OATKA CREEK AND SPRING CREEK
A home stream for Rochester--area trout fishermen, Oatka Creek has three personas: brushy headwaters supporting trout in Wyoming County, a warmwater midsection extending from Warsaw to LeRoy and the premier trout water downstream from LeRoy.

This last dramatic change, putting Oatka on every trout fisherman's A-list, is because of large infusions of spring water from the locally named "Blue Hole" near LeRoy, and from Spring Creek, which enters the river near Mumford.

Flowing through farmland with the usual pools, runs, riffles and pocket water, Oatka averages about 50 feet in width, making it an ideal fly-fishing stream. The limestone spring creek character of the river produces an abundant array of aquatic life, so scuds, nymphs and streamers are recommended for winter excursions.

Oatka is noted for producing trophy fish, the result of a nutrient-rich environment that is generously stocked annually with brown trout. There is also natural spawning occurring in these waters, which adds wild browns to the DEC's plantings, and a few wallhanger rainbows are reported, suspected to have escaped from the Calaedonia hatchery. Public access points are at the bridges in LeRoy and Mumford.

No-kill trout fishing is permitted year 'round with artificial lures in a segment from Union Street upstream 1.7 miles to Wheatland Center Road. No-kill, artificials-only fishing is permitted from Oct. 16 to March 31 from Bowerman Road upstream 1.4 miles to Union Street, and from Wheatland Center Road upstream 2.5 miles to the mouth of Spring Creek.

Trout fishing is permitted all year in the other portions of Oatka Creek in Genesee and Monroe counties, with no tackle restrictions, no size limit and a creel limit of five fish (with no more than two trout measuring 12 inches or longer).

Spring Creek is the location of the historic Caledonia trout hatchery, site of the first successful introduction of brown trout in North America in 1884. Only two small sections of the creek are open to public fishing, including about 200 feet of water on the hatchery property, open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and nearly 1,000 feet of stream after it leaves the hatchery.

Neither stretch is a big deal, that is, unless you'd delight in holding in your hand a brilliant, gem-like wild brown with some of the same DNA as those few German browns that started America's fishing revolution.

Diamond-clear water makes for challenging catch-and-release, artificials-only fishing.

The winter fishing stretches of Oatka Creek and Spring Creek are on local roads off state Route 5 in eastern Genesee County, the southwest corner of Monroe County, and northwest corner of Livingston County.

ISCHUA CREEK
Known as one of the top trout streams in western New York, Ischua offers February fishing on a 2.2-mile stretch at Franklinville in eastern Cattaraugus County. No-kill, artificials-only trout fishing is centered on the Cadiz bridge south of the village. The special regulations section runs for 0.9 mile downstream from the Route 98 bridge and for 1.3 miles upstream from the bridge. The creek averages about 30 feet wide here and is favored by local fishermen mainly because of its easy access and generous stocking allocation received. Anglers can expect a chunky holdover brown or two.

To reach Franklinville from the Buffalo area, take routes 400 and 16 south to the village. From state Route 17, use Exit 27 and proceed north on Route 16.

All of the trout streams and lakes with extended seasons or year-round seasons are listed individually by county in the DEC's freshwater fishing regulations booklet. More information on trout fishing, including trout-stocking targets also listed by county, are on DEC's Web site at www.dec.state.ny.us. Click on Freshwater Fishing.

Additional information is available by calling DEC's regional offices, also listed in the regulations booklet.