The brook trout is New York’s state fish and an iconic symbol of the Adirondacks. In the U.S., pond-dwelling populations of brook trout are extremely rare outside the states of Maine and New York. Pond-dwelling brook trout are also a key element of the Adirondack ecosystem.
Once ubiquitous on New York’s northern landscape, up to 90 percent of the lacustrine (relating to lakes) brook trout habitat has been lost due to anthropogenic factors, including poor silvicultural practices, acid-precipitation, and incompatible and detrimental fish species introductions.
DEC has announced the release of the draft Adirondack Brook Trout Pond Management Plan. The draft plan, now available for public comment, is the first management plan revision for Adirondack pond-dwelling brook trout in nearly 50 years.
The new plan replaces the previous Brook Trout Pond Management Plan authored 46 years ago. While some of the management strategies outlined in the 1979 plan remain relevant, many aspects of the management environment have changed considerably.
These include updates to the scientific knowledge base, the need for more integrated and structured management, the views and expectations of the angling public, reductions in acid precipitation, and new threats to pond-dwelling brook trout, including climate change.
Additionally, the new assessment “Historical Perspectives on Adirondack Brook Trout Management” presents what has been learned during the past four decades.
Expected benefits associated with the proposed management plan include:
Protection of existing and establishment of new self-sustaining populations;
Safeguarded hatchery brook trout production for fishing and restoration;
Maintenance and expansion of heritage broodstock waters;
Consistent and standardized sampling, data collection and data management;
Greater structure in our approach to management that includes:
Consideration of climate change in management actions;
Decision support tool for management actions;
Management metrics for “put, grow, and take” fisheries;
Creation of a citizen science brook trout pond angler partnership program;
Increased awareness about the value of ponded brook trout populations and human and ecological threats to the security of those populations; and
Reduced spread of incompatible and detrimental fish, including baitfish.
DEC encourages the public to comment on the Draft Adirondack Brook Trout Pond Management Plan which is available on DEC’s website. Public comments will be accepted through June 13, 2025.
Brook trout photo provided by DEC.
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