Trout Brook (2009)
Fisheries Survey Summary
Introduction
In late summer 2009, DEC Fisheries Staff, assisted by angler volunteers, sampled the trout population by electrofishing at two sites on Trout Brook. The stream is located in south-central Wyoming County and is one of the main tributaries to Wiscoy Creek. Trout Brook is not stocked (has not been for at least 50 years) and provides a fishery for wild brown and brook trout. Although there are 0.8 miles of Public Fishing Rights (PFR) on this 6 mile long stream, anglers should be prepared to ask permission to fish non-PFR sections. Fishing can be challenging due to the narrow stream width (15-20 feet) and abundance of overhanging alders.
Survey Results
Overall, habitat for trout was good at both sampling sites on Trout Brook. This is a very fertile stream, with water temperatures conducive to wild brown trout survival throughout the stream and good for wild brook trout only in the very upper sections. In 2009, the abundance of yearling and older wild brown trout varied from 966/mile to 2,972/mile, with the average of both sites being 1,869/mile (Table 1). This is higher than the 1,144/mile found in 2006. There was a slight decrease in the abundance of wild brown trout at the Hardy's Road site, while the abundance at Hillside Road more than doubled from 1,222/mile to 2,972/mile. Habitat was similar at Hardy's Road, while deeper water from a recently drained beaver impoundment and new rock rip-rap along the bridge provided somewhat better habitat at Hillside Road.
In 2009, the abundance of yearling and older wild brook trout ranged from 11/mile to 1,042/mile, with an average of 475/mile, higher than the 269/mile in 2006 (Table 2). Virtually all the wild brook trout were found at the Hillside Road site where they were almost twice as abundant as in 2006. The increase in brook trout abundance at Hillside Road is also likely related to the improved habitat mentioned above. It should be noted that brook trout are only very locally abundant in Trout Brook, and brown trout are still the dominant species throughout this stream. Fluctuations in abundance are not uncommon in wild trout populations. Usually, these fluctuations can be attributed to environmental factors leading to natural variation in reproductive success. Generally, wild trout populations show great resiliency to these types of events. Additionally, human disturbance in the surrounding watershed may cause more dramatic population fluctuations than can be explained by environmental factors alone.
The largest wild brown trout captured in Trout Brook was 15.4", and the largest wild brook trout was 10.4". Two wild rainbow trout were captured at the Hardy's Road site, exactly the same as in 2006. The origin of these fish is unknown; however it is unlikely that a very small population of wild rainbow trout has been existing only at that site since at least 2006. It is hoped that anglers are not introducing these fish into the creek, since rainbow trout may have detrimental impacts on the existing wild brown and brook trout populations in the Wiscoy Creek watershed. Nine non-trout species of fish were captured in this survey, the most common being blacknosed dace, mottled sculpin and white suckers. In order to monitor the health of this important tributary of Wiscoy Creek, this survey is planned to be repeated, utilizing the same sites in 2011 or 2012.
| Site | 2006 Estimated #/mile |
2009 Estimated #/mile |
|---|---|---|
| Hardy's Road | 1,080 | 966 |
| Hillside Road | 1,222 | 2,972 |
| Both sites combined | 1,144 | 1,869 |
| Site | 2006 Estimated #/mile |
2009 Estimated #/mile |
|---|---|---|
| Hardy's Road | 0 | 11 |
| Hillside Road | 597 | 1,042 |
| Both sites combined | 269 | 475 |
