| 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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Ice Fishing Regulations Reminder
On April 1, 2015, new ice fishing regulations went into effect. Important changes include:
- A total of seven ice fishing devices/lines (includes tip-ups) is allowed for ice fishing (statewide)
- A total of 15 ice fishing devices/lines is allowed for Lake Champlain.
- Names and addresses are no longer required on ice fishing devices.
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Introduction to Ice Fishing
Chapter 9 of the I FISH NY Beginners’ Guide to Freshwater Water Fishing is an Introduction to Ice Fishing. This chapter is a great read for people new to the sport of ice fishing. The chapter covers the following topics:
- Ice fishing gear
- When to fish
- Where to fish
- What to fish for
- What to wear
- Ice safety
Read Introduction to Ice Fishing (PDF)(3.7 MB).
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Free Ice Fishing Weekend (February 18-19, 2017)
New York’s next free fishing period will be President’s Day weekend (February 18-19, 2017). If you have never tried the sport of ice fishing, this is the perfect opportunity to give it a shot. As with all New York’s free fishing days, residents and visitors age 16 and older will be able to fish in New York State without a license.
More about Free Fishing Days
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Near Record Crappie
Evan Walsh caught this 3 pound 11.5 ounce crappie from Chautauqua Lake on January 2, 2017. It was a half ounce shy of the black crappie state record. The fish was officially weighed on a certified scale the day after it was caught. Although it didn’t quite make the state record, it is an impressive catch. Congratulations Evan.
NY's Angler Achievement Awards Program
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Lake Erie Steelhead Management Plan
A 10-year Lake Erie steelhead management plan has been completed and is available for distribution. The plan describes the goals, objectives and strategies that will guide DEC's actions and decisions related to management of the steelhead fishery in New York’s portion of Lake Erie over the next ten years (2016-2026). The primary goal of managing New York’s Lake Erie steelhead is to maintain a high quality fishery that provides a variety of angling experiences and broad angler satisfaction.
Read the plan (PDF)(1.1 MB)
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Visit the Bureau of Fisheries
The Bureau of Fisheries will be participating in the following boat and sportsman shows this winter and spring. It’s the perfect time to stop by and talk to staff about your fishing efforts over the past year and get answers to any questions or concerns you may have.
- Greater Niagara Fishing and Outdoor Expo (Conference and Event Center, Niagara Falls) - January 20-22, 2017
- New York Boat Show (Jacob Javits Center, NYC) - January 25-29, 2017
- New York Sportsman's Expo (State Fairgrounds, Syracuse) - January 27-29, 2017
- World Fishing and Outdoor Exposition (Rockland Community College, Suffern) - March 2-5, 2017
- WNY Sport and Travel (Fairgrounds Event Center, Hamburg, NY) - March 9-12, 2017
- 2nd Annual Long Island Fly Fishing Expo (Holiday Inn, Plainview, NY) - March 18, 2017
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We Need Your E-mail Address
The Bureau of Fisheries uses e-mail to gather input from anglers concerning important fisheries issues. Unfortunately, e-mail addresses are not currently required to purchase a license from a license issuing agent and as a result we may not have an e-mail address that we can associate with your fishing license ID #.
If you did not provide your e-mail address when you purchased your license and would like to provide it, please e-mail your fishing license customer ID # and your current e-mail address to fwfish@dec.ny.gov.
Be sure to include FISHING LICENSE E-Mail in the subject line.
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