2011 Warmwater Fishing Forecast
Recommendations for Walleye, Northern Pike, Chain Pickerel, Bass and Crappie
Walleye
The walleye, the largest member of the perch family, is one of New York's most highly sought after and valued sportfish. It has the capacity to reach a considerable size, presents a challenging fishing experience to anglers, and offers exceptional quality at the table. Historically, walleyes in New York likely inhabited waters only in the Great Lakes, St. Lawrence River, and Allegheny River watersheds. Today, primarily due to stocking and other DEC management efforts, walleye are found in over 140 waters from all of the major watersheds of the State.
Walleye in Lake Erie and Oneida Lake
While New York boasts many highly productive walleye waters throughout the State, Lake Erie and Oneida Lake have long been recognized as the premier walleye fisheries. Lake Erie is considered the top walleye destination in western New York. Lake Erie waters off of New York have seen average to good walleye hatches in 2005, 2006 and 2007. Due to the recent spawning success, the outlook is good or better than in recent years for early season walleye anglers fishing the near shore reef areas at night. Some walleye from the exceptional 2003 year class are also still hanging around, giving anglers a chance to catch trophy size walleye between 24-27 inches long. The walleye population in Oneida Lake has been monitored for over 50 years and has experienced significant fluctuations over that period of time. The current population has expanded and stabilized from relatively low levels in the mid to late 1990's. For further information on ongoing monitoring programs in these waters go to DEC's Biologists Reports webpage.
Walleye on Long Island
On Long Island two excellent walleye fisheries have been established in Lake Ronkonkoma and Fort Pond as a result of a successful DEC stocking program. Surveys of these waters in 2010 showed strong populations in both waters with good angling opportunities. Anglers fishing these two lakes are encouraged to become angler diary cooperators. Angler cooperators keep track of their catches in diaries provided by DEC and this information is analyzed to assess the current status of the fisheries in these waters. Diaries are returned to the anglers along with a summary report, after the data has been analyzed. Interested anglers should contact the Region 1 office at (631) 444-0280.
Walleye in Southeastern New York
In Southeastern New York, dam repair on Swinging Bridge Reservoir in Sullivan County is complete and walleye fishing there should be worth the trip. Walleye can also be found in East Branch, Bog Brook, Diverting, and Boyd Corners reservoirs in Putnam County. All four of these waters are New York City water supply reservoirs and require a free New York City Public Access Permit (see link to the right).
Walleye in East-Central New York
In Otsego County, Canadarago and Otsego lakes are good bets for walleye. Although adult walleye remain abundant in Canadarago Lake, recruitment problems have been documented with little or no survival of year classes produced in 2008, 2009, and 2010. Fingerling walleye will be stocked this year and future years to help maintain the fishery in this lake. The recruitment failure is blamed on the growing population of alewife in the lake which feed extensively on the newly hatched walleye fry that are suspended in the water column for 6 to 8 weeks before swimming to the bottom.
The Otsego Lake walleye fishery exploded in 2010 with large numbers of walleye caught and creeled by anglers. It is not known what the 2011 fishing season will bring but the lake is certainly worth a try to see if there is a repeat of the excellent fishing that occurred in 2010.
Walleye in Northern and Central New York
DEC Regions 5, 6, and 7 (northern and central New York) contain about 80 percent of the state's walleye waters. These Regions support some of the most productive walleye fisheries in the state, including Tupper Lake, Union Falls Flow, Saratoga Lake, Great Sacandaga Lake, Delta Lake, Whitney Point Reservoir, and Otisco Lake. Otisco Lake's walleye population is on the rise again following several years of excellent survival of stocked walleye fingerlings. Angler diary cooperators on Otisco reported very good walleye catch rates in 2009 and fishing is expected to remain good for at least the next few years, based on recent stocking success. Better known for its trout and salmon fishery, Lake Ontario also provides good walleye fishing in its eastern basin, particularly Henderson Harbor, Black River, and Chaumont and Mud bays. Good walleye populations can also be found in Irondequoit Bay, Sodus Bay, Braddocks Bay, Oswego Harbor, North Sandy Pond and Port Bay.
Walleye in Western New York
In western New York, (DEC regions 8 and 9), anglers will find good walleye fishing in Chautauqua Lake, Silver Lake, Cuba Lake, Rushford Lake, Conesus Lake, and Honeoye Lake.
Walleye in New York's Large Rivers
Walleye populations are also thriving in a number of large river systems including the Allegheny, Oswego, Chemung, Susquehanna, Tioga, Chenango, Tioughnioga, Unadilla, Oswegatchie, the Hudson downstream of the Troy Dam, and the Mohawk. Two lower Hudson River tributaries in Ulster County - the Wallkill River and Rondout Creek - have been included in recent DEC stocking efforts and angler reports indicate the successful establishment of walleye fisheries in these waters. The Delaware River is considered a productive walleye fishery, particularly the 50-mile section between Callicoon and Port Jervis. The St. Lawrence and lower Niagara rivers also both support high quality walleye fisheries.
