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DEC Releases Lake George Fisheries Management Plan

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) today announced the release of a five-year (2025–2029) Fisheries Management Plan for Lake George, Warren County. With this plan in place, DEC will focus on collecting data primarily on lake trout, Atlantic salmon, and black bass to inform a subsequent long-term fisheries management plan. DEC will also implement a net pen release strategy to improve recruitment of Atlantic salmon to the fishery and help determine the fate of the existing Atlantic salmon stocking program.?

“DEC is proud to continue our decades-long commitment of responsible fisheries management in Lake George through this five-year, data-driven management plan,” DEC Commissioner Amanda Lefton said. “Informed by angler survey data and DEC biologists’ research and observations, DEC will engage in data collection and population assessments for key species in the ‘Queen of American Lakes’ to develop a long-term plan focused on the health of these species and of Lake George.?DEC is grateful to the public for participating in the revealing 2023 angler creel surveys and for members of the Lake George fishing community for bringing DEC their concerns.”

Using the management plan, DEC will expand data collection to include tracking the population of the long-stocked Atlantic salmon, assessing status and overall health of adult lake trout, and monitoring the black bass population. This new plan will address gaps in the data to inform a subsequent, long-term fisheries management plan to better manage and improve the populations of these species.

In 2023, DEC conducted an angler creel survey that reported both recreational and professional anglers seeking Atlantic salmon or lake trout had concerns with the rate and size of their catches. These data indicate overall poorer health in the lake trout population despite strict harvest regulations. Over the upcoming years, DEC will collect more information on the trout population to determine future management actions to increase the quality of the lake trout in the fishery.?

DEC determined that existing Atlantic salmon stocking?is failing to create a viable, sustainable fishery for this sought-after species based on data from the?2023 angler creel survey and the overall poor survival rate of stocked Atlantic salmon. DEC will employ a net pen release strategy, which protects hatchery-raised yearling salmon within the safety of a net as they acclimate to their new waters.?DEC will also implement a standardized sampling protocol to assess the ongoing health of black bass in Lake George.

“The Lake George Fisheries Management Plan supports stellar recreational fishing access to public lands and waters while prioritizing the overall health of the ecosystem,” said DEC Region 5 Director Joe Zalewski. “DEC management promotes a healthier Lake George and fosters diverse angling opportunities for both local and visiting anglers. Through this plan, DEC fisheries biologists will better understand the fish community within Lake George to provide outstanding angling as visitors to the fishery have come to expect.”

Lake George remains one of the Adirondack’s cleanest lakes and has long been a popular tourist destination, attracting anglers from around the world to the region. The Lake George Fisheries Management Plan is just one way that DEC’s investments in habitat enhancement, angler enjoyment, and research will help continue to protect Adirondack fisheries. DEC recently announced a Final Adirondack Brook Trout Pond Management Plan to guide future species management and, in 2025, DEC announced a $100 million investment from the Clean Water, Clean Air and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act and other capital funds for State hatchery improvements, including enhancements at the Adirondack Fish Hatchery that will help construct a new brook trout broodstock building.

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Alert: Bear Spotted in Huletts

Please be advised that a black bear has been spotted in the center of Huletts Landing and on Lands End Road early in the morning foraging for food in garbage cans. The bear has been captured on private video cameras.

Bears can be very dangerous and should be avoided at all costs. Please let your family and guests know.

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From AI: Where Do Local Swallows Go in the Winter?

One of the best things about the spring and summer is to awake to the sounds of birds singing. There are lots of swallows around Huletts in the summer and they should always be left alone because all swallows are state and federally protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918.

I’ve always wondered exactly where our swallows “winter homes” are? One great thing about the new artificial intelligence, ChatGPT, is that you can get answers to questions you want to learn more about extremely quickly without doing any searching. So here is what ChatGPT gave me when I asked the question.

Question: Where do barn swallows from upstate New York go in the winter?

ChatGPT answer: “Barn swallows from upstate New York migrate to warmer regions for the winter. These migratory birds typically travel to Central and South America. Specifically, barn swallows are known to winter in countries such as Argentina, Brazil, and other parts of South America.

Migration is a common behavior among barn swallows and many other bird species to avoid harsh winter conditions and ensure a steady supply of food. They return to their breeding grounds in North America, including upstate New York, during the spring and summer months for nesting and raising their young.

The long-distance migration of barn swallows is an impressive feat, and these birds cover thousands of miles during their annual journeys.”

It seems our small swallows travel the farthest in winter!

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Lake George Land Conservancy Receives Donation of Land in South Basin

The Lake George Land Conservancy (LGLC) has been given a donation of 4.4 acres of undeveloped land in the Town of Lake George. This property borders the LGLC’s 12-acre East Brook Preserve and includes more than three acres of wetlands and 600 feet of forested steam corridor that help to naturally protect water quality.

