Photo by Lynn Burkhead

Some been-there, done-that anglers claim they don’t get too excited about April 1 because on that traditional opening day of the New York state trout season, the cold, damp weather isn’t conducive to good fishing.

They’d rather wait two or three weeks to make their first casts of the year -- which is fine with me. Who needs all that extra competition, anyway?

If you spend long winter evenings fussing over your trout tackle and make big black check marks on your calendar, waiting for April Fool’s Day to finally arrive, you’ll want to squeeze the following New York waters into your 2007 fishing schedule. Each one is among the more productive streams in the state, and all have reputations for consistent early-season action.

Here’s a look at some of our best spring hotspots, working our way across the state from left to right:

LIME LAKE OUTLET
Think of Lime Lake Outlet as a typical small trout stream, only better -- and even more challenging.

Closely paralleled by a busy local road for most of its length, it has a loyal following among Cattaraugus County anglers. Lined by alders and other vegetation, it’s also populated by larger-than-average trout that have seen a wide variety of baits and lures -- and turned up their noses at most.

Some dandy browns call Lime Lake Outlet home. Joe Evans, a New York Department of Environmental Conservation Region 9 biologist, has seen fish up to 24 inches in his surveys. The creek holds lots of wild rainbows, too, and there are even a few native brookies in the upper reaches. Evans estimates the outlet’s population at around 150 pounds of trout per acre, which puts it in the region’s upper crust, fertility-wise.

Be forewarned, though! You will earn every hookup, since the water is usually crystal-clear and the resident trout are exceptionally wary. The stream is no more than 10 feet across in many places, and that doesn’t make a stealthy approach any easier.

The outlet flows about seven miles before joining Elton Creek, another decent trout stream. About 3/4 of a mile within the stretch between the Route 16 crossing and Delevan is marked by “Public Fishing” signs, and much of the rest of the stream may be accessed by asking permission of adjacent property owners.

Because of its brushy, narrow contours, Lime Lake Outlet is ideally suited to bait fishing, but expert spin-casters will also do well. Fly-rodders will find some room to rollcast along the stream, but most are bound to be frustrated in most sections.

A 9-inch minimum creel length is in force on the outlet, in an effort to boost the average size of its rainbows.

Newcomers can find Lime Lake Outlet by taking Route 16 north from Olean through Franklinville and on into the hamlet of Lime Lake. From there to Delevan, the creek is generally in view from the road.