New York State Trout Stream Management Plan NOVEMBER 2020
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New York State Trout Stream Management Plan NOVEMBER 2020 Andrew M. Cuomo, Governor | Basil Seggos, Commissioner Prepared by: New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Division of Fish and Wildlife Bureau of Fisheries ● Michael Clancy ● Melissa Cohen ● Jim Daley ● Lance Durfey ● Rob Fiorentino ● Michael Flaherty ● Fred G. Henson ● Stephen S. Hurst ● Gregory Kozlowski ● Jana Lantry ● David Lemon ● Heidi O’Riordan ● Webster Pearsall ● Christopher Van Maaren Approved by: Stephen S. Hurst, Chief Bureau of Fisheries NEW YORK STATE TROUT STREAM MANAGEMENT PLAN | NOVEMBER 2020 i Acknowledgements The authors would like to thank the members of The authors would also like to express gratitude the New York State Trout Stream Management to the following DEC Fish Culture Section staff Plan Focus Group who generously volunteered who shared their experience, knowledge, and their time to review the proposed management innovative perspectives to ensure that the fish approach on July 2, 2019. Thanks to the culture strategies in the Plan were grounded insightful questions and comments of these in science. volunteers, the authors were able to more clearly communicate the tenets of the Plan to ● John Anderson the angling public in the fall 2019 public ● Neal McCarthy meetings. The reaction of the Focus Group provided reassurance that the top desired ● Andrew Noyes outcomes expressed by trout anglers in the ● Robert Stein initial public meetings in 2017 were evident at the core of the Plan. The Focus Group comprised a diverse group of trout anglers from across New York State who were invited to represent the array of perspectives heard in 2017. ● Frank Andros ● Michael Butts ● Jake DeCapio ● Vince DuBois ● Rachel Finn ● Chuck Godfrey ● Jessie Hollenbeck ● Walt Keller ● Joe Morgan ● Ed Ostapczuk ● John Pitarresi ● Jordan P. Ross ● John Vatelaro ● Bill Wellman ii NEW YORK STATE TROUT STREAM MANAGEMENT PLAN | NOVEMBER 2020 Table of Contents Acknowledgements .................................................................................................................................... ii Vision ............................................................................................................................................................ 1 Purpose ........................................................................................................................................................ 1 Plan Scope ................................................................................................................................................... 1 Need .............................................................................................................................................................. 2 Management Environment: Risks and Challenges ................................................................................. 3 Habitat Challenges ................................................................................................................................ 3 Climate Change ..................................................................................................................................... 3 Limitations of Cultured Trout ................................................................................................................... 3 Declining Recruitment of New Trout Anglers ........................................................................................ 3 Angler Access ....................................................................................................................................... 4 Limitations of Managing Harvest ........................................................................................................... 4 Plan Development Process ........................................................................................................................ 4 Management Philosophy ............................................................................................................................ 5 Guiding Principles for Management ......................................................................................................... 6 Wild Trout .............................................................................................................................................. 6 Habitat ................................................................................................................................................... 6 Stocked Trout ........................................................................................................................................ 6 Angling Opportunity ............................................................................................................................... 6 Management Approach ......................................................................................................................... 6 Management Categories ............................................................................................................................. 7 Wild Category ........................................................................................................................................ 9 • Objectives .................................................................................................................................... 10 • Strategies .................................................................................................................................... 10 • Brook Trout Management ............................................................................................................ 10 Wild-Quality Category ......................................................................................................................... 10 • Objectives .................................................................................................................................... 10 • Strategies .................................................................................................................................... 11 Wild-Premier Category ........................................................................................................................ 11 • Objectives .................................................................................................................................... 11 • Strategies .................................................................................................................................... 11 Stocked Category ................................................................................................................................ 12 • Objectives .................................................................................................................................... 12 • Strategies .................................................................................................................................... 12 Stocked-Extended Category ............................................................................................................... 13 • Objectives .................................................................................................................................... 14 • Strategies .................................................................................................................................... 14 NEW YORK STATE TROUT STREAM MANAGEMENT PLAN | NOVEMBER 2020 iii Assigning Management Categories to Reaches ................................................................................. 14 Angling Regulations ............................................................................................................................ 14 Seasonal Framework .......................................................................................................................... 15 Category Harvest Regulations ............................................................................................................ 16 Use of Catch-and-Release Regulations .............................................................................................. 16 Consideration for Delayed-Harvest Strategies .................................................................................... 17 Fish Culture and Stocking Strategies ..................................................................................................... 18 Strain Development ............................................................................................................................. 18 • Rainbow Trout ............................................................................................................................. 19 • Brown Trout ................................................................................................................................. 19 • Brook Trout .................................................................................................................................. 19 Species Composition ........................................................................................................................... 19 Sterile Domestic Trout ......................................................................................................................... 19 Size Objectives for Spring-Stocked Trout ........................................................................................... 20 • Spring Yearlings .........................................................................................................................