New York State Record Channel Catfish

Channel Catfish

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) recently announced that on May 8, 2022, Bailey Williams of Watertown set a new State record for channel catfish.

Williams landed the 35-pound, 12-ounce channel catfish from the Black River in Jefferson County using cut bait while bottom fishing.

Williams' record-breaking catch surpassed the previous State record catfish, caught from Lake Ontario in 2017, by 9 ounces.

Channel catfish are the largest catfish that live in New York. They feed primarily on the bottom and are most often caught using live bait such as worms or baitfish. They can also be caught with artificial lures, especially soft plastics worked along channel edges or other bottom structure. 

Williams submitted details of his winning catch as part of DEC's Angler Achievement Awards Program, which tracks State-record fish.

Through this program, anglers can enter freshwater fish that meet specific qualifying criteria and receive official recognition of their catch and an embroidered patch commemorating their achievement.

The three Angler Achievement Awards categories are: Catch and Release, Annual Award, and State Record.

A photo of the new state record channel catfish can be found on the New York State Freshwater Fishing Records page of DEC's website. For more information about the Angler Achievement Awards Program, visit dec.ny.gov.

The Black River originates in the western Adirondacks and follows the divide between the Tug Hill Plateau and the Adirondack foothills to Carthage. The lower section of the river follows a wide curve to Watertown and then a gorge leading to Lake Ontario.

The stretch of the river around Watertown contains a variety of fish species and habitats ranging from riffles and pools to weedy backwaters. The lower Black River is popular with kayakers and other small craft enthusiasts.

New York Trout Stocking Data

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) recently announced that the agency has collaborated with the Office of Information Technology Services to provide trout stocking data on the Open NY (Data.NY.GOV) website.

Previously, the fish stocking information was only available in county listings on the DEC website.

Two different data sets are available from the Open NY website:

Current Season Spring Trout Stocking contains the current year DEC spring stocking information for "catchable sized" brown, brook and rainbow trout. This data set will be renewed annually in mid-March.

Fish Stocking Lists from 2011 to 2015 contains the actual fish stockings by DEC and Essex, Onondaga, and Warren counties for all fish species.

This data set is particularly useful for people who want to fish in "put-grow-and-take" waters where fish are stocked at a small size and allowed to grow to a size anglers can keep.

DEC also stocks more than 2.3 million catchable-size brook, brown, and rainbow trout in over 309 lakes and ponds and roughly 2,900 miles of streams throughout New York each spring.

source: New York State Department of Environmental Conservation

New York Northern Snakehead Monitoring

During recent electrofishing surveys no significant changes have been observed in catch rates for northern snakeheads and other resident fish species of Meadow and Willow Lakes in New York state.

Staff from New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Region 4 and the New York City Department of Environmental Protection assisted with the Willow Lake survey which yielded eight snakeheads.

The largest northern snakehead captured during the surveys was over 32 inches in length and weighed nearly 12 pounds.

source: New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Bureau of Fisheries Annual Report 2012-2013

2013 New York Trout-Salmon Season

Trout season in New York begins on April 1. According to the New York Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), anglers are likely to encounter high, cold water and icy banks and streambeds during the early fishing season, particularly in northern areas of the state.

For the 2013 fishing season, DEC is expected to stock more than 2 million brook, brown, and rainbow trout in state waters. In addition, the agency is expected to stock more than 2 million lake trout, steelhead, landlocked salmon, splake and coho salmon this spring.

During the 2013 trout season, creel surveys and trout population assessments will continue on eight streams across New York state to check the performance of the Catch Rate Oriented Trout Stocking (CROTS) model used by DEC to set stocking rates.

The study streams for this third and final year of the project are as follows:

Carmans River, Kinderhook Creek, Kayaderosseras Creek, Oriskany Creek, Big Creek, Otselic River, Meads Creek, and East Koy Creek.

Anglers fishing these waters can help by answering a few questions on their fishing trip if approached by a DEC creel clerk and by allowing the clerk to examine and measure any harvested fish.

Anglers can also participate by completing and returning the postage-paid catch cards distributed by creel clerks. Anglers returning catch cards to Cornell University will be entered in a random drawing for a $100 cash prize.

source: New York Department of Environmental Conservation

Guide to Freshwater Fishing in New York State

An extensive resource for New York freshwater anglers is the I FISH NY Guide to Freshwater Fishing in New York State. The map-brochure from New York's Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) contains information on more than 320 lakes and ponds and 110 rivers in the state.

Anglers can obtain a map by e-mailing their name and address to fwfish@gw.dec.state.ny.us (include NY FISHING MAP in the subject line).

An interactive version of the guide can also be found on the DEC website.

source: New York Department of Environmental Conservation

New York State Record Brook Trout

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has certified Dan Germain as the new holder of the state record for brook trout.

The record setting brook trout measured 22 inches and weighed in at 5 pounds, 8 ounces, surpassing the previous state record set in 2009 by 3.5 ounces.

Mr. Germain submitted details of his winning fish as part of DEC's Angler Achievement Awards Program. Information about the Program, including past winners and a downloadable application form, can be found on DEC's website.

source: New York State Department of Environmental Conservation