Fishing in New York
Lakes, trout streams, the Great Lakes and Long Island salt water across all 62 counties, with DEC limits.
Search a town, county, lake or bait shop
- 338lakes
- 411streams
- 1,303shore sites
Pick for troutPiscifun Carbon X ultralight spinning reel28% OFFSale $57.99 Photo of Lake Champlain: Annacecchini, CC BY-SA 4.0
New York lakes, rivers, the Great Lakes and Long Island water
New York fishing stretches from Lake Erie and the Niagara gorge in the west to Montauk Point in the east. In between lie Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence, Lake Champlain on the Vermont line, the eleven Finger Lakes, Oneida Lake, the Adirondack and Catskill trout country, the Hudson from its headwaters to the tidal estuary, and the bays and sound around Long Island.
This guide holds 338 lake pages, 411 river and stream pages, 761 boat launch pages, 1,303 shore fishing sites, 427 bait shops and marinas, all 62 counties and 714 towns, each with the 2026 DEC limits for its water.
For the trout herePiscifun Carbon XT ultralight spinning reel25% OFFSale $59.99 Big water across New York: the largest lakes
Lake Champlain
277,117 acres, Essex County and 2 other counties
Lake pageOneida Lake
51,324 acres, Oswego County and 3 other counties
Lake pageSeneca Lake
43,394 acres, Seneca County and 3 other counties
Lake pageCayuga Lake
42,910 acres, Seneca County and 2 other counties
Lake pageLake George
28,562 acres, Warren County and 2 other counties
Lake pageGreat Sacandaga Lake
24,910 acres, Fulton County and 2 other counties
Lake pageChautauqua Lake
13,304 acres, Chautauqua County
Lake pageAllegheny Reservoir
12,222 acres, Cattaraugus County
Lake pageGreat Lakes shoreline of New York
- Lake Eriewalleye, smallmouth and perch off Buffalo and Dunkirk
- Niagara Riverthe upper river and the lower gorge
- Lake Ontariosalmon, trout and bass from the Niagara to the Thousand Islands
- St. Lawrence Rivermuskellunge, bass and pike below Lake Ontario
- Great Lakes tributariessteelhead and salmon streams
- All Great Lakes pagesthe Great Lakes hub
New York salt water and the tidal Hudson
- Long Island Sound
- South Shore of Long Island
- Peconic Bay
- Gardiners Bay
- New York Harbor
- Tidal Hudson River
- Artificial reefsDEC reefs offshore
- All saltwater pagesthe saltwater hub
New York rivers with the most access
- Mohawk River33 launches, Oneida County and 5 other counties
- Hudson River31 launches, Saratoga County and 5 other counties
- Susquehanna River29 launches, Otsego County and 4 other counties
- Black River11 launches, Herkimer County and 3 other counties
- Chenango River10 launches, Madison County and 2 other counties
- Delaware River10 launches, Delaware County and 2 other counties
- Genesee River9 launches, Livingston County and 2 other counties
- Raquette River8 launches, Hamilton County and 2 other counties
- Oswegatchie River7 launches, Herkimer County and 3 other counties
- West Branch Delaware River6 launches, Schoharie County and 2 other counties
The Finger Lakes with pages here: Seneca Lake, Cayuga Lake, Keuka Lake, Canandaigua Lake, Skaneateles Lake, Owasco Lake, Conesus Lake, Otisco Lake, Hemlock Lake, Honeoye Lake and Canadice Lake.
New York fishing pages grouped by lakes, streams and places
- Lakes338 lakes
- Rivers and streams411 rivers and creeks
- Trout streamsDEC trout categories
- Shore fishingpiers and angler parking
- Countiesall 62
- Towns714 towns
- Species55 species
- Tournamentsderbies, trails and printed winners
New York season basics for 2026
| Species | Limit | Season |
|---|---|---|
| Black Bass (Largemouth and Smallmouth) | 5; minimum 12" | Jun 15 – Nov 30 |
| Walleye | 5; minimum 15" | May 1 – Mar 15 |
2026 DEC freshwater fishing regulations web pages (NYS Department of Environmental Conservation), read October 24, 2026; figures checked twice on October 25, 2026.
DEC hatcheries stocked 240,259,868 fish in 2025, by the state stocking list.
New York rules, licenses and gauges
- New York waters A to Zevery lake, river, county, town and species page
- New York record fishfreshwater and marine records
- New York water levelsUSGS gauges, Corps pools, NOAA tide and lake stations
- New York trout streamsDEC trout categories and special sections
- New York Great LakesErie, Ontario, the St. Lawrence and the Niagara
- New York saltwaterLong Island, the harbor and the tidal Hudson
- New York guides and chartersDEC licensed guide businesses
- New York stockingDEC stocking lists 2023 to 2026
- New York shore fishingpiers, angler parking and coastal access
- New York boat launchesDEC, park and town launches
- New York bait shopsshops by DEC region
- New York license and regulationsfees, seasons and limits
- New York free fishing dayslicense-free days in 2026
- New York tournamentsorganizer schedules and printed winners
New York fishing questions
Which New York license covers a fishing trip?
Anglers 16 and older need a DEC freshwater fishing license: $25.00 a year for residents, $50.00 for nonresidents, $5.00 for residents 70 and older, with 1-day and 7-day options. Salt water needs only the free Marine Registry.
Which lake has the most water in New York?
Lake Champlain, at about 277,117 acres in the state hydrography layer (the New York part).
When does bass season open in New York?
Jun 15 – Nov 30 for harvest; the rest of the year is catch and release.
How many New York trout waters get a page on this site?
250 with DEC trout reaches.
Which agency sets New York fishing rules?
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC).
Where are New York tournaments listed?
On the tournaments page, from organizer schedules and printed results; DEC permits bass tournaments but publishes no calendar.
When can anyone fish New York without a license?
Six in 2026: February 14 to 15, June 27 to 28, September 26 and November 11.
Does a New York license cover Lake Erie and Lake Ontario?
Yes, Lake Erie and Lake Ontario plus the Niagara and St. Lawrence, all on the ordinary freshwater license.