be Trout(less) Lake?
DON LEHMAN --
[email protected] Jan 20, 2012 27
Trout Lake
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Jason McKibben
Jason McKibben -
[email protected] Rowboats rest on the grounds of Twin Pines resort on the northernmost shore of Trout Lake Wednesday, January 18, 2012. The state Department of Environmental Conservation decided last year to stop stocking the lake with its namesake fish, after doing so for decades, citing a lack of public access for the decision.
Trout Lake
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Jason McKibben
Jason McKibben -
[email protected] A concrete post stands in the center of Trout Lake's public access point on Trout Lake Road in Bolton Wednesday, January 18, 2012. The state Department of Environmental Conservation decided last year to stop stocking the lake with its namesake fish, after doing so for decades, citing a lack of public access for the decision.
Trout Lake
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Jason McKibben
Jason McKibben -
[email protected] A sign threatens prosecution for trespassers beyond the narrow fenced path that serves as the public access to Trout Lake in Bolton Wednesday, January 18, 2012. The state Department of Environmental Conservation decided last year to stop stocking the lake with its namesake fish, after doing so for decades, citing a lack of public access for the decision.
Trout Lake
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Jason McKibben
Jason McKibben -
[email protected] A small sailboat rests on a trailer near the northernmost shore of Trout Lake Wednesday, January 18, 2012. The state Department of Environmental Conservation decided last year to stop stocking the lake with its namesake fish, after doing so for decades, citing a lack of public access for the decision.
BOLTON -- For decades, a state program to stock rainbow trout in Trout Lake created a fantastic fishery that drew anglers from around the region.
But last year, with no warning, the state Department of Environmental Conservation decided to stop stocking the lake.
The DEC's decision was based on a claim that public access to the lake was lacking, and the state did not want to expend resources on a lake that didn't have appropriate public access.
The access spot, a path off Trout Lake Road suitable for shore angling or carrying in a small boat like a canoe, rowboat or kayak, has not changed for 25 years or so.
The access point was the subject of litigation in state Supreme Court in 1987 when someone put tall posts in the trail to obstruct its use. The posts were ordered shortened so small boats could still be carried in and the path to the lake could still be used.
Gary Haight, a seasonal resident of the lake, is among those who have questioned why the state made the seemingly arbitrary decision to stop stocking the lake with its namesake fish. Rainbow trout don't naturally reproduce in the lake, so the population is dependent on stocking.
He said it is his opinion the lake is still accessible to the public, even with the posts.
The DEC's website and a public access map issued by the agency show the access point. The map on the DEC's website still shows a "car top" boat launch on the lake. That indicates it is accessible to boats such as canoes, kayaks and rowboats that can be carried to the water - not bigger vessels that need to be carried on trailers.
"There seems to be a contradiction here," Haight said.
It is also an example of a continuing decline in fishing opportunities in the area, as more property is posted or declared off-limits.
A number of property owners on Trout Lake have taken to cordoning off large sections of the lake with buoys and yelling at those who try to cross them. One landowner roped off a 100-by-200-foot section of water in front of his property in recent years and yelled at those who entered, Haight said.
"As a fisherman, we're getting squeezed more and more all the time," he said.
There are numerous theories about what motivated the halt to stocking.
Some believe political strings were pulled by a resident who sought to lessen boat traffic on the lake, believing that eliminating the rainbow trout population will make the lake less desirable for anglers.
Warren County officials looked into the situation after questions were raised at county Board of Supervisors committee meetings about the DEC's decision.
Patricia Nenninger, an assistant county attorney, said the county determined there wasn't much that could be done. The property is privately owned, so the county can't direct changes to be made to improve access.
Michael Swan, the county's treasurer and former director of real property tax services, said the property where the access sits is privately owned, but it was unclear by whom. That has been in dispute for years, he said.
"I don't think it's ever been resolved who owns that," he said.
In light of the state's decision not to stock the lake, Warren County asked if it could stock the lake using rainbow trout from the county hatchery, but the DEC said it would not allow that.
