Friday, September 29, 2017

Oneida County local trout streams report, late September 2017

It's tough to make decisions right now for the angler who lives in the northern Oneida County area right now, salmon fishing or trout fishing.  It may seem like a no-brainer, salmon fishing hands down, but it's not that easy when the trout fishing is producing the biggest brown trout of the year.  On any given evening right now in the last half hour of daylight and into twilight you can find big browns eating on the surface.

Nice 18"-20" browns like this one are frequenting my net right now.

For the past 5-6 weeks I have been fishing local streams that are producing heavy Ephron and Iso hatches, like clock work.  No need to show up streamside more than 45 minutes before dark.  The last 1/2 hour of daylight brings these hatches on and the big browns are right on them.  Areas of the stream where the riffles meet the calm water at the head of the pool is where they set up to feed.  Some takes, most takes, are aggressive and noisy, but the biggest trout I have taken have gulped the fly, nothing splashy or brutal, just nose out of the surface film and gulp.

Only fly you need, Parachute Adams #16.
The most interesting thing about all this is that every outing for the past 5-6 weeks I have used one fly pattern exclusively, same pattern, same size every time.  It has been so consistently producing these big trout that I don't even think of trying something different, 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it'.  The magical fly, parachute Adams #16.  As a side note, I am using my 9' 4wt Loomis Trilogy, (my go to fly rod for these local streams) with a WF4F Rio trout line with 9-10' leader and 6X tippet.

One more thing.  Notice the fly is barbless, since I fish C&R I either mash the barbs on my flies or tie on barbless hooks.  Make releasing these fish fast and no damage to the fish, even those hooked back in the roof of the mouth or at the base of the tongue.  Also, use forceps, they're smaller than you thumb and index finger.

Guiding for salmon is starting to demand most of my time (and energy) so I don't fore see too many more outings for these big browns.  Hope you take advantage of the spectacular trout fishing that happens on your local stream every fall.

Tight lines


Thursday, September 28, 2017

Salmon River report , early fall 2017

Early season, early morning salmon.
September is coming to a close and the salmon fishing is ramping up.  We have had very good fishing on the river pretty much since Labor Day.  Everyday is seeing a steady push of fish up the river and the upper reaches between Altmar and Pineville have had fish bedding now for the last week and a half.  The release is at 335 cfs. with the gauge at Pineville reading 409 cfs. as I write this.  I have been fishing for the last week or so with clients and it has been very good, especially in the dawn to 10 a.m. time frame.  We have had unusually hot weather and fish start holding up in deeper water about 10ish.  Today is the first break in the temperatures in a week, things are more seasonable and we are expecting a little rain in the next day or two.  This should help the fish move throughout the day.

Tried and true pattern for the Salmon River.
We have been chasing them with the fly rod. Bead or cone head buggers are working well as are zonker-type streamers.  I tie these mostly in size 4-6.  I add weight to the zonkers to eliminate as much weight being added to the leader.

Salmon fishing will be peaking for the next few weeks.   Make sure you take the time to fish the run, it only happens once a year. 

I have about five date open for salmon through the first 3 weeks of October, one of which is Columbus Day, so bring you kid up and give me a call, let's book the day and fish together.  Neither of you will forget it.

Tight lines


Sunday, September 10, 2017

Trout fishing report - Central New York

Sometimes when you walk up to the stream you know it's going to be very good.  This evening was one of these. 

I got to the stream about 7 this evening and knew that I had about an hour of daylight left.  I approached the creek in a blizzard of Ephoron mixed with some Hex spinners flying upstream to the head of the riffles. I knew right then it was going to be a very good evening.

Over the past few weeks I have fished an #18 Adams parachute so I started off with the same fly, first drift and was on to a nice 13" brown.  The fish hit hard in these hatches and each fish 'killed' the fly.  After about 20 minutes and 7-8 trout later I switched to an Adams parachute in #12, anticipating the Hex spinners that would soon be floating down stream past my position.  From then to dark I landed another 7-8 browns with 2 big fish, one about 18" and the largest pushing 20" easily.

I was going to go to the Salmon River this evening, as there is some pretty darn good salmon fishing right now, but I opted for the trout stream.  Was a good choice.  I will be working on the Salmon River for the next few months so trout fishing right now is to be taken advantage of while I have time left for it.

Hope you are enjoying these later summer days, actually feels more like the middle of October than the first of September.

