The Fishing Line - Great Lakes Spring Edition

[mudflat]

 

http://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/fancy_images/NYSDEC/2015/08/586183/decdeliversbanner_original.jpg

DEC Delivers - Information to keep you connected and informed from the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation

Share or view as a web page || Update preferences or unsubscribe

 

The Fishing Line - Great Lakes Spring Edition

Freshwater Fishing, Fisheries Management, and Fishing Access News In This Issue: Lake Erie Open Lake Angler Survey Update - May 2022 Lake Ontario Surveys Over 2.4 Million Salmon and Trout Stocked in Lake Ontario this Spring Lake Erie Open Lake Angler Survey Update - May 2022 Warm weather and calm winds surely contributed to an increase in angling activity on Lake Erie during the month of May. Total angler effort in May 2022 was 53,000 angler hours which is well above the 20-year average (40,250 angler hours). A large majority of May anglers (70%) targeted walleye or smallmouth bass. Walleye: Daytime walleye angling effort in May has become more popular on Lake Erie in recent years, with 19,400 angler hours spent (average = 7,195 angler hours). Although May effort is typically low compared to the summer months, this was the highest targeted walleye effort for the month of May in the last 20 years, with most walleye anglers fishing out of Buffalo (75%). Anglers targeting walleye harvested 2 fish per boat trip on average, with a catch rate of 0.23 fish per hour, the 3rd highest May catch rate for walleye in the last 20 years, behind only 2019 and 2020. About 2% of daytime walleye anglers achieved a 6 fish limit this May with an average size of 20.3 inches. Smallmouth Bass: Smallmouth bass fishing is very popular in the New York waters of Lake Erie during the month of May, with many anglers focusing inside and outside of the harbors in Dunkirk (28%) and Buffalo (58%). This May was no exception, with anglers spending over 17,500 hours targeting smallmouth bass. However, the May bass fishing quality was below average in 2022, with anglers targeting bass catching an average of 15 bass per boat trip with a catch rate of 1.11 fish per hour, the 4th lowest May catch rate for smallmouth bass in the last 20 years (May average = 1.48 fish per hour). Yellow Perch: Yellow perch angling effort was up significantly from the previous two years, with 12,600 angler hours spent targeting yellow perch in May (average = 9,645 angler hours). Yellow perch fishing was steady with the majority of perch anglers focusing their efforts off from Cattaraugus Creek (82%). Anglers targeting yellow perch were rewarded with an average of 18 perch harvested per boat trip and a catch rate of 1.59 fish per hour, the 9th highest May catch rate in the last 20 years (May average = 1.65 fish per hour). About 2.5% of yellow perch anglers achieved a 50 fish limit with an average size of 11.4 inches. Lake Erie Fisheries Research and Management Lake Ontario Surveys Creel Survey The open lake portion of the Lake Ontario creel survey is currently underway and will continue through September 15th. Since 1985 this survey has been conducted to track angler effort, angler catch rates and harvest, and monitor average weights of species to inform the public and fisheries managers about the status of Lake Ontario’s fish community and the quality of the fishery. The success of the survey relies on the outstanding cooperation from our angling public to provide the information and data necessary to manage the fishery. Several thousand fishing boats contribute to interviews each year, so if you see the DEC creel survey boat on the water, please slow down and participate in the survey. Beginning later this year the Lake Ontario creel survey will also cover the tributary fishery every year. (Previously, tributary creel surveys were done every 3-5 years). The tributary creel survey will begin on September 15th and run through April 15th. Spring Preyfish Survey The Lake Ontario spring preyfish survey was completed in April 2022. This annual bottom trawl survey is a collaborative effort by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), DEC, and the Province of Ontario. Our DEC crew participates in the survey using our 47’ research vessel, the R/V Seth Green. In 2022, the Seth Green crew conducted 77 bottom trawl samples between Rochester and Cape Vincent. The crew also implemented a digital data collection system, streamlining data entry and reducing the need for paper datasheets. The new system allows data to be recorded directly to a database from digital scales and measuring boards, reducing transcription error and vastly improving data processing time. The complete report on the lakewide survey will be prepared by scientists from the USGS and should be available by the end of summer. Over 2.4 Million Salmon and Trout Stocked in Lake Ontario this Spring Salmon and trout stocking in Lake Ontario is complete for 2022 with 900,000 Chinook salmon, 505,200 rainbow trout, 480,000 brown trout, 320,000 lake trout, 121,000 coho salmon, and 125,000 Atlantic salmon to provide exceptional angling opportunities. Stocking included traditional shore stocking, as well as two specialized stocking methods: pen-rearing and offshore barge stocking. DEC also entered into an agreement with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal, Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) to haze and disperse Double Crested Cormorants at some stocking locations in 2022. Pen-rearing Pen-rearing is a cooperative program where Chinook salmon, steelhead, and Atlantic salmon are stocked into net pens located at the stocking site and cared for by volunteers for 3-4 weeks prior to release. This stocking method has been shown to improve post stocking survival and adult returns to the stocking site. All Chinook salmon stocked in New York waters of Lake Ontario are either pen-reared or are Salmon River Hatchery broodstock (which are held in the hatchery longer and have similar survival to pen-reared fish), with smaller numbers of steelhead and Atlantic salmon stocked into pens. Approximately 600,000 Chinook salmon, 58,000 steelhead, and 15,000 Atlantic salmon were held in net pens in 2022. The pen-rearing program continues to be an outstanding, volunteer-based project that provides great benefits to the Lake Ontario fishery. Offshore Barge Stocking All lake trout stocked in Lake Ontario and all brown trout stocked in the eastern end of the lake (Stony Point to Fairhaven) are typically stocked offshore using a military landing craft that carries stocking trucks out to release fish over deeper water, reducing predation by fishing eating birds such as Double-crested cormorants. In 2022, all barge stocking targets were met, except for lake trout stocked at Stony Point. These fish were shore stocked due to poor weather conditions on the day of stocking. Double-Crested Cormorant Hazing Cormorant hazing crews from APHIS were present for 18 days, covering 13 stocking events, and protecting 815,930 stocked fish at several locations on Lake Ontario this year. Cormorant populations have grown and expanded on Lake Ontario and pose a threat to newly stocked fish. To acclimate to their new environment, large groups of these fish stay close to their stocking site making them especially vulnerable to bird predation. Hazing and dispersing cormorants away from these areas gives newly stocked fish a better chance of survival. Fishing in Lake Ontario has been outstanding in recent years and DEC’s fish culture and stocking programs should ensure continued fishing success in the future. For more information about fisheries management in Lake Ontario contact the Lake Ontario Fisheries Unit or visit the Lake Ontario/St. Lawrence River research webpage.

 

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation respects your right to privacy and welcomes your feedback  |  Update preferences or unsubscribe  |  Learn more about DEC Delivers
Connect with DEC: http://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/fancy_images/NYSDEC/2015/07/565841/facebookicon_original.jpg  http://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/fancy_images/NYSDEC/2015/07/565842/twittericon_original.jpg  http://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/fancy_images/NYSDEC/2015/07/567473/youtubeicon_original.jpg
Basil Seggos, Commissioner

---