fish

Sturgeon Events Planned For October

September 29, 2022 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and New York Sea Grant (NYSG) have announced a series of fall events celebrating the continuing recovery of the state’s three sturgeon species.

Sturgeon populations are rebounding in New York after decades of being on the threatened or endangered species lists as DEC continues to work to bring the primitive and distinctive fish back to the freshwaters of the state through strategic fish management and water quality improvements. [Read more…] about Sturgeon Events Planned For October

New York’s Fall Salmon Migration

September 17, 2022 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

Each fall, tributaries to the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain are home to salmon returning to spawn. This can make for some exciting fish watching as salmon move upstream and jump or otherwise navigate various obstructions on their way to their desired spawning sites. [Read more…] about New York’s Fall Salmon Migration

Aquatic Habitat Improvements Projects in Jefferson County

September 17, 2022 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has announced the completion of two aquatic habitat improvement projects in Jefferson County.

These habitat enhancements, on the Black River below the town of Dexter and in Chaumont Bay, Jefferson County, were implemented in partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and create new spawning habitat for native fish species that are critical for local economies and ecological diversity in the region. [Read more…] about Aquatic Habitat Improvements Projects in Jefferson County

Watch For Threatened Mooneye

September 10, 2022 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

Mooneye are listed as a threatened species in New York, which prohibits their importation, transportation, possession or sale.

The mooneye is a medium-sized fish, usually reaching 10-14 inches in length and 1-2 pounds in weight. It has a flattened body (like a sunfish) with very silver scales (like a shiner). Mooneye can often be mistaken for members of the herring/shad family and suckers. [Read more…] about Watch For Threatened Mooneye

Poachers Using Nets Face Charges in Suffolk, Sullivan Counties

September 4, 2022 by Editorial Staff 2 Comments

According to a press release issued by DEC, on August 17th, NYS Environmental Conservation Officers Dickson and Pabes responded to the Captree Fishing Pier at Captree State Park in Suffolk County on Long Island after receiving reports of anglers using nets to catch undersized crabs and other species. [Read more…] about Poachers Using Nets Face Charges in Suffolk, Sullivan Counties

Restoring American Shad in the Susquehanna River

July 9, 2022 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

Native and colonial Americans fished for shad for sustenance, often smoking the flesh and consuming the roe as a delicacy.

American shad continued to be an important recreational and commercial fishery throughout the 20th Century. However, the shad stock has since dramatically declined due to shoreline development, pollution and over fishing, and as a result all recreational and commercial fisheries for American shad were closed in 2010.

As part of an effort to restore American shad (Alosa sapidissima) in New York, DEC Fisheries staff, in collaboration with the PA Fish and Boat Commission, recently stocked 322,000 American shad fry (young fish) into the Susquehanna River in Endicott, Broome County, NY.

Survey to Monitor Striped Bass Health in New York

July 9, 2022 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has announced a two-year study to monitor the health and contaminant loads of Atlantic striped bass in New York’s marine waters.

The survey will collect samples of striped bass to measure levels of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) and other contaminants to update commercial fishery restrictions and the State Department of Health’s consumption advisories for recreational anglers, as well as enhance the understanding of New York’s striped bass population. [Read more…] about Survey to Monitor Striped Bass Health in New York

Hudson River Atlantic Sturgeon: The River’s Largest Fish

July 9, 2022 by Editorial Staff 1 Comment

Each June, biologists from New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s Hudson River Fisheries Unit study the endangered adult Atlantic sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus) when the fish return to the Hudson River to spawn.

Atlantic sturgeon, the largest fish species in the Hudson River Estuary, are anadromous, which means they hatch in freshwater, spend most of their lives in saltwater, and return to freshwater to spawn. The Hudson River currently supports the largest population of Atlantic sturgeon along the Atlantic Coast, estimated to be between 1,000 and 1,500 fish.

Sturgeon were one of the types of fish commercially harvested by European settlers and one of the first “cash crops” of Albany, where they became known as “Albany Beef.” In the late 19th century, seven million pounds of sturgeon meat were exported from the US each year. That number soon dropped to 22,000 pounds. [Read more…] about Hudson River Atlantic Sturgeon: The River’s Largest Fish

Smallmouth Bass State Record Broken on Cayuga Lake

July 3, 2022 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

A new state record for smallmouth bass was set on June 15th, opening day for bass season.

Thomas Russell Jr., of Albion reeled in an eight-pound, six-ounce smallmouth bass from Cayuga Lake, Seneca County. Russell’s bass surpassed the previous record by two ounces, a tie between fish caught on Lake Erie in 1995, and in the St. Lawrence River in 2016. [Read more…] about Smallmouth Bass State Record Broken on Cayuga Lake

2.4M Salmon & Trout Stocked in Lake Ontario

June 25, 2022 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

Salmon and trout stocking in Lake Ontario is complete for 2022 with 900,000 Chinook salmon, 505,200 rainbow trout, 480,000 brown trout, 320,000 lake trout, 121,000 coho salmon, and 125,000 Atlantic salmon to provide exceptional angling opportunities. [Read more…] about 2.4M Salmon & Trout Stocked in Lake Ontario