The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) signaled the start of the spring recreational fishing season this week, when officials from the agency stocked the Massapequa Creek and Reservoir with hundreds of trout.

The stocking is done annually as part of an effort to maintain recreational trout fishing opportunities in Nassau County, because trout are not naturally plentiful in the local waters. Although historically, trout were abundant in the Massapequa waters, they no longer reproduce here, and cannot survive in temperatures above 70 degrees, according to DEC officials.

"We're really putting them in to give people a recreational fishing opportunity," explained Gregory Kozlowski, an aquatic biologist for DEC, as technicians released the fish into the reservoir Tuesday afternoon. "The trout don't reproduce in the creek anymore, because the water temperature is too high in the summer for them to survive. Trout don't survive in water temperature higher than 70 degrees." Also as part of the effort to facilitate trout fishing, a popular local pastime, the county is looking into ways to reduce the temperature of the local waters, to restore them to their "historic quality," according to Kozlowski.

As far back as the 1800s, Kozlowski noted, New York City residents would travel out to Massapequa to fish in the creek and reservoir, and it was well-known for being a very high-quality trout system. Now in recent years, the annual stocking has ensured that Massapequa remains a popular destination for anglers (recreational fishers). In fact, following the April stocking in 1999, 1600 people cast their fishing rods into the creek and reservoir that month, and another 1,000 fished there in the month of May.

"Historically, spring-fed streams on Long Island and in New York City were famous for their high-quality trout fishing," stated DEC Regional Fisheries Manager Chart Guthrie. "Unfortunately, many of the waters in the city and on western Long Island no longer support year-round trout populations. We stock rainbow and brown trout in Nassau County in spring and fall so that local anglers can still enjoy a day of fishing."

The trout stocked in the Massapequa Creek and Reservoir were raised in the DEC's Catskill Hatchery and arrived by truck. They were transferred into the local waters in a 96-quart cooler. Kozlowski and DEC technicians Jim Judson and Thomas Hughes were assisted by Heyder Martinez and his daughter Angelica, volunteers with the Long Island chapter of Trout Unlimited, a nonprofit conservation organization dedicated to preserving trout waters.

Heyder Martinez has a personal reason for helping preserve trout fishing in the creek and reservoir. The resident of Corona, Queens, travels to Massapequa at least three weekends every spring to enjoy the sport in the local serene surroundings. "Trout is a very delicate fish. It doesn't survive the summer. So it's very important to stock in the springtime so we can come out and fish," he said. Trout is a particularly challenging fish to catch, and the sport is not only fun, but also relaxing, he noted. Many Massapequans also visit the local waters for trout fishing.

On Tuesday, a total of 250 two-year-old brown trout and 500 yearling rainbow trout were put into the reservoir. The creek received 50 two-year-old brown trout and 400 yearling rainbow trout. An upcoming stocking scheduled for April will add another 250 two-year-old brown trout and 900 yearling rainbow trout into the reservoir. In addition to the Massapequa Reservoir and Creek, DEC stocks Upper Twin Pond in Wantagh and Oyster Bay Mill Pond in Oyster Bay. During the months of April and May, Nassau County waters will be stocked with a total of 1100 two-year-old brown trout and 400 yearling rainbow trout.

Trout fishing is allowed all year in Nassau County, while in Suffolk, the season opens in April. In accordance with DEC regulations, anglers are allowed to pull a maximum of five trout per person per day from the Massapequa waters.

DEC has many educational resources available for those interested in local freshwater fishing opportunities. For more information on the sport, or on upcoming stockings, one may call the Bureau of Fisheries at (631) 444-0280.