Tight lines


Saturday, September 9, 2017

Lake Ontario Fisheries meeting to be held

Anglers interested in the current state of Lake Ontario's trout and salmon population should plan to attend one of the three meetings to be held at the following locations:

September 11, 2017
Donald Schleiter Lodge and Pavillion, 199 East Manitou Road in Braddock Bay Park, Rochester, NY

September 12, 2017
Pulaski High School, 4624 Salina Street, Pulaski, NY

September 13, 2017
Cornell Cooperative Extension, 4487 Lake Avenue, Lockport, NY

DEC staff will be providing an update on the status of the alewife population in the lake and the actions they intend to take to keep the lake's trout and salmon population in balance with their primary prey fish.  Background information can be found on the DEC website.  Those unable to attend the meeting can email their comments or questions.

The time of these meetings is from 6:30 pm to 9:00 pm.

Tight lines

Friday, September 8, 2017

Salmon River report and local trout streams

As I write this the Salmon River flow is 810 cfs. at 500 cfs. release.  This is scheduled to run till Saturday evening.  The recent release over Labor Day saw salmon pushing into the river, Kings mainly with a few Coho in the mix.  The current increased flow can only encourage fish to continue to enter the river.  Another plus is the temperatures over night have been hovering in the 50's this past week or so, all good.  Most reports are focusing on the river from Pulaski down to the Douglaston, however, with the flows we have you will find decent numbers in any of the bigger pools from Sportsman down stream.  My moneys on the Birdhouse.  Tomorrow's full moon (Sept 8) means that the next full moon will see the salmon run peaking and will stay there for the week of October 8th.

18" Fish Creek brown trout.
Local streams are prime right now for big trout.  I have been spending a couple evenings a week on local streams and prior to dark the fishing is explosive.  I have been fishing only 1 fly for the past 2 weeks, size #18 Adams parachute and have been 'killing' them (not literally).  I have been landing 10- 12 trout in 30-40 minutes of fishing and loosing as many.  4-5 browns per outing are in the 16"-18" range.

Now is the time to make your way up here for salmon or trout.  Have a good season.

Tight lines


Thursday, August 31, 2017

Salmon River Labor Day weekend report

It's hard to focus these days.  Summer projects around the house seem to annoy me more than normal, the Delaware River guiding schedule seems to have lost some of it's appeal and I suddenly feel the urgent need to tie salmon flies.  The night time temperatures for the last week have been in the upper 40s/ low 50s, there is a noticeable changing of the color on more trees here and these have me distracted most of the time now.  It is the salmon run that occupies a lot of my thinking these days and I know that within the month I will be guiding clients again for salmon.

This weekend will 'unofficially' mark the beginning of the salmon season here for the Salmon River.  The reports from the lake are encouraging and the river will be up to a 750 cfs release this weekend.  I am giving serious thought to putting the drift boat in and making an exploratory run down to the ballpark, with my fly rod of course.  If I don't float I will definitely be wading some areas below Pineville looking for early runners pulled in by the cooler water temps and higher flows.

A vision of things soon to come.
Just a few things to keep in mind that may encourage you to visit this fall.  Fish for free days, there will be 2 this fall in New York.  September 23, 2017 will be a free day.  This is usually an annual date you can depend on as it runs in conjunction with the National Hunting and Fishing Day.  This also usually coincides with an open house at the Salmon River Hatchery in Altmar, NY.  There is always demos, informative lectures and activities for the kids at the hatchery, oh, and there will be salmon in the fish ladders to see by then.

The 2nd fish free day is Veteran's Day, November 11, 2017.

I have some good dates thought the end of September (a few) and October and November have some excellent dates available.  Give me a call or drop me a note, let's fish together this fall.

Tight lines

Saturday, August 19, 2017

Fish Creek, Mad River fishing report

Spent the last few evenings in these creeks fishing the last hour or so to dark.  Has been excellent using a parachute Adams size # 16.  Fished the other evening and never changed flies, landed well over a dozen nice fat, robust browns.

Fished the same stretch on Fish Creek 2 nights ago bringing 6 plus browns to the net I about 20 minutes, 2 over 18" using a size # 10 Iso comparadun. 

This has got to be the best time of the year to catch big browns.  They are aggressive and blow-up on the fly.  Saw a few Hex flying up stream the other night so the fishing is going to get better!

Tight lines

Friday, August 11, 2017

Mid-summer report, local streams and Salmon River forecast

Yep, still here.  It's been awhile since last post but things keep moving forward.  Summers is moving faster than most of us prefer, then again, some of us are eagerly looking down the road into fall.  Here is a current update on the trout fishing on local streams.

