After attending a recent Lake George Fishing Alliance (LGFA) meeting, wherein NYS Senior Aquatic Biologist Emily Zollweg was a guest speaker, some others and myself feel that the state may be taking a step back with regard to the Lake George lake trout fishery. As discussed in recent columns, Zollweg is currently proposing reducing the keeper size for Lake George lake trout from 23 to 21- inches. This decision comes off the heels of several years of mediocre salmon fishing on the lake.
I, along with many others that regularly fish Lake George, are struggling with the reasoning behind a proposed regulation change that could ultimately have a long-term negative impact on our fabulous lake trout fishery. Although there are several theories as to why salmon numbers appear to have dwindled in Lake George, the exact cause of this problem remains a mystery. Some speculate that lake trout numbers are too high and stocked salmon may be falling victim to lake trout predation. At the recent LGFA meeting Zollweg acknowledged that, at present, there is no empirical evidence to substantiate this belief.
I spoke with longtime Lake George charter skipper Ed Murphy about this issue, as he was one of the individuals who did a good deal of work to have the regulation changed to what it is today. For years Lake George had a 21-inch size limit and according to Murphy, anglers were complaining about a sub-standard lake trout fishery. Too many juvenile fish were being caught and when the state finally agreed to boost the size limit up to 23 inches the lake trout fishery flourish.
According to Murphy, " Lake George is a lake trout lake" and he feels adamant that any effort to change the current regulations would be a " detrimental move." Murphy has fished the lake for decades and, like many others, he too is amazed that the state would entertain such a drastic regulation change without doing a complete study on the impact such a change may have on the lake trout fishery.
Many feel that making regulation changes simply for the sake of "trying something" to bring back the salmon fishery is not the appropriate thing to do. Zollweg was quoted by a Times Union reporter as stating " we are seeing a decline in numbers of landlocked salmon in a number of lakes in the Adirondacks," which clearly demonstrates that declining salmon numbers are not unique to Lake George. In light of this widespread decline in salmon, one theory suggests that the decline centers on salmon genetics. The state is currently making an effort to develop a stronger salmon brood stock, with the hopes that genetically superior stocked fish will have higher survival rates. The state has used the same brood stock for years and it is felt that this may have led to a genetically weakened strain of salmon being stocked.
While most of us love hooking up with landlocked salmon, as hard as it may be to digest, it is possible that no matter what action is taken, they may just simply not do well in Lake George. This is not a new phenomenon, as landlocked salmon have failed miserably in other lakes that they have been introduced. Some feel that it may be time to scrap the salmon program entirely and try introducing another species such as rainbows or brown trout.
Lake George is unique in that it is one of the few lakes in the entire country that boasts a totally self-sustaining lake trout population. The fish are reproducing so well that the state has not had to stock lake trout in Lake George in more than a decade. Some feel that it would be huge mistake to begin taking 21 to 23 inch fish out of the lake, as these fish are excellent breeders. This concern is especially valid at a time when fiscal constraints could possibly lead to less monies being available for fish stocking.
I spoke with retired DEC aquatic biologist, William Miller about this issue, as for years Miller was responsible for Lake George. It was under his watch that the state moved the keeper size from 21 inches to 23 inches. Miller, too, feels that it may be premature to lower the size limit back to 21 inches at this juncture. Miller feels that there is a "high degree of risk" associated with lowering the size limit back to 21 inches, fearing that culling fish larger than 21 inches could "have a negative impact on natural reproduction". He is also not convinced that lake trout predation is the reason that salmon numbers have been down in recent years.
Interestingly, the 2007 Lake George Angler Diary Cooperator Summary indicates that in 2006 and 2007, average size of lake trout caught increased. The report also stated that the exclusive lake trout catch rate per hour dropped again in 2007, in the north basin of George. These factors contradict the theory that there are too many lake trout in the lake, as if there were too many trout, it is felt that overall size would begin declining and more fish per hour would be caught lake wide. The north and south basins are somewhat unique fisheries and some feel that they should be managed as such.
Available forage is another consideration that fisheries biologists must take into account when implementing management strategies for a given lake. Theoretically, if Lake George contains too many lake trout, it is conceivable that available forage could diminish, leaving an inadequate food source for the salmon. However, the 2007 diary report states that Environmental Conservation Officers reported the 2006 and 2007 smelt runs in several tributaries "were the best they had seen in a decade." In light of this factor, it appears that there is definitely an adequate forage base for salmon, as smelt is one of their preferred food sources.
After examining all pertinent factors relative to such a regulation change, it seems as though we have the potential to lose much more than we could possibly gain by lowering the current lake trout size limit. I had the pleasure of speaking with Regional Fisheries Manager Bill Shoch about this concern recently and he advised that at this point, the proposal is only in its infancy stage, indicating it has a long way to go before it can actually result in a regulation change. He stated that the proposal will not even appear on the DEC Website for public comment until Sept. 1.
Schoch explained that his office routinely fields complaints about the salmon fishing on George and indicated that the current proposal was drafted in an effort to hopefully help rectify declining salmon numbers. He is cognizant of just how special our totally self-sustaining lake trout population actually is; therefore, he invites further comment on this important issue.
On a positive note, both Zollweg and Schoch appear to be very open minded on this issue and they have indicated that the proposal could be withdrawn if further data suggests making such a withdrawal would be a prudent move. It was also nice to see a recent e-mail from Zollweg, wherein she indicated, "I look forward to continue the discussion over the next few months".
Joe Greco writes a regular outdoors column in The Post-Star.
