In response to intensified concerns regarding Lake Ontario's alewife population, DEC must take additional action to protect the long-term sustainability of the trout and salmon fishery. Failure to act will serve to extend the severity and duration of adult alewife population instability, with greater potential impacts to the sport fishery. When the adult alewife population is comprised of a broader number of age classes we will consider adjusting stocking back to normal levels. DEC will further reduce Chinook salmon stocking by an additional 20% in 2019. On average, approximately 50% of Lake Ontario's Chinook salmon originate from natural reproduction ("wild" fish).
| Species | Life Stage | NYSDEC Stocking Policy 2019 |
|---|---|---|
| Chinook Salmon* | Spring Yearlings | 1,056,960 |
| Lake Trout | Yearling equivalents | 400,000 |
| Rainbow Trout | Spring Yearlings | 615,700 |
| Brown Trout | Spring Yearlings | 400,000 |
| Atlantic Salmon | Spring Yearlings | 50,000 |
| Coho Salmon | Fall Fingerlings | 155,000 |
| Spring Yearlings | 90,000 | |
| 2,767,660 | ||
