Freshwater Fishing, Fisheries Management, and Fishing Access News
In this issue:
Hot enough for ya? Summer heatwaves are also stressful for coldwater sportfish like trout and salmon. Catch and release trout anglers can help by following these simple guidelines:
Every year the last full weekend in June is designated as "Free Fishing Days" in New York. This means anyone can fish the freshwater lakes, rivers, streams and ponds without a fishing license, making it a great opportunity to give it a try for the first time, introduce someone new to the sport, or reconnect with this rewarding pastime.
Remaining Free Fishing Days in 2024 include September 28 (National Hunting & Fishing Day) and November 11 (Veterans Day). For a list of free Learn to Fish programs currently scheduled visit our website. (The list is updated routinely, so check back often.)
Check out the following resources to help you plan your next trip on the water:
Places to Fish
I FISH NY Beginners Guide to Freshwater Fishing
Getting Started in Fishing Video Series
As a reminder for hunters, trappers, and anglers, by August 1, 2024 the paper used for sporting licenses and carcass tags will change from special stock (Valeron) to plain paper. This change will modernize the license purchasing process by allowing easier, quicker access to licenses and tags and offering at-home license and tag printing options for the increasing number of people who purchase their licenses online.
Supply chain issues in recent years have made it increasingly more difficult and expensive for state fish and wildlife agencies to acquire Valeron, and many states have already successfully made the transition to plain paper licenses and tags. With these changes, we are excited to offer multiple options for customers to obtain their licenses and tags, keep up to date on emerging technologies, reduce our carbon footprint, and become more cost effective.
Customers will still be able to purchase licenses in all the same ways they do now (in-person at an issuing agent, online, or over the phone), but will have more flexibility in license delivery including printing at the point-of-sale or email and print-at-home. Additionally, when hunters and anglers are afield, proof of licensure can be shown electronically through the HuntFishNY mobile app. The HuntFishNY app is also a fast and easy way for hunters to report their game harvests.
This change is effective for the 2024-25 license year and will begin with sales starting just prior to August 1, 2024. Additionally, lifetime license holders should expect to receive their 2024-25 licenses and tags on plain paper via mail by September 1, 2024.
More information is available in a “Q&A” on the DEC website, and more details will be forthcoming prior to licenses going on sale on August 1, 2024. Please be sure to check the DEC’s website and to sign up for DEC Delivers for information and updates regarding this change.
Location: North of Cooperstown, New York, Otsego County, Towns of Springfield, Middlefield, and Otsego
Size: 7.8 miles long and 4,046 acres in size
Average Depth: 82 feet
Maximum Depth: 167 feet
Primary Sportfish: Lake Trout, Smallmouth Bass, Largemouth Bass, Walleye, and Yellow Perch
The Fishery: Otsego Lake is the largest and only lake trout fishery in all nine counties comprising DEC Region 4. Lake trout are the most sought-after species in Otsego Lake, followed by walleye and yellow perch. The lake supports an exceptional smallmouth bass fishery with abundant panfish populations including bluegill, pumpkinseed, and redbreast sunfish. Otsego Lake is the headwaters for the East Branch of the Susquehanna River.
Access: There are both hard surface and gravel launches off Lake Street with limited parking in the Village of Cooperstown (at the end of Fair Street and Fish Road). There is a hand launch at Glimmerglass State Park located on northeast side of lake. For more information on this launch including Google Maps driving directions, please visit the Boat Launch Sites for Otsego County page.
Current Management/Research: The Otsego Lake percid (walleye, yellow perch) and salmonid (trout, lake whitefish) fisheries are intensely monitored and managed through annual sampling events, stocking of lake trout fry (yearlings), and angling regulations. New research examining the forage fish composition of Otsego Lake began in spring 2024 in collaboration with SUNY Oneonta. Through a long-term collaboration with the NYSDEC, SUNY Oneonta and SUNY Cobleskill researchers/students have been studying and monitoring Otsego Lake’s fisheries annually since the 1990s.
For more information on Otsego Lake and the work being conducted there, visit the Otsego Lake webpage.
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