NEW YORK NFC PRIORITIES

General

A large wild native brook trout from northern New York.

Brook Trout

  • Nonnative fish introductions, including bait species, are a notable threat to wild native brook trout in Adirondack lakes and ponds, some of the last of their kind outside of Maine. NY NFC looks to advocate for baitfish restrictions on all wild native brook trout stillwaters, including addressing the 'private water' loophole that currently exists, and also removing ambiguity from the current regulations.  

  • Assist New York Department of Environmental Conservation in educating the public in regard to the damage baitfish introductions can cause in wild native brook trout waters. We look to post baitfish restriction signs at high priority Adirondack stillwaters and access points.   

  • Increase protections for naturally reproducing Adirondack pond brook trout by establishing tackle, bag, and length limit standards.  The NY NFC believes that artificial lures and barbless hooks would lessen incidental mortality, reduced bag limits would decrease harvest, and length restrictions would protect spawning age fish.  

  • Establish regulations consistent with stream regulations adopted by NY DEC in 2020.  Stream bred wild native brook trout are given elevated protection within the fishing regulation framework, and we believe lake and pond fish should be given equal protection.  

  • Eliminate stocking of nonnative species on top of wild native brook trout. Stocked splake have been shown to migrate into wild native brook trout habitat and can cause competition for food and space, predation, spawning disruption, and the risk of hybridizing with wild native fish.  Nonnative brown and Rainbow trout, along with landlocked salmon compete with wild native brook trout as well, and their presence in Adirondack waters is seen as problematic.   

  • Work with government and other conservation partners to establish a full list of wild native brook trout waters within the Adirondack Park to provide a baseline for future management decisions. 

  • Establish language in the State Land Master Plan to designate state land tracts within the Adirondack Park and Catskill Forest Preserves as wild native brook trout sanctuary areas.  The establishment of these 'Forever Wild' forest preserves has allowed forests to regenerate and provide protection for wild native brook trout from development, logging, warming, habitat degradation, and angler exploitation.

Lake Trout

  • Establish an inventory wild native lake trout waters across the state.  

  • Eliminate stocking over wild native lake trout where populations are viable.