Archive: Around Town

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced Wednesday that trout and salmon fishing season in New York State opens on Monday, April 1. Anglers can visit the Department of Environmental Conservation's website to view this spring's planned trout stocking for 2.33 million catchable-size brook, brown and rainbow trout in 311 lakes and ponds and roughly 2,845 miles of streams across the state. In addition, DEC will stock nearly 1.5 million yearling lake trout, steelhead, landlocked salmon, splake and coho salmon this spring. Stocking supports the state's growing sportfishing industry, which generates an estimated $1.8 billion in economic activity each year.

"New York is home to world-class trout and salmon fishing in virtually every corner of the state," Cuomo said. "Heading out on opening day is a cherished tradition for generations of families, and I encourage New Yorkers and visitors alike to get outside and enjoy all the great fishing that our waters have to offer."

Anglers should visit DEC's website for the 2019 Coldwater Fishing Forecast for recommended trout and salmon fishing locations. As winter gives way to spring, stream anglers should be prepared to adapt fishing plans and tactics to variable temperatures and flows. In cold weather, bait and lures that can be fished slow and deep often prove effective in rousing sluggish trout. As water temperatures rise, anglers can shift to more active styles of fishing such as dry fly fishing. Long Island, where anglers can enjoy a year-round trout season, provides good early season trout fishing with warmer water temperatures and most waters receiving at least a portion of their annual stocking allocations prior to April 1.

DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos said, "Excitement is building across the state as anglers prepare their gear for one of the most anticipated fishing days on the calendar. Temperatures are beginning to rise and conditions should improve throughout April and May, as trout and salmon feed more actively on their natural foods. I encourage angling veterans and novices alike to get out there and enjoy New York's excellent angling opportunities."

Spring stockings will include 1.74 million brown trout, 433,855 rainbow trout and 157,200 brook trout. Approximately 97,000 two-year-old brown trout 13 to 14 inches in length are included in the brown trout total. Brown trout and landlocked salmon can be caught early in the season and close to shore in many of New York's larger waterbodies, such as Lake George, Lake Champlain and select Finger Lakes.

For those who prefer a more remote setting, almost 311,000 brook trout fingerlings will be stocked in 350 backwoods lakes and ponds in the Adirondacks this spring and fall, providing unique angling opportunities for future years. New York's protective air quality regulations have led to the recovery of ponds damaged by acid rain, allowing for the restoration of fish to these waters. Eleven of these newly recovered ponds will be stocked in 2019. Anglers should not forget the many opportunities to catch wild trout in waters that don't appear on the stocking lists such as the Delaware tailwaters below the Cannonsville and Pepacton Reservoirs. For a complete list of waters planned for stocking with trout this spring, go to www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/30465.html.

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