Massachusetts NFC Helps MassWildlife E-Fish...

Project manager Adam Kautza from MassWildlife, MassWildlife seasonal employees, and volunteers from Neponset River Watershed Association and Greater Boston TU.

 Earlier this summer members of Massachusetts NFC helped MassWIldlife e-fish a small suburban stream in eastern MA. A project water that has benefitted by habitat work and a suspension of stocking influenced by MA NFC, the stream is home to a healthy wild native brook trout population. Periodic e-fishing helps monitor the situation.

MA NFC first looked into the stream in 2022. With air temperatures near 100 with a water temperature of 70, all they found were roughfish and a few small wild native brook trout. While not ideal, conditions were improving due to a dam removal that occurred earlier in the year. The removal of the dam cooled the water and gave fish access to the lower stream.

In addition to one wild nonnative brown trout, the second NFC encountered in three e-fishing exercises, the group also captured wild native brook trout, fallfish, redfin pickerel, pumpkinseed, American eel, and white sucker, as well as nonnative bluegill.

While both are self-sustaining, it’s interesting that the native brook trout appear to be doing notably better than the nonnative brown trout which have been in the system for years. This challenges the theory that brown trout may be better suited to our warming waters than brook trout.

Special thanks to MA NFC board member Jeff Moore for assisting in the field, and former MA NFC board member Will Friedman for working with MassWIldlife to suspend stocking.