The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) today announced the continuation of the annual River Creel survey of the Saranac and Boquet Rivers, tributaries to Lake Champlain. This is part of the salmon assessment and restoration efforts of the Lake Champlain Fish and Wildlife Management Cooperative.
DEC Region 5 Regional Director Joe Zalewski said, “DEC relies on angler participation in these surveys to inform fisheries research and management in the Lake Champlain watershed. Understanding angler use of the fishery helps DEC form a data-driven picture of the resource. Thank you to anglers who have participated in the past, and we encourage you to take the survey in 2026, while you’re out there fishing our beautiful Saranac and Bouquet Rivers.”
The survey begins September 26 and is focused on the Atlantic salmon spawning runs in the Saranac River and the Boquet River. The survey will provide DEC fisheries biologists with a better understanding of angler use, catch, and harvest data, as well as angler expectations on New York’s salmon rivers. Information gathered will be used to monitor the salmon fishery and inform management actions on these rivers.
Anglers will be asked to voluntarily participate in the survey by providing information about their day of fishing. Collected data will include an angler’s preferred target species, the number of fish caught and harvested, and the angler’s satisfaction with the salmon regulations. If the angler allows, biological data will be collected from fish caught, including length, presence of fin clips, number of sea lamprey wounds, and a genetic sample.
Survey sites on the Saranac River include Allen Street (private), the end of George Angell Drive, and the fishing pool below Imperial Mills Dam all in the city of Plattsburgh. The Boquet River sites include the angler access points and the stretch of river from the Town of Willsboro boat launch at Gilliland Park upstream to the fishing pool just below the cascades.
Visit DEC’s website to learn more about DEC Region 5 fisheries research.
