DEC modifies the freshwater fishing regulations every two years at which time any changes are based on an assessment of fish populations as well as the desires of the angling community.
In light of that practice, the recently released Freshwater Fishing Regulations Guide contains a number of modifications that went into effect on April 1, and today’s column takes a look at some of the changes for the St. Lawrence River and Lake Ontario.
New York’s statewide angling regulations for freshwater fish are quite straightforward as those regulations appear on a single page in the guide. Because of the variety of species and waters across the state, though, there are an additional 35 pages of Special Regulations. Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River and designated sections of their tributaries fall under the special regulations listed in the Great Lakes and Tributary section.
ST. LAWRENCE RIVER
DEC recognizes Tibbets Point as the boundary between Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River, and a significant regulation change for the St. Lawrence reduces the daily limit of northern pike from five fish to three although the minimum length remains at 22 inches.
All St. Lawrence River tributaries upstream to the first impassable barrier have the same regulations as the St. Lawrence, but a rule change for 2017 exempts all St. Lawrence River tributaries in Franklin and Clinton counties from those regulations.
Instead the statewide regulations apply.
LAKE ONTARIO
For Lake Ontario there is not a regulation change but a change in wording that is intended to clarify interpretation of the combined trout and salmon creel limit in Lake Ontario. The clarifications state that for brown trout, rainbow trout (steelhead), Coho salmon, and Chinook salmon the daily limit is three fish in any combination with not more than one rainbow on the lake and one steelhead in the tributaries. The limit for lake trout is two fish, but no more than one between 25-30 inches.
In clarifying the boundary of Lake Ontario and the Salmon River in Oswego County, special regulations are in effect for that stretch of river from the upstream-most navigation buoy located between the break walls at the mouth of the river and upstream to the County Route 52 Bridge at Altmar and all tributaries of that section.
PROTECTION OF WALLEYE SPAWNING SITES
For a number of years now, a section of the Oswegatchie River at Ogdensburg has been closed to all fishing from March 16 until the opening of walleye season on the first Saturday in May in efforts to protect spawning walleyes.
In similar efforts, new regulations call for closing three stretches of flows in St. Lawrence County to all fishing during that same period to protect walleyes that spawn there.
Fish Creek from the west side (downstream) of the State Route 58 Bridge upstream to the highest point of Fish Creek in Pope Mills has been closed to all fishing since March 16 until the opening of walleye season in May.
The Indian River at Rossie from the west side (downstream) of County Route 8 Bridge upstream to the highest point of Rossie Falls is also closed to all fishing during the same period as is the Grasse River from the downstream side of the ALCOA Road Bridge upstream to the upstream side of the Main St. Bridge in the Village of Massena.
NORTHERN PIKE, WALLEYE SEASONS
The seasons for both northern pike and walleye open on Saturday. The statewide regulations for northern pike allow for the taking of five fish daily with a minimum length requirement of 18 inches. For walleyes, the daily limit is also five fish while the minimum length requirement is 15 inches.
For Lake Ontario, the daily limit is five northern pike, and the minimum length requirement is 22 inches. The daily limit for walleyes on the lake is three fish with a minimum length requirement of 18 inches.
As mentioned previously, the daily limit of northern pike on the St. Lawrence River is now reduced to three fish with a minimum length of 22 inches. River regulations for walleyes are the same as on the lake with a three-fish limit of walleyes measuring a minimum of 18 inches.
Outdoors Calendar
Monday: Spring Wild Turkey Season opens.
Monday: Trap and Skeet Shooting at Lisbon Sportsmen’s Club at 5:30 p.m.
Thursday: Skeet Shooting at Lisbon Sportsmen’s Club at 5:30 p.m.
Friday: Watertown Ducks Unlimited Banquet at Savory Downtown (345-4597).
Saturday: Walleye and northern pike seasons open.