The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) today announced that the public will have the opportunity to learn and ask questions about the upcoming 2018 Lake Ontario salmon and trout stocking. Public meetings to gather input for will be held in Oswego, Niagara, and Monroe counties in September.

“Lake Ontario and its tributaries provide world-class salmon and trout angling opportunities,” Commissioner Basil Seggos said.  “Salmon and trout fishing in Lake Ontario continues to be outstanding and DEC remains committed to ensuring that the ecological, recreational and economic benefits of Lake Ontario’s sport fisheries are sustained through management practices based on cutting-edge science.”

Survey results in 2016 revealed poor survival of Alewife produced in 2013 and 2014, which will result in negative impacts on the adult population of this important prey species in future years. To protect the valuable fishery, the DEC and the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (OMNRF) adjusted stocking levels for Chinook Salmon and Lake Trout down 20 percent in 2017 to reduce predator demand on adult Alewife.

Alewife survey results from 2017 confirmed the ongoing impacts of poor Alewife production in 2013 and 2014 on the overall population, but also revealed record numbers of young Alewife produced in 2016.  The record numbers of Alewife produced in 2016 is promising, but additional strong Alewife reproduction and survival is needed in upcoming years to rebuild the adult population.  In an ongoing effort to effectively manage Lake Ontario fisheries for long-term benefits, DEC and OMNRF will maintain the 2017 stocking targets in 2018.  The combined 2018 salmon and trout stocking total will exceed 4.6 million fish, and managers are optimistic that good fishing will continue.

During these public meetings, staff from DEC will present information and the public will have the opportunity to ask questions. Background information about these meetings is available on DEC’s website at: http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/111196.html.

Members of the public that cannot attend a meeting can provide comments via email to: fwfishlo@dec.ny.gov.  For further information, please contact Steve LaPan, New York Great Lakes Fisheries Section Head, at the Cape Vincent Fisheries Research Station, (315) 654-2147.

The meeting dates and locations are:

• Monday, September 11: 6:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. at the Donald Schleiter Lodge and Pavillion, 199 East Manitou Road in Braddock Bay Park, Rochester, Monroe County.

• Tuesday, September 12: 6:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. at the Pulaski High School auditorium, 4624 Salina Street, Pulaski, Oswego County.

• Wednesday, September 13: 6:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. at the Cornell Cooperative Extension Building, 4487 Lake Avenue, Lockport, Niagara County.