A popular spring trout run event in Ontario County will return later this month as state biologists collect data from spawning fish in Naples Creek.
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation will hold its annual rainbow trout sampling March 19 starting at 9 a.m. near the State Route 245 bridge in the Village of Naples.
Fisheries staff will net rainbow trout migrating up Naples Creek, record measurements and other data, and release the fish back into the water.
Officials say Naples Creek and its tributaries serve as the primary source of naturally produced rainbow trout for Canandaigua Lake.
“Naples Creek’s role in the natural reproduction and population dynamics of rainbow trout makes it a vital part of the region’s fisheries management practices,” DEC Region 8 Director Timothy P. Walsh said.
The sampling typically draws spectators who watch crews collect and measure the fish.
DEC uses the data gathered during the event to help monitor the rainbow trout population before the April 1 opening of the Finger Lakes tributary fishing season.
The tributary season runs through Dec. 31, while fishing on the main bodies of the Finger Lakes remains open year-round.
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