A DEC spokesman, David Winchell, said the agency discontinued stocking of the lake because of recent complaints about a lack of public access. That lack of access resulted in the county's request to stock being denied as well, he said.
But the agency planned to review the decision next year, he said.
"There's been an awful lot of misunderstanding over this," Bolton Supervisor Ronald Conover said.
The Warren County Conservation Council has also taken an interest in the situation, expressing concern about it last year, said Horicon Supervisor Ralph Bentley.
Bentley, a member of the Region 5 Fish & Wildlife Management Board, said it has been a topic of discussion by that board as well, and he said he expects the Public Works Committee of the county Board of Supervisors to take the issue up again next month.
Bentley said one solution would be for residents on the lake to create a new, improved public access point if they want stocking to resume.
"Maybe the people that live on the lake will band together to get something done," he said.
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(27) comments
Law123 Jan 20, 2012 6:02am
I am surprised the 100 x 200 blocking of the lake was allowed. It seems like a hostile action and maybe a misdemeanor. DEC should ticket the owner. The stocking of a lake with real access (a parking lot) would be better. Without the access, no free fish for you. Let the owners of the lake pay for the fish or say goodbye to the free ride on a mostly private lake.
listen2me Jan 20, 2012 7:18am
Why stock it if everyone doesn't have access? Let the homeowners pay for stocking if they want their lake to be stocked and don't want to share!
upstatehunter Jan 20, 2012 7:22am
Another in the long line of "citiots" invading an area and "deciding" the lands, waters, and air space are exclusively...mine....
mine...mine!!
They don't own the land, they rent it..they pay taxes to use it as the government sees fit...they don't own the waters...only the land to the edge of it...The air above it all belongs to the world...
In short, who really cares...let them have their lake, kill off all the fish with their power boats and jet skis. Will be interesting when the lands inside the blue line all become a real, actual federal park and they tell us to get out. No more second home getaways for the rich, no more...mine...mine....
mine!!
patcher Jan 20, 2012 7:33am
Great call on DEC's part. Hunters and fisherman pay for this program and these land holders want to reap all the benefits for themselves. Fine, pay for the Trout Lake stocking program yourself!
cheifrider Jan 20, 2012 8:07am
i dont know if anyone has the right to "cordon" off an area and call it their own on a public waterway.any lawyers who could enlighten us on this . sorry , it will have to be pro bono this time
Doubter_2 Jan 20, 2012 8:13am
Be real. The access here is far from 'public.'
If the lake residents want public stocking then they clearly need to release some more access to the tax and license paying public. I'm a shore fisherman. My access to fishing in NYS has become so limited I am considering not fishing or being an unlicensed fisherman this year. Last year I went twice but the late high water conditions made most stream fishing (Schroon River) poor. As for the posts in the trail, I'm sure that was to police access by ATVs. Can't argue with that.
parwana Jan 20, 2012 8:19am
A narrow trail to the lake isn't public access. It's lip service.
Ed Jan 20, 2012 8:21am
It isn't just the access, it's the high-hat attitude that the public, those taxpayers who buy them the fish, is "stealing the fish" from the private landowners on Trout Lake. If those landowners want to maintain their privacy with closed off paths and ropes in the water, then they should stock the lake themselves. Can't have it both ways.
MaketheSense Jan 20, 2012 8:34am
"Some believe political strings were pulled by a resident who sought to lessen boat traffic on the lake, believing that eliminating the rainbow trout population will make the lake less desirable for anglers."
Other non-residents believe the issue should be placed in its context, that of how much of the Adirondacks would be usable without aerial spraying for bugs every year, cost enough.
Begging boomtimes with trout that don't reproduce naturally in the lake. Any info why they don't ?
urkiddin Jan 20, 2012 8:36am
Now they can do the same to Burden Lake.Unless you can launch your boat over a guardrail there isn't any public access either but the state stocks it with walleye from what i've been told.
rdc Jan 20, 2012 9:03am
Bravo, DEC! No public access should equal no public support. If they want to be a private lake that's fine, but they should buy their own trout. There are plenty of commercial hatcheries that would be glad to supply them for a price.
