OSWEGO -- Low water levels in Lake Ontario are raising concerns for charter fishing boat captains who fear the low water level could delay the start of fishing season.
Lake Ontario, according to the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers, is 14 inches below its level of a year ago. The relatively low snowfall this winter compared to last, combined with the lack of rain in March, have contributed to the problem.
Charter boat Captain Fred Maffeo says the low water levels are a concern. "It's the lowest I've ever seen it in the spring. Usually it is like this in late September," he says.
An international commission made up of both the United States and Canada controls the amount of water flowing into the lake from a dam on the St. Lawrence Seaway. Marina owners say shipping, not recreational boating or fishing, is the commission's top priority and that means they are not likely to take action to raise water levels in the lake any time soon.
The Army Corps of Engineers says water levels in Lake Ontario should rise seven inches in the next couple of weeks due to runoff from streams and rivers.
That may not be enough for fishing boat owners like Patty Lynn Decker, who says if the waters don't rise soon their business could sink. "It's the worse I've seen it," she says.
