Although New York State’s Department of Environmental Conservation have not stocked Trout Lake for the past few years,  fish have been plentiful.

That’s because the Town of Bolton has been stocking the lake with rainbow trout since 2012, and did so again this year.

Approximately 1,200 fingerlings from Avery Fish Hatchery in Gloversville were deposited in the lake on May 20 at a cost of roughly $4,000, said Bolton Supervisor Conover.

“The board feels that stocking the lake is good for both the local economy and the quality of life,” said Conover. “People are on that lake in all seasons.”

Conover, Councilman Rob MacEwan and Bolton Central School superintendent Michael Graney, as well as Bolton students and teachers, were on hand at the Trout Lake Club to observe the stocking.

“It’s environmental science in action,” said science teacher John Gaddy.

According to Andy Roden, the owner of the Trout Lake Club, bass and perch are plentiful in summer; in winter, the rainbows make ice fishing rewarding.

“They’re a smarter fish, so perhaps that’s why they  make themselves scarce in summer,” said Roden.

Roden, a third generation owner of the Trout Lake Club, said the lake was stocked with lake trout until the pesticide DDT all but  destroyed the population.

The state then began stocking the lake with splake, a sterile hybrid, until rainbow trout were introduced.

The DEC suspended its stocking program in 2011.

Officials at DEC, as well as members of the Lake George Fishing Alliance, reportedly felt that too few fishermen had access to Trout Lake to justify the expense of public funds.

“We believe that people come to our area for the recreational opportunities that nature provides, so we think it’s important to maintain the fishery until DEC changes its position,” said Conover.

But, he added, “I almost hope stocking remains a local responsibility. This way, we make it a  community event.