After a lot of rain through most of this spring and early summer the creeks are down to their summer levels and have been for about the last 3 weeks.  This has translated into some excellent fishing. Fly hatches are great with very good BWO size 18-20, Light Cahill's and Sulphur's size 14-16 and Isos size 12 being the main stay for the late afternoon into evening angler. There are also some good caddis action on the smaller patterns size 18.  I am anxiously waiting for the annual Hex hatch here on a few of the local streams.  This hatch typically starts about now into September and is the hatch I look forward to all year.

Nice Delaware River brown trout.


Been working on the Delaware River quite regularly and the fishing is good.  Similar hatches as to the ones listed above.  The West Branch is fishing well although we did have a little color in the water last weekend due to some rain but streamer (small ones) worked and flies continued to hatch.  The Delaware River fishing should really start to pick up as we move on into September.  The fish seem to know winter is coming and they put the feed bag on.  We will see some excellent Iso fishing picking up through this time frame as well.

As for the Salmon River, you should make plans to be here now for Labor Day weekend.  The last release for the summer season is slated for the Saturday/ Sunday, September 2,3.  This will be a release of 750 cfs. and should pull a few salmon into the river.  As we approach the salmon run
Nice, early run Salmon River King
this year as always we have high hopes.  Last season was not a disappointment as the salmon came in good, steady numbers into the third week of October.  I am getting excited just typing this!

My schedule is booking good but it is still early and I have many good dates open for both salmon and steelhead later into November and December.

Tight lines

Saturday, April 29, 2017

Salmon River fishing report - fat lady singing

I have one more float scheduled for the 2017 spring steelhead season and it's timed just about perfect.  The last few weeks have seen good action on drop backs and with the water drop a little over a week ago things heated up.  There have been good numbers of steelhead in the upper river over this past week, most drop backs, however, there were still good numbers of spawners.  That was till yesterday, someone hit the switch and a large part of the upper river is void of fish.  There where areas holding a few pockets of fish but most fish appear to be below Pineville.  For my last float I am going to try to make the Pineville to 2A float work for my client.

Nice meat eating Delaware River brown.
After that I am guiding a few turkey hunts and then starting my Delaware River floats mid-May.  Reports from the Big-D are very good with streamers working well and this past weekend saw the surface activity begin in earnest.  Water temps and flows are good, temps pushing 60 degrees and flows are nice but slowly dropping.  I will be down 'pre' fishing a few days and am looking forward to getting on the East Branch.

Spring turkey season starts Monday, May 1 here in New York.  I can't wait.  I have a few trips booked through the month and have plans for my own hunts.  There are good numbers of turkeys around and even had a half dozen in my yard a couple days ago.  If you'd like a guided hunt or a float on the Delaware for big trout give me a call, I'm sure we can set something up.

I'll post again soon.

Tight lines

Monday, April 10, 2017

Salmon River area report - early April 2017

The river pushed the 7000 cfs mark this past Friday as 'inches' of rain had been falling over several days last week.  Currently the controlled release is 1750 cfs with a gauge reading at Pineville of 2210 cfs.  Dry and warm weather is forecast for the next few days so we can expect the river to stabilize, if not drop even further.  Water clarity is good and getting better, and with virtually no more snow to melt we can expect temperatures to begin to climb.

The high water has done nothing to stop the steelhead in their spawning activities.  From here on out the fishing for post-spawn steelhead should start to heat up.  Right now it's hard to predict how long we will have good water into the future for good drop back fishing. 


Steelhead egg collection for this year was completed this past Wednesday, April 5, at the Salmon River Hatchery.  640 female steelhead were handled over 4 days resulting in 2.4 million eggs collected, exceeding the target collection of 2.15 million eggs.  These eggs will be raised in the hatchery for about a year, then released as yearlings.  Approximately 150,000 Skamania strain steelhead eggs were also collected.  Currently Lake Ontario received annual stockings of 497,000  Washington strain steelhead, 43,000 Skamania strain steelhead and 43,000 'domestic' rainbow trout.  All are released as yearlings.  We can look for their return in about 2 - 3 years from stocking.
Local Trout Fishing
The first week of trout season locally found streams blown out by several days of heavy rain.  As of Saturday these creeks have begun to recede and water clarity is very good and will continue to improve.  As the water warms we will see bugs start to show up and you can expect to see Hendricksons and Blue Quills initially.  Prior to the high water black stoneflies were showing up on the surface, #10,12 patterns would match the size and the nymphs for these should work as well.  For gear anglers live minnows, spinners and the standard garden worm will work well as water drops.
Central New York spring turkey hunting forecast
Nice spring gobbler shot on Public Land