Experimental "50-day Fingerling" Walleye Stocking Program
DEC is continuing an experimental walleye stocking program in 11 lakes throughout the northern, central and western regions of the State. Waters included in the stocking program are: Loon Lake in Region 5, Black, Red, and Payne lakes in Region 6, Otisco and Otter lakes in Region 7, and Redhouse, Upper, Middle and Lower Cassadaga lakes, and Chautauqua Lake (will begin in 2011) in Region 9. The Oneida Hatchery will produce about 390,000 tank-raised, early stage (50 days old and about 1.5 inches long) fingerlings for the program. Historically, all the juvenile walleye at Oneida were raised to "advanced" fingerling size (5 inches) and stocked in late summer. Although it was expected that these larger walleye would survive better, this hasn't always been the case, at least based on past evaluations. The other down side to trying to raise the larger fingerlings is that many often die during a necessary diet conversion (from brine shrimp to a dry pellet feed) that takes place in June, because of difficulties adjusting to the new feed. By stocking fingerlings in June, prior to the conversion, we hope to better utilize the walleye we have on hand and ultimately stock more waters across the state. A primary reason why this was not tried before was because of a concern that the stress of handling and transporting the 50-day old walleye would result in significant mortality. However, the 2009 and 2010 fish were nearly as large as our normal "pond" fingerlings and survival to the stocking site and immediately after stocking was very high on all waters. The program's success will continue to be closely monitored by Regional Fisheries staffs on an annual basis for the next 4-6 years.
Anglers are reminded that the general statewide regulation for walleye is a 15-inch minimum length and a daily limit of 5 fish. However, many waters have special regulations where length and daily limits vary, so be sure the check the Freshwater Fishing Regulations Guide.
Sauger Monitoring in Lake Champlain
Sauger are closely related to walleye and are similar in appearance and habits. They can be identified by the unique three to four saddle-shaped dark brown blotches on their sides, distinct black spots on the first dorsal (back) fin and the lack of a white tip on the lower lobe of the tail fin. New York is at the northeastern edge of its range and its historic distribution includes the Lake Erie, Lake Ontario, St. Lawrence River and Lake Champlain drainage basins. Sauger now only occur in Lake Champlain, but the status of this population is in doubt as only one sauger has been captured (in 2010) as part of a DEC sampling program in approximately 15 years. To help track the occurrence of sauger in Lake Champlain anglers are encouraged to report their catches to Emily Zollweg at DEC Region 5 office in Warrensburg at (518) 623-1264.
Northern Pike
New York continues to be a priority destination for trophy pike anglers. High quality pike waters include many of the larger Adirondack lakes such as Tupper Lake, Schroon Lake, Lake George, the Saranac Lake Chain, Cranberry Lake, First through Fourth Lakes (Fulton Chain), Long Lake, Upper Chateaugay and the St. Regis Chain of Lakes. Great Sacandaga Lake regularly provides a trophy pike fishery for anglers with a number of 20 lb+ fish having been caught in recent years. To the north, the St. Lawrence River, Lake Ontario embayments, and the Indian River Chain of Lakes provide quality fishing. Further south, good pike fishing can be found in Saratoga Lake and Round Lake in Saratoga County. Also northern pike abundance in the lower Mohawk River has increased from rare to common over the last two decades. They are most abundant in the 9.5 mile reach between Crescent Dam and Lock 7. Many of these fish are between 25 and 35 inches long with some 40-plus inch fish present.
Numerous pike fishing opportunities also exist in western New York, including the Upper Niagara River, Silver Lake, Quaker Lake, Findley Lake, Cuba Lake, Allegheny River, Olean Creek, Conewago Creek and Tonawanda Creek. In central New York, anglers should try Seneca, Cayuga, Owasco and Consesus lakes.
Tiger Muskellunge
DEC has been raising and stocking tiger muskellunge, a sterile, yet fast-growing cross between northern pike and muskellunge, since 1967. DEC used to "make" our own tiger muskies, but fry are now produced by, and obtained from, New Jersey's Hackettstown Fish Hatchery. DEC's South Otselic Hatchery then raises these fry to approximately 75,000 9 inch long tiger muskies, annually. These fish are used to stock 40 waters throughout the state and most of these are in Regions 6 and 7. Otisco Lake, in Region 7, is perhaps the State's best tiger muskellunge fishery. Numerous tigers over 15 pounds were caught through the ice during the winter of 2009, including a world ice fishing record fish that weighed in at 27 pounds 5 ounces. Also, catch rates reported by angler diary cooperators were relatively high and it appears that an angler who wants to catch a tiger muskie stands as good a chance as any by going to Otisco Lake. Several other waters in Region 7 also provide excellent fishing opportunities, including Lake Como, the Lower Chenango River, and the Susquehanna River downstream of Binghamton. In the Lower Chenango and Susquehana Rivers the muskellunge season also opens on May 2 (the general Statewide muskullenge opener is the 3rd Saturday in June) to avoid confusion for anglers trying to distinguish between the two species. In Region 6, First through Fourth Lakes (Fulton Chain), Horseshoe Lake and Hyde Lake are good bets. Also, an often overlooked tiger musky fishery is found in the Mohawk River/Barge Canal from Rome downstream to Lock 16. In the eastern half of the state, good tiger musky waters include Middle Branch Reservoir, Greenwood Lake, Cossayuna Lake, Lake Durant, Lincoln Pond and the lower Mohawk River between the Crescent Dam and Lock 8. To the west, Conesus and Lime Lake provide quality fisheries.
