By RICK MILLER
Olean Star
For those anglers who will brave any conditions on the first day of trout fishing in New York Wednesday wasn’t bad — if you were fishing on a lake.
While temperatures in the mid- to high-40s with some light rain here and there are relatively mild in comparison to opening days when it was snowing, many streams were pretty much off limits — thanks to heavy rains on Tuesday.
I was out looking for some first day of trout fishing photos for the Olean Star.
First day trout fishermen are usually visible along parts of Ischua Creek. On Wednesday, the creek was high, fast and brown. It overflowed its banks in many locations south of Franklinville.
Due to untreated organic material from the Great Lakes Cheese Co. plant in Franklinville entering Ischua Creek last August and causing a massive fish kill, the state Department of Environmental Conservation has not begun stocking fish north of Five Mile Road.
Still, no fishermen could be found downstream from the Five Mile Road bridge — all the way to the confluence of Olean Creek and the Allegheny River.
The river was similarly high and fast and without fishermen Wednesday morning.
Quaker Lake in Allegany State Park did not disappoint. A dozen or so vehicles were visible in the parking lot by the spillway off ASP Route 3.
Most fishermen were taking a relaxed position — sitting in camp chairs or on a rock or the ground. One had chest-high waders and was fishing in the water 50-feet off shore. Still others fished from a platform.
Others were fishing nearby along the shore and in Quaker Run which flows into the lake at the opposite end from the spillway.
Quaker Lake was stocked last week by the State Department of Environmental Conservation’s Randolph Hatchery with 460 12-15 inch brown trout, and Quaker Run was stocked with 180 12-15 inch brown trout. The lake also received 1,490 9-10 inch rainbow trout.
Red House Lake got 1,580 9-10 inch brown trout and 190 12-15 inch brown trout.
And Science lake 210 8-inch rainbow trout were stocked last month and another 260 are planned for this month.
For other Cattaraugus County spring fish stocking information go online to: https://dec.ny.gov/things-to-do/freshwater-fishing/stocking/spring-trout-stocking/cattaraugus-county?fbclid=IwY2xjawQ5B4FleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFad201enR6WEUzZE42bjBXc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHmndq3GQztyNZZdlZrMeFsjlUvQBJqy7HY-S3SFAGmysUEItaONQCmSAH_Zj_aem_SpEtjtqgPr4QbZX1T0PlgQ.