Spring turkey season is fast approaching, beginning May 1 here in New York.  Locally turkey have been in strutting mode for about 6 weeks now and looks like things are heating up.  We seem to have had good recruitment and winter survival as I have been eyeing several large flock around home here.  I am still booking spring hunts and have some good dates through out the month.  If you would like to try it, give me a call.
Tight lines


Thursday, March 30, 2017

Saturday's the day - NY state trout opener

In the past week or so around New York state you have probably noticed people, guys mainly, standing on bridges looking at water, myself included.  Saturday, April 1 is the state wide trout opener and I like many others are eagerly waiting for this rite of spring.  For as long as I can remember, fishing the opening day of trout season has been a mile-marker in my year.
I grew up near a small creek in north-central Pennsylvania and as I remember, I would stand on the bridge below my house and stare at the creek, envisioning myself hooking a limit of trout on the opening day, and everyday after that. 

Nice brown, not big, but it will do.
The weeks before the opener would find me in the local department store's sporting good section looking at fishing tackle, wishing I had a some money in my pocket.  Of course, I had equipment to get the job done.  I had a nice Fenwick glass rod and a Plueger Medalist reel, some cheap fly line and a roll of monofilament for leader.  I was a fly tyer so I had a box full of flies I had been working on through the winter.  I wasn't real savvy about fly hatches and the such, but I knew my soft hackle wet flies and a hand full of streamers would work for me on opening day.

These days I have more tackle and such that now the challenge is which rod and reel to go with.  I am more savvy about fly hatches now but I would bet real money that I will be fishing with soft hackle wet flies and a handful of streamers come Saturday morning.

I am betting that I am not alone in this spring tradition.  Things in a persons life like the opening day of trout season, are the things that give some balance to a persons life in a world that has basically gone crazy.  Saturday morning will find my head empty of politics, social unrest, terrorism and even the anxiety that comes from making a living for my wife and I.  Peace will be enjoyed for a few brief hours.  I hope you find peace too.

Tight lines

Tuesday, March 28, 2017

More 2017 free fishing day announced for New York State

Based on Governor Andrew M. Cuomo's signed legislation in 2014 authorizing additional statewide free fishing days, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is proposing four free sport fishing days be added to complement the state's existing free sport fishing days. DEC is seeking public comments on the proposed changes.

First established in 1991, free sport fishing days allow New York residents and non-residents to fish for free without a fishing license at any of the state's 7,500 lakes and ponds or 70,000 miles of rivers and streams.


The free events give people who might not fish a chance to try the rewarding sport at no cost, introduce people to a new hobby, and encourage people to support the sport by purchasing a New York State fishing license.

The proposed additions are:
  • Presidents Day Weekend (February 18,19 - the weekend immediately preceding Presidents Day in the month of February) - These two days generally coincide with winter recess for schools, making it ideal for families to try ice fishing.

  • National Hunting and Fishing Day (September 23, one day) - Takes place annually on the 4th Saturday in September and links to events taking place nationwide. Fishing at this time of year is generally good for many species, including fall salmon fishing in the Great Lakes tributaries.

  • Veteran's Day (November 11, one day) - Fishing is considered one of the most therapeutic outdoor activities, making it an excellent tribute to veterans and those currently serving. Governor Cuomo specified Veteran's Day as a free fishing day in 2015, and this proposal would make it a permanent free fishing day.
In addition, the last full weekend in June, (23, 24) are designated free fishing days as well.

Niagara River fishing trip

I have always wanted to drift fish the Niagara River since I first talk with one of my clients, John Field, about 20 years ago.  He introduced me to Captain John Oravec who has been guiding on Lake Ontario now for 40 some years now, and his tales of the Niagara River fishery got me interested in floating it with him.

First fish of the day, spawned out female.
Well, after years of thinking about this trip but never being able to find the time to do it, I finally set the date, dropped the deposit on it and told my son-in-laws that we were going fishing.  Weather, that is a factor related to any fishing trip here in the Great Lakes, and weather in March is as unpredictable as it gets.  We all kept an eye on the forecast in the week leading up to the trip and it seemed as though we'd have temps in the 40's and rain.  We planned for rain and cool temps.  Turned out to be dry and some sun in the afternoon moved temps into the low 50's, couldn't have been a better day weather wise.