Chain Pickerel
Chain pickerel are also very popular with a dedicated group of anglers seeking these toothy predators that typically inhabit shallow, weedy waters. Many of the best chain pickerel waters are in the southeastern section of the state (Regions 1 and 3). On Long Island, the Peconic River provides some of the finest chain pickerel fishing in the state. In Region 3 some good choices are Swinging Bridge Reservoir, Lake Superior and the Harriman Park Lakes. Other New York pickerel hotspots include Lake George, Brant Lake, Saratoga Lake and Lake Champlain in Region 5 and Black River in Region 6. In Region 7, the south end of Skaneateles Lake, the north end of Cayuga Lake, Madison Reservoir, Oneida Lake, and Tully Lake offer outstanding fishing for quality size pickerel. The Oneida Lake pickerel population appears to have increased significantly in recent years as aquatic weed beds have expanded. Good pickerel fishing in Region 8 can be found at Hemlock Lake and Canadice Lake.
Black Bass
Year-round black bass angling opportunities now exist for most waters in the State. The general Statewide regulations permit catch-and-release of black bass from Dec. 1 through the Friday preceding the third Saturday in June (June 17 in 2011), with the regular, harvest permitted, season from June 18 until November 30. Anglers should be aware that there are many exceptions to the general regulations including catch and release only in Bronx, Kings, New York, Queens, Richmond, and Nassau counties. Also, there is no catch and release season in Franklin, Hamilton, Jefferson, and St. Lawrence counties. Other exceptions include Lake Champlain where the catch and release season runs until the second Saturday in June and on Oneida Lake, where the catch and release season runs from the first Saturday in May through the Friday preceding the third Saturday in June. Other lake-specific exceptions exist, particularly in Suffolk County, so anglers should check their Fishing Regulations Guide before hitting the water.
Black bass anglers are also reminded that a special black bass season has been in place for a number of years on Lake Erie to allow anglers to take advantage of the great fishing available for smallmouth bass during the early spring. From May 1 to the regular opener of the statewide black bass season on June 18, anglers may take one bass a minimum of 20 inches in length per day in Lake Erie and its tributaries. The use of natural baits is permitted during Lake Erie's early bass season. The spring is arguably the best time to fish for smallmouth bass in Lake Erie's near shore reefs, harbors and tributary streams. During the month of May, smallmouth bass fishing is very good in Lake Erie tributaries and harbors. From late May until the regular season opener in June, open lake fishing is great near reef and rocky structure in 15-20 feet of water. Bass in the two-to-five-pound range are abundant, with trophy bass of 6 pounds plus possible. More information on Lake Erie's outstanding smallmouth bass fishery is available.
Black Bass Research
Several black bass studies will be initiated in 2011. The Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit at Cornell University will begin a statewide assessment of black bass populations and develop strategies to improve DEC's ability to manage these species. SUNY Plattsburgh biologists will examine post tournament dispersal of bass and will be relying on angler tag returns and radio telemetry to track bass movements. Researchers at the Cornell Biological Field Station at Shackelton Point, Onieda Lake will be adding a shoreline black bass survey component to their long-term monitoring of Oneida Lake and will also be conducting a bass tournament reporting system with cooperating bass clubs. For more information on these studies please contact Jeff Loukmas at DEC's Central Office in Albany at (518) 402-8897.
Crappie
Black and white crappie, members of the sunfish family, can primarily be found in shallow, weedy lakes and ponds and slow flowing rivers. Crappie are schooling fish and are most commonly caught during the spring when they move into shallow water to spawn. Black crappie can be found in most Central New York lakes, some of the more popular spring time locations are: Big Bay and Toad Harbor on Oneida Lake, Tully Lake, the numerous Madison County reservoirs, Lake Neatahwanta, and backwaters of the Seneca River. Whitney Point Reservoir is one of the few locations in the state that has a very good white crappie population and fish up to 14 inches are taken each year. Anglers in western New York should find good crappie fishing in Allegheny Reservoir, Alum Pond, West River and Chautauqua, Bear, Cassadaga, Findley, Honeoye, Waneta and Cuba lakes. To the north, Black Lake, Lake Champlain, Great Sacandaga Reservoir and Saratoga Lake are popular destinations for crappie. In the southeastern part of the state, many of the New York City Reservoirs in the Croton system support good crappie populations.
