March 31, 2016

Not hearing a lot heading into the April 1 trout opener, but good stream conditions and a relatively mild stretch of weather could have anglers out early up north.

DEC fisheries biologist report that the mild winter sent spawning rainbow trout into the Finger Lakes tributaries earlier than normal, and many fish had returned to the lake ahead of the April 1 trout opener. Still, expect plenty of rainbows to be available on opening day. Electroshocking efforts on Catherine Creek, a Seneca Lake trib,

Many of the dock structures at DEC launches are not in yet, so be prepared to launch without them. Lake Ontario: Look for steelhead in the tributaries and try egg sacs or orange glo bugs with a red spot. Oneida Lake: Look for yellow perch in the bays and black crappie in Toad Harbor. Oswego

Lake Ontario and tributaries: The spring fishing action should be picking upby now. Water temperatures were starting to heat up in the lake as stream outflows were nearing the 40-degree mark, according to Wes Walker at The Slippery Sinker. In Eighteen Mile Creek at Burt Dam, the water turned muddy again after the recent rains.

Season Dates April 1: Trout, landlocked salmon, kokanee seasons open April 1: Winter flounder season opens April 1: Striped bass season opens (Hudson River, north of George Washington Bridge) April 7: Beaver and otter trapping seasons close (Northern Zone) April 7: Mink and muskrat trapping seasons close (portions of state) April 15: Striped bass season

Pocket porgies (Suffolk County) ECOs Kevin Holzle and Jordan Doroski, while on patrol in Mattituck, observed four people fishing on the east jetty of Mattituck Creek. After watching them for approximately 15 minutes, and watching one of the party place a very small porgy in his bucket, the officers decided that it was time for

ALEXANDRIA AREA The ice is now off the small lakes and bays, but some floating ice remained on the main portions of the area’s bigger lakes early in the week. The small, shallow bays and lagoons will be the first to produce good numbers of crappies and look to those spots that experienced ice-out first.

NORTHEAST METRO Although some anglers are looking for crappies in many of those traditional spring spots, they’ve been tough to find. Until the shallow water begins to warm, look for suspended fish over their winter spots or just outside the bays and harbors on area lakes. That’s where they should be staging before moving shallower.