LOTSA Lake Ontario Trout and Salmon Association

Click on this logo and it will take you to the LOTSA official website for more information.

On this page are some photos of the 2009 Salmon and Trout Pen Project at 18 mile Creek at  the Town of Newfane Marina at Olcott NY.  540,000 Chinook [King] Salmon and 3,500 Steelhead were stocked to the LOTSA pens for imprinting to the waters. It is known the majority of these fish return to the same waters that they were stocked giving the area a better fishery. These pen projects are a vital link in the enhancement of the Lake Ontario and tributary fisheries. In addition, Keg Creek, Four Mile Creek and Eighteen Mile Creek received an additional 9,500 Steelhead stocked directly into these creeks the same day.

Photos and content by Outdoors Niagara

Curt Meddaugh is the LOTSA Pen Project Coordinator Congratulations Curt and to LOTSA for the great job again this year!

Pictured here is DEC Biologist Mike Wilkinson and NYSDEC fish stocking liaison Wilkinson is "always there" to see that our baby fish are released safely. Thanks Mike.

A little more on pen stocking: The intent of the pen programs is to imprint the smolts to these rearing locations, thereby increasing the number that return to these sites as adults. Evaluations of adult returns of Chinook salmon indicated enhanced survival under some rearing conditions. Pen stocking pre-smolt [hatchery raised] salmon/trout in these pens give the little guys [approx. 1 inch] protection from other creatures that find these little creatures a tasty meal. These critters are seagulls, cormorants, bigger fish etc. The fish are hand fed five times daily by volunteers. When the water reaches around 65 degrees F the fish will have more that doubled their stocking size and will be released in the water.  The fish are safely transported in aerated trucks from the Salmon River Fish Hatchery, Altmar NY. It is estimated survival rate for pen reared fish is 7 fold.

Salmonid pen rearing projects currently exist at eight locations along Lake Ontario. The Lower Niagara River stocking program was non-existent in 2008 and there is no indication it will be in existence for 2009 either. All projects have been funded and operated by volunteer angler organizations with fish and technical support provided by NYSDEC-Bureau of Fisheries.
 

Click on pictures for enlargement

Town Marina	Preparing to unload the fish	All hooked up	Ready to go down the chute
Making final adustments	Keeping an eye out for the first load	Final adjustment on the pipe	Lots of spectators
Here they are!	Close-up of the release! 50,000 baby Kings	Steelhead pen all hooked up and fish going in	Here goes 3,500 Steelhead!
Watch Outdoors Niagara for information on the Wilson NY pen stocking and the Twelve Mile Creek stocking for 2009

A little interesting tid-bit: The largest King Salmon was caught in Alaska and it was a 97# 4oz. hog!

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Outdoors Niagara was there!