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Lake Erie Fisheries Management and Research

Lake Erie Fisheries Research Unit

Based at the Dunkirk Fisheries Station on the eastern shore of Lake Erie, DEC's Lake Erie Fisheries Research Unit manages the fish resources within the lake by monitoring the status of fish populations and evaluating the need for specific management actions.

Research Vessel Argo

Research Vessel Argo at Dunkirk Fisheries Station on Lake Erie

The R/V Argo is used to conduct annual assessments and surveys of Lake Erie's fish stocks. Most sampling programs are carried out in conjunction with other fishery management agencies around Lake Erie. Vessel time is also available to other researchers with compatible interests.

Interagency Management Coordination

New York cooperates with other jurisdictions on Lake Erie to manage fish populations that roam widely as a shared resource throughout the lake. Coordination between jurisdictions is done by the Great Lakes Fisheries Commission (GLFC) Lake Erie Committee (LEC) (leaves DEC site). The GLFC's LEC is comprised of representatives from Lake Erie's five fisheries management agencies (Ohio, Michigan, Ontario, New York, and Pennsylvania), and uses a consensus-based decision making process, guided by the LEC's Lake Erie Fish Community Goals and Objectives (PDF) (leaves DEC site). Joint decisions are made annually concerning management and harvest policies that affect all jurisdictions.

Fisheries Dictionary

Download the Fisheries Management Dictionary (PDF) for definitions of commonly used technical terms in DEC Bureau of Fisheries reports.

Management Plans

DEC Plans

The following plan is specific to New York's Lake Erie fisheries management:

Interagency Plans

The following plans were prepared by the GLFC's Lake Erie Committee:

Survey/Research Reports

DEC Surveys

Interagency Surveys

New York's Lake Erie Unit also contributes to annual inter-agency reports to evaluate and describe the status of fish stocks in Lake Erie. These inter-agency technical reports are available through the GLFC website (leaves DEC site).


  • Contact for this Page
  • NYSDEC
    Lake Erie Fisheries Research Unit
    178 Point Drive North
    Dunkirk, NY 14048
    716-366-0228
    Send us an email
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