A once-thriving lake trout spawning ground in Lake Erie is getting a second chance, thanks to an experimental cleanup project led by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.
On Wednesday, the DEC announced it had completed a groundbreaking habitat rehabilitation effort at Brocton Shoal, located roughly 10 miles southwest of Dunkirk. Using a high-velocity jetting method, crews cleared decades of sediment and invasive mussel shells to expose clean rock beds vital for lake trout reproduction.
Lake trout require rocky crevices to safely deposit eggs, but invasive zebra and quagga mussels—introduced in the 1990s—choked out the spawning grounds. With support from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and The Nature Conservancy, the DEC tested the new jetting method at two sites, using underwater drones and dive teams to monitor progress.
Preliminary results show the method worked, offering new hope for reviving native fish populations not only in Lake Erie, but across the Great Lakes Basin. “The success of the experimental project has huge implications,” said DEC Commissioner Amanda Lefton.
The project also adds momentum to broader lake trout restoration efforts. Once the top predator in Lake Erie, the species was wiped out by 1965 due to overfishing, habitat loss, and invasive species. In 2021, biologists found wild lake trout fry in the lake for the first time in 60 years—a sign that recovery may finally be taking hold.
DEC and The Nature Conservancy will continue to monitor the restored sites for mussel return and signs of spawning this fall. Officials say the success of this project could serve as a model for future habitat restoration across New York’s waterways.
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