The “East Brook Addition” donation was gifted to the LGLC by Karen Azer and her late mother Helene Horn.

“I am glad the parcel will remain forever wild,” said Karen Azer, “not only benefitting water quality but also protecting habitat for wildlife.”

LGLC Executive Director Mike Horn (no relation to Helene Horn) said, “We are incredibly grateful to Karen and Helene for their generous donation of land for conservation. Their gift creates a legacy that will forever work to protect Lake George.”

In total, the newly expanded East Brook Preserve includes more than 1,100 feet of East Brook, one of the top ten tributaries of Lake George, and is heavily forested with some impressive hemlock, white pine, ash and sugar maples scattered throughout.

The original 12-acre East Brook property was protected in 2018 with a bargain sale from the McPhillips family, who desired to see the land protected. Around the same time, the LGLC helped to protect the 317-acre McPhillips Preserve on neighboring French Mountain, in partnership with the Towns of Lake George and Queensbury. More than 2,000 feet of seasonal streams flow down the steep slopes of the McPhillips Preserve and join with East Brook far below.

Since Lake George flows north, protection of its headwaters in the south, including tributaries like East Brook, is imperative to its overall health. This region of Lake George is also facing intense development pressure, creating all the more urgency for conservation of key areas like streams, shoreline, and sensitive, steep slopes that are susceptible to erosion. For this reason, the LGLC’s South Basin Conservation Initiative focuses on key lands such as the East Brook Addition as important for long-term protection of the lake’s water quality.

To date, the LGLC has protected a total of 2,736 acres within the south basin. In addition to its important water quality protection, these properties provide significant recreational opportunities. The LGLC plans to open a trail on the East Brook Preserve which will include educational signage. Once completed, this trail will link to the Lake George Elementary School’s extensive nature trails. A crosswalk on Bloody Pond Road will ultimately connect the East Brook Preserve to the McPhillips Preserve. The Town of Lake George is working to create a multi-use trail system on the McPhillips Preserve. The finished trail system is expected to include several miles of challenging trails for hiking and mountain biking, and offer a clear view of Lake George’s south basin, including Prospect Mountain on the opposite side.

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Lake George Land Conservancy Buys More Property


View of the Bolton back country from land recently protected by the LGLC.

The Lake George Land Conservancy (LGLC) has purchased two properties in the Town of Bolton, a total of 48 acres of forest and wetlands, including 3,745 feet of Indian Brook and seasonal streams that feed into it.

In October the LGLC purchased a 10-acre property that adjoins 130 acres previously protected in 2016. Extending the protected boundary with this acquisition enhances the ability of its large wetlands to slow and filter surface waters and to mitigate storm events that deliver sediment to the lake. Larger contiguous areas of conserved lands also provide better wildlife habitat and are more resilient to natural disturbances.

The second property, a 38-acre parcel that includes nearly 3 acres of wetlands, was purchased November 22. This land features a mature hemlock forest and steep slopes.

These projects are part of the LGLC’s Indian Brook and Northwest Bay Conservation Initiative that is focused on protecting the watershed of one of Lake George’s largest tributaries, Indian Brook, which empties into Lake George’s Northwest Bay. Including these two properties, the Initiative has permanently protected more than 2,500 acres of land within this critical region.

“In protecting these properties,” said LGLC Executive Director Mike Horn, “the LGLC is providing permanent protection for the waters flowing into Lake George, as well as expanding the connected landscape for animals that rely on healthy, intact forests.”

Current zoning on these two properties would allow for development that could result in disturbed soils, impervious surfaces, and septic systems that would threaten the water quality of Indian Brook and Lake George itself.

Mature and healthy hemlock stands exist on these lands, which will be monitored by the LGLC for signs of the invasive pest hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA). If HWA is identified, the LGLC will manage the infestation to prevent the spread and limit the water quality impacts of the invasive pest.

More information about the LGLC’s Indian Brook and Northwest Bay Conservation Initiative and how to support this project can be found at LGLC.org/projects

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Pike Caught Off Huletts


I was forwarded this picture of a northern pike caught off of Huletts this past week. The fisherman who caught it threw it back, so it’s now a little ‘wiser’ and will be harder to catch again. As readers of the site know, I always enjoy and try to post pictures of fish caught in Lake George.

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#SaveTheEaglesDay

In 1976 there was only one pair of bald eagles nesting in New York. Conservation efforts have increased that number to 389 territories in 2015.

Bald eagles mate for life – which can be over 30 years.

Nests are reused and added to each year, growing to over six feet across, eight feet deep, and weighing hundreds of pounds.

An eagle’s 2-inch-long talons can exert 1,000 pounds of pressure per square inch.