Cayuga rainbow spawn

[Matt ching]

I was out yesterday fishing a small part of a tributary of Cayuga lake. No exaggeration I counted 40 redds, in a very small stretch of water.Some with fish still on them. The future looks bright for the rainbows of Cayuga lake!

 

 

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[kayslay]

Due to low water they have been hand extracting eggs at the fish ladder in ithaca before letting them up the creek.

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[Bigfoot]

It has nothing to do with low water.

As the fish ascend the fishway, they end up in a trap. Fish are selected and placed in a holding pool while their eggs and milt ripen. The rest of the rainbows are released on the other side of the trap and they continue their spawning run. The breeders are stripped of their eggs and milt and result is transported to the Bath hatchery for rearing. The breeders are eventually released- with their "spawning" completed they return to the lake. Very few proceed upstream.

With minor variations, it's been that way for the last 50 years.

[kayslay]

I've seen the water high enough where they can jump the ladder, how does that not effect the run?

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[Bigfoot]

Your original statement was that they were extracting eggs at the fishway due to low water. That's not true.

When the water level is high, many rainbows bypass the ladder. But, some still use the fishway and their eggs are collected there. It's been that way for decades- I watched them collect eggs there in the late 1960's!

 

[kayslay]

I meant a very large % of them have been touched and haven't cleared the ladder on their own free will. This has made fishing rather tough compared to other years when fish could hurdle the ladder for a few days before opening...

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[vogel451]

When the water is that high is when The Lamprey also can make it upstream to spawn.  They made it over a couple years ago.  Lets hope for a successful treatment.  

Edited April 10, 2019 by vogel451

[Roys Boys]

Funny my house is 50ft away from Wilson creek on Seneca and I only seen 1 rainbow and maybe 5 browns of my whole life living there

[Matt ching]

Exactly my point. I never see that activity on Seneca tribs...


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[Matt ching]

I also caught about 7-10 fish each time I went this spring.....


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