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
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:
- A Plan to Support Lake Trout Rehabilitation in Lake Erie, 2021-2030 (PDF)
- Lake Erie Walleye Management Plan 2015-2019: Extension through 2024 (PDF)
- Lake Erie Yellow Perch Management Plan, 2020-2024 (PDF)
Survey/Research Reports
DEC Surveys
- Considering a Minimum Size Limit Reduction for Lake Erie Walleye (2023) (PDF)
- 2022 Lake Erie Fisheries Annual Report (2023) (PDF)
- Out-of-State Angler Participation in New York's Prominent Lake Erie Fisheries (2022) (PDF)
- Smallmouth Bass Tournament Assessment in the New York Waters of Lake Erie, 2018-2020 (2022) (PDF)
- Evaluation of Steelhead Stocking Size and Location on Emigration and Adult Returns in Chautauqua Creek (2019) (PDF)
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).
