ANTICIPATION for tomorrow’s trout opener in New York State continues to be high despite concerns over just how good the fishing will be this season due to a yearlong drought.
Stream conditions are actually pretty good right now according to some of New York’s fisheries managers. We’re seeing levels normally expected in May rather than April, but the problem will be that there will be very few holdover trout from last season.
The rivers and streams have been running low since last summer, and combine that with hot temperatures, it’s not likely many stocked trout survived through the winter. Best bets this time of year will be the rivers and streams stocked by New York’s Department of Environmental Conservation.
The DEC will stock approximately 2.27 million catchable-size brook, brown and rainbow trout in more than 770 lakes, ponds and streams across the state. The 2002 spring mix will include approximately 1.8 million brown trout, 360,000 rainbow trout and 110,000 brook trout. Streams will be stocked with 1.8 million fish and portions of Lake Ontario and Lake Erie will be stocked with 405,000 brown trout and 71,000 rainbow trout yearlings.
The spring stocking program also will include 2-year-old brown trout, which average 12-13 inches in length, with some as large as 15 inches. Approximately 97,000 of these larger fish will be placed in 213 lakes and streams statewide, providing additional opportunities for anglers to catch larger fish early in the season. In addition, the DEC will stock New York waters with 2.1 million yearling lake trout, steelhead, landlocked salmon, splake and Coho salmon this spring to provide fishing opportunities over the next several years. The DEC also plans to stock a large number of trout and salmon fingerlings and fry, making for a combined total of roughly 7.7 million trout and salmon of all sizes stocked in state waters this year. For a complete listing of stocked waters in New York State, access DEC’s website at http://www.dec.state.ny.us/website/dfwmr/fish.
Anglers should be aware that New York City reservoirs currently remain closed to fishing, and that a new permitting process has been put in place. Updated information and permit applications can be obtained by calling (800) 575-LAND.
Long Island lakes, ponds and streams typically provide excellent early season trout angling. By the end of April, nearly 20,000 trout, including 5,000 two-year-old brown trout in the 12-to-15-inch range, will have been stocked into Long Island lakes, ponds and streams. For premier early-season fly fishing action, the Carmans, Connetquot and Nissequogue rivers in Suffolk County are highly recommended. Tidal sections of these waters also provide excellent fishing opportunities and include trophy-size fish.
For anglers who prefer to fish still waters, Laurel Lake, Upper Lake, Lower Lake, East Lake, West Lake and Argyle Lake are recommended in Suffolk County. In Nassau County, Upper Twin Pond, Oyster Bay Mill Pond and Massapequa Reservoir are good bets. Many of these waters hold over a good number of fish from one year to the next, increasing the opportunity to catch a lunker. Anglers are also reminded that the trout season in Nassau County is open year round. In addition to the fish to be stocked this spring in Nassau County, 3,600 12-plus-inch brown trout were stocked this past fall. These fish have provided fast fishing action which continues to this day.
In southeastern New York, spring arrives first in the Hudson River Valley. Many of the streams are stocked early, providing excellent early-season fishing. Among the most popular early season waters are Wappinger Creek, Fishkill Creek, Peekskill Hollow Brook, Bronx River, Sawmill River and the Ramapo River.
In the Catskills, stocking is delayed until later in April to allow flows to recede and water temperatures to rise. In these streams, which include such nationally renowned waters as the Beaver Kill, Willowemoc, Neversink and Esopus, wild trout and hatchery holdovers from previous years provide the opportunity for good early-season fishing.