New York DEC Announces New Trout Fishing Opportunities on Former Finch Paper Lands
OutdoorHub 05.01.13
Fishing opportunities on stretches of shoreline along four Adirondack trout waters and one pond are now open to anglers New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Joe Martens announced today.
“Through Governor Cuomo’s NY Open for Hunting and Fishing Initiative, DEC is expanding access for anglers,” said Commissioner Martens. “The fishing rights provide previously unavailable public access for anglers on nearly ten miles of shoreline on some of the best trout waters in the Adirondacks. Conservation easements protect natural resources and provide public recreational opportunities while providing the economic benefits of tourism and timber harvest to local communities.”
Governor Cuomo’s NY Open for Hunting and Fishing Initiative is an effort to improve recreational activities for in-state and out-of-state sportsmen and sportswomen and to boost tourism opportunities throughout the state. This initiative includes improved access for fishing at various sites across the state, stocking as much as 900,000 pounds of fish, expanding fishing clinics and increasing hunting opportunities in various regions. Through these efforts, New York has become a premier destination for bass fishing tournaments at the Great Lakes, Finger Lakes, Lake Champlain and Oneida Lake and purchased more than 26,000 acres in fee and easements across the state in 2012 open to sportsmen for hunting, fishing and trapping.
The fishing rights on these waters are part of the conservation easements purchased on the lands formerly owned by the Finch Paper Company. The fishing rights allow the public to walk along the stream banks for the sole purpose of fishing.
Public fishing right signs are posted on the stream bank of each section and anglers must stay on the banks of the posted sections. Trespassing on adjacent private lands is prohibited. The sections of waters open to angling are:
Cedar River
The shorelines of three sections, with a total length of 3.1 miles, of the Cedar River in the Town of Indian Lake, Hamilton County, are open to the public for fishing. This stretch of the river is located south of the Cedar River Road near the community of Indian Lake.
The largest section is 2.3 miles long and adjoins a section of forest preserve lands providing more than four continuous miles of public fishing. The two other smaller sections are connected by forest preserve lands which together provide another continuous mile of public fishing. The Cedar River contains brook trout, brown trout and smallmouth bass. DEC stocks brook trout in the river.
DEC plans to construct parking areas and access trails in the near future. Once completed two other sections of this stretch of the river will be open for public fishing.
Fishing Brook
Four miles of shoreline along Fishing Brook in the Town of Long Lake in Hamilton County north of Route 28N are open to fishing. Fishing Brook is located between the communities of Long Lake in Hamilton County and Newcomb in Essex County. It contains brook trout.
DEC plans to construct parking areas and a boat launch for small trailered-boats on 60-acre County Line Flow and a parking area and boat launch for car top boats on 47-acre Fishing Brook Bog. The two waters, which are located at each end of this stretch of Fishing Brook, will be open for the public to fish by boat.
The Branch and Palmer Pond
A 1.6-mile stretch of The Branch immediately upstream of Palmer Pond and 0.7 miles of the pond’s shore are open for fishing. These two waters are located in the Town of North Hudson, Essex County south of the Blue Ridge Road (aka Boreas Road). Both waters contain brook trout which DEC stocks annually. Additionally, brown trout are present and stocked in Palmer Pond.
Anglers can now fish the entire 1.4 miles of Palmer Pond’s shoreline, except on the dam itself, as the public fishing rights on the pond’s shore adjoin to forest preserve lands that abut the remainder of the pond. A small parking area is located near the dam at the eastern end of Palmer Pond. Pull off sites along the Blue Ridge Road are located at the western end of the pond and along The Branch.
DEC plans to improve the parking area near the dam, construct an access site for launching small car-top boats and install a fishing pier on Palmer Pond. Once completed, the public will be able to fish the 28-acre pond by boat.
English Brook
English Brook is located along Somerville Road the Town of Warrensburg, Warren County. A 0.4 mile section of the brook which contains brook trout is open to public fishing. DEC stocks this water which is west of Route 9 between the communities of Warrensburg and Lake George.
Parking is available near all these waters but is limited at this time. DEC will work this summer to develop and sign additional parking areas.
More information on the sections of water now open to the public including descriptions, directions and maps can be found on the DEC website at: www.dec.ny.gov/lands/71954.html.
