Bluegill in New York
Seasons, records and stocking of bluegill.
- 25limit
Pick for bluegillPiscifun Carbon X ultralight spinning reel28% OFFSale $57.99 Photo of the species, not a New York water: Pacific Southwest Region USFWS from Sacramento, US, Public domain
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bluegill in New York waters, summed up
In the DEC lists bluegill is a freshwater fish with rows covering 3 rule tables. Take 25 under the statewide row, in season all year.
Neither the DEC record table nor the stocking lists name it.
DEC’s beginner guide gives the usual size as 5-7 in./ grow to 11 in. These two species are usually the first fish kids catch.
Size note and fact from the DEC I FISH NY beginner guide (I FISH NY Beginners' Guide to Freshwater Fishing, Chapter 1 Fishes of New York (DEC, 2016)).
For the bluegill herePiscifun Carbon XT ultralight spinning reel25% OFFSale $59.99 The 2026 New York table for bluegill
| Rule table | Where | Limit | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Statewide inland waters | Statewide | 25 | All year |
| Lake Champlain | Lake Champlain and tributaries to the first impassable barrier | No daily limit | open all year |
| Finger Lakes | Honeoye Lake | 15; minimum 8" | All year |
| Finger Lakes | Otisco Lake | 15; minimum 8" | All year |
2026 DEC freshwater fishing regulations web pages (NYS Department of Environmental Conservation), read October 24, 2026; figures checked twice on October 25, 2026.
Close cousins of bluegill on the New York list
- Largemouth Bassfreshwater
- Smallmouth Bassfreshwater
- Rock Bassfreshwater
- White Bassfreshwater
- Walleyefreshwater
- Saugerfreshwater
- Northern Pikefreshwater
- Chain Pickerelfreshwater
- Muskellungefreshwater
- Tiger Muskellungefreshwater
- Yellow Perchfreshwater
- Black Crappiefreshwater
Shores, kills and lakes by Bluegill, pictured
Photo: Mike Peel ( www.mikepeel.net ), CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Dillan Payne, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Allie_Caulfield from Germany, CC BY 2.0
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Photo: Mike Peel ( www.mikepeel.net ), CC BY-SA 4.0
What New York anglers check about Bluegill
How many bluegill may I keep in New York?
25 under statewide, season all year; other tables set their own figures.
Which bluegill tops the New York record list?
No record has been certified for it.
Which lakes list bluegill?
No page here lists it.
Do New York hatcheries raise bluegill?
It is not stocked on the DEC lists.
How is bluegill grouped in New York?
Freshwater on the DEC list.
What dates apply to bluegill?
All year under statewide.
Which New York license covers bluegill?
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.
Where do the bluegill figures come from?
From the 2026 DEC regulation pages and the state record table, read October 24, 2026 and checked again October 25, 2026.
Plan a day for bluegill
Open any listed water for access and seasons.