With warm weather comes a lot of fishing, and for this summer the DEC has released some tips anglers can follow to help keep up the trout population:

• Avoid catch and release fishing for heat stressed trout. Those that are already weakened by heat stress are at risk of death regardless of how carefully handled they are.
• Do not disturb trout where they have gathered in unusually high numbers, as it is likely these fish are recovering from heat stress in a pocket of cold water.
• Fish early in the morning, as stream temperatures are at their coolest then.
• Have a go to plan B in case water temperatures are too high at your intended destination. Consider a body of water that is less prone to heat stress or fishing for a more heat tolerant species, like small mouth bass.

If you follow these tips you can fish while remaining conscientious about your environment and ensure healthy trout for generations to come.

Community News Reports

Community news stories come from press releases and other notices from organizations, businesses, state agencies and other groups.

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