The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) today announced a virtual meeting on Thursday, May 20, at 7 p.m. to provide an opportunity for the public to learn about the status of Lake Erie and Upper Niagara River fisheries. 

"Lake Erie anglers are experiencing record fishing quality with unprecedented, once-in-a-generation walleye catch rates," said DEC Acting Regional Director Chad Staniszewski. "This annual meeting provides an excellent opportunity for anglers to interact directly with the biologists who study and manage Lake Erie and Niagara River fisheries and learn more about the strategies used to maintain these world-class fisheries." 

This year's virtual meeting will be in a webinar format and feature updates on the area’s warm and cold water fisheries, the 2021 fishing forecast, a summary of emerging management issues, and a Lake Erie basin research update, followed by a 30-minute question-and-answer online chat session. 

Key members of the Lake Erie and Niagara River fisheries management and research community will present information on management and assessment activities for prominent Lake Erie sport fisheries. This webinar is sponsored by DEC's Lake Erie Fisheries Research Unit and Region 9 Fisheries offices. 

The virtual meeting will be held on Thursday, May 20, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. To access the meeting, go to: http://on.ny.gov/reg9fishmeeting.