing ain't been right.
Might still get a shot before the cabin fever fishermen sprout

I'm already seeing box out of kings out of Oswego from charters I know