Bonding with my son-in-laws, James(l) and Adam(r)
Adam with his first ever steelhead.
We met John at the lower ramp in Lewiston, NY and were underway by 7:45.  We headed towards the mouth of the river, our first drifts being off the high banks and further down towards the convent.  The fishing was slow but it was good to finally be fishing the Niagara River.  We picked up two steelhead in these drifts and later move to the mouth of the river and spent about 2 hours making drifts past the Coast Guard station to the end of the break wall.  With a strong east-southeast wind getting out onto the Niagara Bar was out of the question.  These drifts produced 1 fish on for one of my son-in-laws but it wrapped some bottom structure and broke him off. 

We drifted the bottom using Emerald Shiners and skein, picking up all fish on the shiners.  As the day progressed and water clarity  clouded up and we added a chartreuse trout bead in front of the shiner but had no further action.  All-in-all it was a great day fishing and spending time with Capt. John and my son-in-laws.  We are planning a fall trip on the St. Lawrence River with Capt. John for Muskies, can't wait.

Tight lines

Monday, March 20, 2017

Salmon River fishing report - first day of spring 2017

A few weeks ago it seemed as though winter had retreated until the end of next November but last week it came back with a reminder of what awaits in a few months.  The Salmon River area went from bare ground to about 2 feet of fresh snow in a day.  It could have been worse had it come from the west but being a nor'easter the south and eastern parts of the state got it hardest, 3-4 feet in some areas that normally see no more that than all winter.  But the river and roads leading to the river are open and the fishing is good.

For the last month we have been fishing around 2100 cfs. with a steady release between 1600-1700 cfs.  As I write this report the release is 750 cfs. and the gauge at Pineville is reading a comfortable 1040 cfs., expect it to hang around this number for a while.  Temperatures are still in the teens and low twenties at night so thing are melting slowly, for now.  If the melt down and spring run-off go as normal we should hit our highest flows about the 2-3rd week of April.

Steelhead have been spawning in good numbers for about 3 weeks now and we should see thing continue to heat up in the next few weeks.

Tight lines




Sunday, March 19, 2017

State of Lake Ontario meeting highlights

This past Monday, March 13, I attended the Lake Ontario Update (LOU) meeting at the Pulaski High School.  This meeting was presented by NY State DEC and the Ontario Providence equivalent.  After a lot of charts, graphs, pictures, power-points and reports on various aspects of the Lake Ontario eco-system, the highlights directly related to the Salmon River fishery is as follows.


Fish stocking in the New York waters of Lake Ontario in 2016 included approximately 1.88 million Chinook salmon, 316,000 coho salmon, 662,170 rainbow trout, 495,620 brown trout, 156,270 Atlantic salmon, 384,250 lake trout, and 68,250 walleye.  Fall 2016 Chinook and coho salmon egg collections exceeded targets, and fish survival has been good to date.


 
Total estimated angler effort for all tributaries in 2015-2016 was 989,437 angler hours, down considerably from the 1,582,428 hours in 2011-2012, but similar to other surveys (999,182 hours in 2005/06 and 910,413 hours for 2006/07). The Salmon River accounted for 74 % of all angler effort.


Eighteen of 21 tributaries surveyed had reported catches of Chinook salmon. The estimated catch and harvest of Chinook salmon on all tributaries surveyed in fall 2015 was 43,589 and 13,740, respectively; markedly lower than previous surveys.






Coho salmon were caught in eight of the 21 tributaries surveyed, with a total of 6,061 fish caught. The Salmon River accounted for 95% of the catch (5,738) and 89% of the harvest (2,307).

The estimated steelhead catch from all tributaries combined totaled 48,893 in 2015-2016 (from 11 of 21 tributaries), the lowest catch to date. The Salmon River again produced the highest estimated number of steelhead caught with 25,170 fish. The release rate for steelhead was 88% on the Salmon River and 85% for all tributaries combined.






Brown trout on the Salmon River were fairly scarce in 2015/16, with an estimated 372 caught.
















 The percentages of wild Chinook salmon returning to NY tributaries (for the 4 years classes studied; 2008-2011) to spawn at ages 2 and 3, varied among regions, averaging 7.5% wild Chinook salmon in western region tributaries,  18% in eastern region tributaries and  58% in the Salmon River

Two points that stand out to me as good news are 1.) the numbers of steelhead being released back into the Salmon River, 88%, that is outstanding.  It shows that this resource is valued by most anglers who utilize it.
2.) The number of wild Chinook salmon returning to the Salmon River 58%, awesome, just awesome. 