Seriously 1 Jan 20, 2012 9:18am
The day has come when I agree with Ralph Bently. If land owners want their lake stocked with fish that my tax dollars help to pay for, then there needs to be access. Can't imagine too many fishermen able to carry their boats above the concrete posts that were put into place to keep them out. A tax map should show who owns the property and perhaps a deeded right of way could be arranged. If there is no access, or if access remanins so hindered, pony up, and pay the State to stock your fish. Sorry Mr. Bolton Supervisor, your town approved the mass building around the lake, you should have had a master plan for the Lake that included public access, buck stops with you.
QbyScotsman
QbyScotsman Jan 20, 2012 9:34am
Just another glimpse into the bureaucratic, dysfunctional decision making by State government. This latest knuckle-headed decree was probably made by a desk jockey who has never visited Trout Lake or even knows where it is for that matter. It's no wonder why New York State is in such disarray!
citydweller Jan 20, 2012 10:00am
I totally agree with the DEC's decision on this. Why should the state be covering the cost to stock a lake that is essentially private. That "public access site" is laughable. If the property owners want trout in their lake they can all chip in and pay for it themselves. The bigger controversy is wht has the state been stocking it all theswe years in the first place?
GFguy Jan 20, 2012 11:31am
QbyScotsman....... how do you figure that this was a knuckle headed descision on the part of the DEC? I for one am an avid fisherman and hunter. I used to fish Trout Lake a lot and I rarely agree with the descisions that are made by the desk jockies at the DEC. But I will admit that I must agree with them on this matter. I am a 26 year old man who loves to fish, and i've been carrying my canoe and or rowboat over the posts at Trout Lake for some time. Now for me these posts do not pose a huge hurdle, because I am young enough and big enough to carry a boat over my head. Now take your Senior Citizen who may not be able to do this, have they not paid for their fishing liscense, have they no right to fish the body of water that was stocked using their tax dollars and liscensure monies? Everyone who buys a fishing liscense has the right to fish a body of water which has been stocked by the State.
GFguy Jan 20, 2012 11:34am
Cont'd....... As for the argument of limiting access to the Lake for ATV's being the reason behind the cement pillars, I say non sense. Anyone who fishes Trout Lake during the winter knows that ATV access has long been allowed by the Summer Camp on the west side of the Lake. They allow ATV's and foot travelers alike to use their beach as a point of access to the hard water. These posts were put in by an individual who wanted to keep people off "their" Lake. I'm not sure if anyone gave them the memo, but NO ONE owns the Lake.
cheifrider Jan 20, 2012 12:07pm
i am not familiar with the lake or the launch site. mabey one of our commentors in here could go to the warren county gis website and find out exactly who does own this piece of land?
Luv2Fish Jan 20, 2012 12:13pm
I have fished Trout Lake many times and quite familiar with the "public access" to it. A canoe, kayak, or small row boat (with difficulty) can be launched there. I have also met out of state visitors swimming there after they have read about it online. Despite most of the comments posted, there IS public access for fishing and swimming just as the article said. I have never had a problem there, except parking is limited. While not having an inviting appearence, it's a wonderful resource to have. As a fisherman, it seems that the bureaucrats at DEC have their heads up fish's vent.
tony Jan 20, 2012 12:21pm
Another access problem is parking. Right now there's room for about 4 vehicles. DEC has been cutting back on stocking. Why shouldn't this lake be one of the first to drop off the list before others that have plenty of parking and plenty of access? It just makes sense. And notice, the only complaints so far are from people that own property on the lake. There would be tons of fishermen fighting this if there was real access.
evada567 Jan 22, 2012 9:58am
This is public access? Local landowners put poles in the middle to impede usage? I've been there, my friend in a wheelchair couldn't get access... because the surrounding landowners want to limit public access?
