NYS DEC Proposes Year Round Trout Season And More

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has been working on a new Trout Stream Management Plan since 2017. After extensive meetings with the public and science, the DEC has now re-imagined New York State’s Trout Fishery and has new regulations that will be available for public comment until January 25, 2021.

Some of these new regulations and highlights include the following:

• Providing year-round fishing opportunities through the creation of a statewide catch-and-release season;
• Drawing a clear line between wild fish and stocked trout management;
• Placing greater emphasis on habitat improvement;
• Making management simpler and more understandable;
• Eliminating unnecessary regulations;
• Extending the duration of stocking on select stream reaches;
• Increasing the size of stocked fish;
• Ensuring that each stocking contains some fish that are 12 inches or larger;
• Improving the vigor of hatchery brown trout for increased survival;
• Developing an interactive map for information on stream reach management and fishing access locations; and
• Expanding outreach on the significance of wild trout populations and the water they inhabit.

This comprehensive plan is meant to guide the efforts and resources of the NYS DEC toward managing the trout stream fisheries according to their ecological and recreational potential. “DEC has reimagined the management of one of New York’s most prized and renowned natural resources to ensure our trout streams continue to be healthy and provide excellent fishing opportunities for years to come,” NYS DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos said. “For the best possible management plan, DEC sought out the input of anglers, biologists, and other fisheries experts. The result is a balanced approach to manage these varied resources in accordance with their biological and recreational potential to meet the desired outcomes of a broad and diverse trout stream angling public. DEC looks forward to implementing the new Trout Stream Management Plan to enhance wild and stocked trout management and the habitats that support them to benefit current and future anglers.”

To read the NYS DEC responses to the previously received public comments regarding this project, click here. 

To read the full Trout Stream Management Plan, click here. 

Here’s a brief outline of the timeline proposed in the Trout Stream Management Plan over the next 5 years.

2020
● Conduct resurveys of stream reaches ranked as HIGH priority for resurvey;
● begin rulemaking process to adopt trout stream regulations proposed in Plan;
● update 2021 stocking policies to reflect Plan adjustments;
● begin adjustments to fish culture operations needed to meet objectives for Stocked and Stocked-Extended reaches;
● develop interactive map of publicly accessible trout stream reaches identified by management category;
● develop new sign standard for management categories;

2021
● implement new angling regulations to take effect April 1;
● put new stocking policies into effect;
● ensure interactive trout stream reach map is available online;
● fully replace Wytheville strain rainbow trout by Arlee strain rainbow trout in hatchery system;
● secure fluvial geomorphology expertise;
● complete resurveys of stream reaches ranked as HIGH priority for resurvey;
● finalize and implement plan to evaluate Catch-and-Release Season;
● finalize individual fisheries management plans for Wild-Premier reaches;

2022
● complete subplan for assessment and prioritization of stream reaches for habitat enhancement work, including an initial list of high-priority stream reaches;
● add last-date-stocked feature to interactive map of publicly accessible trout stream reaches;
● conduct surveys for Catch-and-Release Season evaluation;

2023
● complete brown trout strain evaluation;
● conduct surveys for Catch–and-Release Season evaluation;
● implement work on initial list of high priority stream reaches for habitat enhancement;

2024
● complete transition to full production of new brown trout strain (assuming satisfactory evaluation results in 2023); and
● submit final report for Catch-and-Release Season evaluation.

Last Updated on December 29, 2020 by Fish HV Contributors