We have a tremendous fishery here and I am look forward to each day I have the chance to fish it.

Tight lines


Monday, February 20, 2017

Late winter Salmon River fishing report

At a 750 cfs. release the gauge at Pineville is at 936 cfs.  The river has been flowing between 900-1100 cfs for quite a while now and this has contributed to a very consistent fishery as far as finding steelhead.  Most fish can be expected to be found in the deeper pools with the Schoolhouse, Abandoned Trestle and the Sportsman holding real good numbers.  It is also time to start seeing steelhead setting up in primary spawning areas and we will see more spawning activity as we move into March and April. 


The water temps are 34-35 degrees and with the warmer weather forecast over the next couple weeks we will see these temps stay cold as the snow slowly melt into the drainage.  Speaking of which, I took a ride up through the Redfield/ Route 2 corridor this afternoon and there is a huge snow pack.  Some areas have an easy 4-5 FEET laying on the ground right now.  Unless we get no more snow and the temps stay in the 40's and 50's over the next month or so, we will see a major run-off this spring if the warm-up happens the way it usually does here. 

Salmon River Flea, pink, blue or orange chenille body
and a white poly wing and tail.  How simple can it get.
Right now the gear fishermen are doing good on egg sacs and smaller flies, small black stones, Salmon River Fleas and trout nymphs.  These same patterns are working with the fly rodders fished on the bottom with weight.  Normally I like to indie fish but the fish have been ignoring the indie-drifted flies for some reason.  With the water being clear with very little sediment fish are shy of line over 6-8 lb test. 

The river is very fishable and the steelhead are cooperative, for the most part.  If cabin fever is taking hold get your gear and come visit.  You wont be disappointed.

Tight lines

Friday, February 17, 2017

NYS fish for free days

February 18,19, 2017 are the first 'fish for free' days in NY State for the 2017 calendar year.  Take advantage of this opportunity to get something from NYS that is free. 

DEC Announces State of Lake Ontario Meetings

The public will have the opportunity to learn about the state of Lake Ontario fisheries at public meetings held in Niagara, Monroe, and Oswego counties in March, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Basil Seggos announced today.

"Lake Ontario and its tributaries continue to provide world-class fishing opportunities for the hundreds of thousands of anglers who enjoy it every year," Commissioner Seggos said. "These fisheries provide unsurpassed recreational opportunity and generate substantial economic benefits to the surrounding communities. The state of Lake Ontario meetings provide an excellent opportunity for individuals interested in the lake and its tributaries to interact with the scientists and managers who study and manage these fisheries."

Lake Ontario and its embayments and tributaries support thriving populations of fish, including a variety of trout and salmon, bass, walleye, yellow perch, and panfish. New York's Lake Ontario waters comprise more than 2.7 million acres. A recent statewide angler survey estimated that more than 2.6 million angler days were spent on Lake Ontario and its major tributaries. The estimated value of these fisheries exceeded $112 million annually for local economies.The meeting dates and locations are as follows:

Tuesday, March 7: 6:30 - 9 pm at the Cornell Cooperative Extension Building, 4487 Lake Ave., Lockport, Niagara County. The meeting is co-hosted by Niagara County Cooperative Extension and the Niagara County Sportfishery Development Board.

Thursday, March 9: 6:30 - 9 pm at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) campus (Chester F. Carlson Center for Imaging Science building (76-1125) - Carlson Auditorium), Rochester, Monroe County. The meeting is co-hosted by RIT and the Monroe County Fishery Advisory Board.

Monday, March 13: 6:30 - 9 pm at the Pulaski High School auditorium, 4624 Salina St., Pulaski, Oswego County. The meeting is co-hosted by the Eastern Lake Ontario Salmon and Trout Association. In the event of heavy lake-effect snow, the meeting will be held at the same time and location on March 14.

Staff from DEC, the United States Geological Survey, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will share presentations, including updates on the status of trout and salmon fisheries in the lake and its tributaries, forage fish, and stocking programs. The meetings will provide ample time at the end of the scheduled program for the audience to interact with the presenters.

Information about DEC's Lake Ontario fisheries assessment programs can be found on DEC's website. For additional information contact Steven LaPan, New York Great Lakes Fisheries Section Head at the Cape Vincent Fisheries Research Station, (315) 654-2147.