DEC develops plan for Adirondack lake-dwelling brook trout

Public input sessions scheduled for Old Forge, Warrensburg

By Zachary Matson

State fisheries officials are developing a new plan to guide management and regulation of Adirondack brook trout that live out their lives primarily in lakes and ponds.

The state Department of Environmental Conservation is hosting a pair of public information sessions on its draft plan this Saturday in Old Forge and on March 16 in Warrensburg, soliciting input from anglers and other members of the public and sharing details of the proposed approach.

Though uncommon elsewhere, some Adirondack brook trout live out their lives primarily within lake or pond ecosystems. When DEC finalized a state trout stream management plan in 2020, it left unanswered questions about how the Adirondacks’ unique lake-dwelling brook trout populations would be treated.

The new trout stream plan shifted the agency’s 30-year-old approach to consider the value of naturally-reproducing trout populations when making decisions about where to stock fish. Conservationists and some anglers feared that stocking on top of wild populations could threaten the wild brook trout. That plan designated streams in part based on the quality of their wild populations. 

DEC for the past two years has shifted its attention specifically to brook trout found in scores of lakes and ponds throughout the Adirondack Park.

The new plan will also aim to promote self-sustaining brook trout populations and support a stocking program for both recreation and restoration, according to a DEC statement.   

“It is essential that DEC creates a new roadmap to secure the future of these populations and address the challenges facing this valuable ecological and recreational resource,” DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos said in a release announcing the information sessions.  

Jason Kemper, chair of the state’s Conservation Fund Advisory Board, which provides oversight of how the state manages sporting license revenue, said the new plan is an important step for DEC and anglers.

“I think an inland brook trout pond management plan is absolutely necessary,” Kemper said. “It will not only guide proposed regulation changes, but what brook trout management will look like for the next 15 years.”

Kemper said trout anglers have a wide range of interests and approaches to fishing for brook trout. Some prefer the hunt for large trophy fish, while others are satisfied with a handful of small fish. Some will only fish in a catch-and-release style. Some seek out wild trout populations, while others are fine with catching stocked fish.  

“It’s a pretty diverse group of anglers out there,” said Kemper, who has fished for backcountry brook trout in the Adirondacks for two decades. “I hope [the anglers] pay attention and ask questions and provide feedback when the plan comes out. This is what is going to shape the path forward.”

The plan comes as scientists continue to raise concerns about the threats to cold-water fish habitat as the climate warms. Adirondack researchers have documented how rising surface water temperatures and deoxygenation of deeper waters is squeezing suitable habitat for lake trout and brook trout in many lakes. The status of trout populations varies from lake to lake, and many fisheries have not been formally surveyed in decades. 

The agency has held focus groups with representatives from different organizations interested in the fate of Adirondack brook trout as they have developed the plan. Recommendations for proposed regulations will be discussed at the information sessions, according to DEC.

Led by DEC fisheries managers and biologists, the management plan could guide future research objectives and outline a comprehensive approach for fisheries managers working in different parts of the park. 

After the public sessions, DEC will incorporate feedback into a final draft it plans to release for formal public comment in the near future.

DEC has scheduled two in-person public information sessions to discuss the draft plan: March 9 from 12:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the View Arts Center, 3273 State Route 28, Old Forge, and on March 16 from 12:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the DEC Office, 232 Golf Course Road, Warrensburg.