Last Monday evening we attended a public meeting at Orange County Community College in Newburgh presented by DEC Region 3, in conjunction with the Coldwater Fisheries Unit.

The meeting centered on the DEC's proposed new statewide regulations for trout fishing, with about 40 members of the public present. The emphasis of these meetings, (held in 10 locations around the state in October/ November) is on the questions/ answers and dialogue between DEC staff and the public following the presentations.

Included in this new approach to fisheries management were references to “simplified regulations,” “more fishing opportunities,” and “a high priority and value placed on wild trout and wild trout waters.”

The DEC desires to impose blanket regulations that will cover the waters of the entire state of New York, except for the Great Lakes and the Finger Lakes.

Anglers will now have to learn new terminology, as streams will be reclassified as “Stocked”, “Stocked-Extended”, “Wild”, “Wild-Quality” and “Wild Premier.”

“Stocked” waters would receive one single spring stocking; “Stocked-Extended” (higher quality waters) would receive stockings every other week over an 8-week period in the spring.

New harvest regulations for “Stocked” waters are 5 trout/day, no more than 2 over 12” in length; for “Stocked-Extended” streams, 3 fish/day, no more than 1 over 12”.

DEC plans to grow larger hatchery trout, with stocked yearlings measuring 9”, and 2-year-old fish 12-14” in length. Ten percent of all stockings will be comprised of the larger fish, resulting in fewer trout overall being stocked; as DEC's production is based on pounds of fish produced, and larger fish will mean fewer trout due to the available space in the hatcheries.

The new regulations will also base their formulas on fishing pressure; some waters that are currently stocked will no longer receive hatchery trout, based on limited fishing pressure.

“Wild” trout waters will include small headwater streams as well as large unproductive waters which may be in remote locations with limited access.

“Wild-Quality” are streams with high-quality habitat, more than 10 feet wide and containing more than 40 lbs of trout/acre or over 300 adult trout per mile.

“Wild-Premier” streams are more than 20 feet wide with excellent habitat, access, and holding more than 60 lbs of trout/acre or more than 500 wild trout per mile, with more than 150 anglers' hours per acre - such as the East and West Branches of the Delaware River below the reservoirs.

Separate harvest regulations apply; “Wild” will allow 5 trout/day, with 2 over 12”; “Wild-Quality” allows 3 trout, 1 over 12”; and “Wild-Premier” allows 1 trout of any size/day.

The Problem

What we and many others have found to be particularly upsetting is the plan to establish a statewide catch-and-release, artificial lures-only season from Oct. 16 - March 31 - basically year-round fishing - during the critical trout spawning season when wild trout are the most vulnerable.

Our Catskill waters are known for the wild trout found here; anglers from far and wide travel, often from other states, to fish these beautiful streams and the fragile ecosystems that make the wild trout so special.

These visiting anglers are a great economic asset to our area. Ever since there were fishing regulations in Sullivan County, dating back to 1848, trout have been protected during spawning season - with fishing prohibited during the fall and winter.

In fact, the outstanding wild trout fisheries on the East and West Branches of the Delaware below the reservoirs fall into the highest classification of the proposed “Wild-Premier” streams - their great quality fisheries are due to the fact that fishing was traditionally prohibited in these streams from September 30 - March 31 to enable the wild trout to spawn successfully!

By opening up wild trout streams to year-round fishing we stand to lose the very nature of why wild trout spawn here - in the pristine, highly-oxygenated waters that provide protection from harassment, stress and inevitable mortality that results from fishing for trout that are completely vulnerable and unaware of much else other than trying to reproduce.

Our focus is to ask that the Catskill trout stream seasons should remain as they are and be excepted out of the new blanket regulation of year-round trout fishing.

The DEC is accepting emails and letters from the public for the next few weeks; after which they will compile the input received and publish their draft plan which will be available for public comment in January 2020.

Please let your thoughts be known by sending a letter or email to the following:

Michael J. Flaherty

Fisheries Manager - Region 3, 

Division of Fish and Wildlife 

NYS Department of Environmental Conservation

21 South Putt Corners Road, New Paltz, NY 12561

P: (845) 256-3066 | F: (845) 255-9219 

michael.flaherty@dec.ny.gov

Fred G. Henson

Coldwater Fisheries Unit Leader, Division of Fish and Wildlife

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation

625 Broadway, 5th Floor, Albany, NY 12233-4753

P: (518) 402-8901

fred.henson@dec.ny.gov

Basil Seggos

Commissioner New York State 

Department of Environmental Conservation

625 Broadway

Albany, NY 12233-1010

If you prefer to copy the Commissioner via email, go to www.dec.ny.gov/about/407.html

This is an instance where you can voice your opinion and let your thoughts be known; your input can greatly affect the future of wild trout fishing here in the Catskills!