Why doesn't the DEC rip out those poles? They are hindering access for handicapped individuals, which as we know is seriously against the law. So if the access is provided off of private property they can limit the type of people using it, or is it state land? I say no fish for these quasi-wealthy (probably mortgaged to the hilt and miserable) fools that think having water access makes them holier than the rest of us who live here all year. You don't want locals using "your" lake, you won't be getting the fish those locals tax payers pay for.
"The greatest good, for the largest amount of people" Pinchot
evada567 Jan 22, 2012 10:14am
"Riparian and littoral property owners, have a right to use or cross public trust lands and waters to gain access to navigable waters. However, the method and manner by which they gain access is determined and limited by the effects on the public's rights, local conditions and custom, and applicable State and local regulations."
Since all waters, up to high water marks and the land underneath is state property... anybody who wants to cross that man's 100x200' foot buoy barricade is more than in their rights. Anybody who wishes to take action against that property owner will be in the right.
Heck, pull right up on the state's shore when the water level is low this summer and have yourself some beers and wave at the silly property owners!
hami45 Jan 23, 2012 10:57am
When my sons were young, we took our canoe and fished at Trout Lake often since I live less than a mile away. I can't get my canoe over the cement posts by myself anymore. The Town of Bolton respected the $ of outsiders more than the desires of residents and let this happen - DEC is correct in their decision in my opinion.
nottheaverageguy Jan 24, 2012 2:06pm
one of my favorite fishing stories is at Trout lake where 3 teen age guys tried to swamp our john boat and rolled the speed boat, lost the motor and needed our help with a rope to save one of the idiots who couldn't swim... love it every time it comes to mind!!!
nottheaverageguy Jan 24, 2012 4:43pm
In the over regulated Adirondack Park isn't stocking a (private) lake with a species that isn't indigenous to said lake considered an invasive species anyway? And why would the state be involved in that to begin with?
evada567 Jan 24, 2012 7:20pm
Nottheaverageguy- as an environmentalist (PSC). I can tell you the state only wants to make money off of fishing. The more fishing spots there are, the more opportunities to fish and licenses sold.
The practice isn't new. The first tourists would bring invasive species that decimated the local fish population in the late 1800s. The only place that still has a population of wild lake trout is Pharoah Lake above brant lake. An hour hike and you can catch one of the most beautiful fish God gave to man!
outside of that, no lake really has a truly native fish population. I've heard rumors of landlocked salmon in 13th, but I'm not sure how true that is.
Hatcheries are being hit hard by the budget. One up North has been closed for years. Priorities must be set, and this snob lake doesn't make for a priority to anybody but those who live their and act like fools. Let them enjoy their lake, that their ancestors wrecked ecologically, and they continue to do.
nottheaverageguy Jan 26, 2012 10:33am
evada567-"I've heard rumors of landlocked salmon in 13th, but I'm not sure how true that is." I've heard that as well, once while trolling 13th my buddy caught a fish around 2 ft. long and was completely silver in color, we assumed and it looked like a silver salmon however we never took it around asking questions from the older guys. That also has a private shore line and those folks (the flatlander visitors) used to swear and yell if you got too close to "thier" swimming area. There should be a permit process to install anything in a lake or pond. If you can't leave a canoe at a remote why can you install rope barriers/ swim floats, etc.?
murf4578
murf4578 Apr 6, 2012 3:26pm
It is amazing the way you people think and the rumors and lies that come out of those that hide behind a computer screen. The DEC fish stocking program recieves NO public taxpayer funds. The fish hatchery and stocking programs are self sufficent using fee's collected by license fee's for fishing. As someone who worked hard and is not silver spoon feed and holds a sportsman's license and lives on Trout Lake, "my" lake as you call it should be stocked. I along with the other 100 or so people that either live year round or seasonally own property on Trout Lake and possess one of these licenses have a reasonable expectation that the DEC will continue to stock at no taxpayer expense. There are also the in excess of 1000 people that vacation at the lakes businesses during the summer and those that ice fish in the winter. Stop clouding the issue with Public Access this is a poor attempt to use to stop stocking the lake and hurts those that fish only.
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