| Welcome to the DEC Freshwater Fisheries Insider. The Insider is a quarterly newsletter designed to provide New York anglers with up to date information on fishing in New York State and what the DEC Bureau of Fisheries is doing to improve New York’s fisheries. Please forward to anyone you think is interested in fishing in New York. |
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Record Channel Catfish?
On April 15, 2016, DEC fisheries staff captured a 35 pound channel catfish during routine fish sampling in Black River Bay, Lake Ontario. This fish would have shattered the existing state record channel catfish by over 2.5 pounds if it had be caught while angling. |
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Walleye fingerling stockings
Approximately 330,000 walleye fingerlings (1.5 inches long) were raised this year at DEC’s Oneida, Chautauqua and South Otselic fish hatcheries for stocking in 20 waters throughout the state. Stocking began in early June and will continue through this week. Walleye fingerlings can take up to 3 or 4 years to reach legal size in most waters. Anglers should check the Freshwater Fishing Regulations Guide for waterbody-specific walleye regulations. |
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New Susquehanna River Boat Launch
NYSDEC crews partnered with the Town of Kirkwood to create a new boat launch on the Susquehanna River on a stretch locally known as “Stillwater.” The ramp, which is located off NYS Rt. 11 on Geiger Lane, is now open to the public at no fee. |
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I FISH NY Beginner’s Guide to Freshwater Fishing
The I FISH NY Beginner’s Guide to Freshwater Fishing is now available online. The guide is composed of nine modules covering a variety of topics including the fishes of NY, basic and intermediate fishing techniques, ice fishing, care of catch, safe and responsible angling, aquatic life, waters of NY, and fisheries management. The guide will be useful to people getting started in the sport of fishing or educators teaching about one of the topics covered in the guide. |
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Atlas of Inland Fishes of New York
An updated version of the “Atlas of Inland Fishes of New York” is now available for download (287 MB) as New York State Museum Record Series, Volume 7. The Atlas was authored jointly by DEC and NYSM staff and describes present and historic distribution of all 181 native and introduced freshwater fish species in the state. The Atlas contains an illustration of each species, a brief description of its habitat and native range, and maps for all but two species.
Download the Fish Atlas (NYSM website)
View Fish Atlas Maps (DEC website) |
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Increasing Water Flow to Salmon River Fish Hatchery
The project to remove 30+ years of accumulated organic buildup, remove several nonfunctioning valves, and install new valves on the two mile long pipeline that runs from the Lower Salmon River Reservoir to the Salmon River hatchery is under way. The cleaning process (pigging) uses a foam bullet-shaped cleaner called a "pig" that can be sent through the line to remove any accumulated debris. Crews are hard at work replacing old valves and installing new ones and expect to begin pigging sometime after July fourth. The project goal is to double the existing water flow from the reservoir to the hatchery. The increased water flow will help the hatchery meet the fish production needs for our fish management programs.
View more hatchery improvement projects
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Phil Hulbert Retires
After 39 years of faithful service to the Bureau of Fisheries and freshwater fisheries management in New York State, Chief of Fisheries Phil Hulbert will be retiring at the end of June. Phil has served in various titles with the Bureau of Fisheries including Coldwater Unit Leader, Superintendent of Fish Culture and most recently, Chief of the Bureau of Fisheries. An avid angler, Phil is looking forward to escaping the office and spending lots of time on the water. Best of Luck Phil! |
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Be a Clean Boater/Angler
Summer is not only a busy boating season, but it is also when aquatic invasive species populations, whether they be plant or animal, are at their highest levels and are most likely to be spread by boaters and anglers. New regulations are now in place that require boaters to take reasonable precautions before launching their boat on New York waters. These are in addition to the DEC boat launch regulations that apply to launch sites administered by DEC and require boats and associated equipment to be clean of visible plant and animal material prior to launching or leaving the site at the end of a boating trip.
Spread prevention is simple – make sure that your boat or other equipment are clean, drained and dry before using it in another waterbody. Learn more.
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Boat Cleaning Stations
Looking for a place to get your boat cleaned? A listing of public and private vendors that provide this service are available on the DEC website. |
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Check your fishing license
Now that an annual fishing license is good for 365 days from the date of purchase, it is easy to forget when it expires. Check your license to make sure you are ready for the spring fishing season.
Purchase your fishing license on-line or visit one of the Sporting License Issuing Agents
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