Finger Lakes & Tributary Regulations
FINGER LAKES REGULATIONS | ||
Water | Species | Regulation |
Northern Pike | May 1–Mar 15, Minimum Length-22", Daily Limit-5 | |
May 1–Mar 15, Minimum Length-18", Daily Limit-3 (see Skaneateles Lake for exception) | ||
All Finger Lakes | Walleye | |
Brook Trout | Apr 1–Oct 15, Daily Limit–5 with no more than 2 longer than 12" | |
June 15–Mar 15, Minimum Length-12", Daily Limit-5 | ||
Canadice Lake, Canandaigua Lake, Conesus Lake, Hemlock Lake, Keuka Lake, and, Seneca Lake | Black Bass | Mar 16–June 14, Catch and Release only, Artifcial lures only |
Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout, Lake Trout, Atlantic Salmon | All year, Minimum Length-15", Daily Limit-5 in combination, Catch shall | |
include no more than 1 Rainbow Trout or 3 Atlantic Salmon | ||
All year, Minimum Length-15" except 18" for Atlantic Salmon, Daily Limit-5 in combination, Catch shall include no more than 3 Brown Trout, 3 Rainbow Trout, or 3 Atlantic Salmon | ||
Cayuga Lake | Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout, Lake Trout, Atlantic Salmon | |
June 15–Mar 15, Minimum Length-12", Daily Limit-5 | ||
Black Bass | Mar 16–June 14, Catch and Release only, Artifcial lures only | |
Sunfsh | All year, Minimum Length-8", Daily Limit-15 | |
Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout, Lake Trout, Atlantic Salmon | All year, Minimum Length-15", Daily Limit-5 in combination, Catch shall | |
Honeoye Lake | include no more than 1 Rainbow Trout or 3 Atlantic Salmon | |
Alewife | Possession prohibited | |
Tiger Muskellunge | May 1–Mar 15, Minimum Length-36", Daily Limit-1 | |
Sunfsh | All year, Minimum Length-8", Daily Limit-15 | |
Otisco Lake | Trout | All year, Minimum Length-12", Daily Limit-5 |
Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout, Lake Trout, Atlantic Salmon | All year, Minimum Length-15", Daily Limit-5 in combination, Catch shall include no more than 3 Brown Trout, 3 Rainbow Trout, or 3 Atlantic Salmon | |
Owasco Lake | ||
Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout, Lake Trout, Atlantic Salmon | All year, Minimum Length-15", Daily Limit-5 in combination, Catch shall include no more than 3 of any species | |
Walleye | All Year, Minimum Length-12", Daily Limit- Any number | |
Skaneateles Lake | Alewife | Possession prohibited |
FINGER LAKES TRIBUTARIES REGULATIONS | ||
Water | Species | Regulation |
All tributaries to Canadice Lake, Canandaigua | ||
Lake, Hemlock | Brown Trout, Rainbow | April 1–Dec 31, Minimum Length-15", |
Lake, Keuka Lake, | Trout, Lake Trout, | Daily Limit-3 in combination, Catch shall |
and Seneca Lake upstream to the frst barrier impassable by fsh | Atlantic Salmon | include no more than 1 Rainbow Trout |
All tributaries to Owasco Lake, Otisco Lake and Skaneateles Lake upstream to the frst barrier impassable by fsh, except Spaford Creek | ||
Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout, Lake Trout, Atlantic Salmon | April 1–Dec 31, Minimum Length-15", except 9" for Brown Trout, Daily Limit-3 in combination | |
All tributaries | ||
to Cayuga Lake | Brown Trout, Rainbow | April 1–Dec 31, Minimum Length-15", |
upstream to the frst | Trout, Lake Trout, Atlantic Salmon | except 18" for Atlantic Salmon, Daily Limit-3 in combination |
barrier impassable by fsh, except | ||
Fall Creek | ||
April 1–Dec 31, Minimum Length-15", except 18" for Atlantic Salmon, Daily Limit-3 in combination | ||
Fall Creek (Cayuga Lake) from the downstream edge of the railroad bridge below Rt. 13 to Ithaca Falls | Jan 1–Mar 31, Catch and Release only, Artifcial lures only | |
Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout, Lake Trout, Atlantic Salmon | Angling prohibited between sunset and sunrise from Oct 1–May 15 | |
Spaford Creek | Trout | April 1–Oct 15, Daily Limit-5–with no more than 2 longer than 12" |
(Otisco Lake) | ||
Tributaries to all Finger Lakes (except Conesus | ||
Lake and Honeoye Lake) upstream to the frst barrier impassable by fsh | All other species | Open season, daily limit and minimum length regulations that are in efect for the Finger Lakes |
Additional Tributary Regulations
A. Any action to frighten fsh and move them from concealment, including herding, driving, kicking, and stoning is prohibited.
B. Angling is prohibited from Jan 1–Mar 31, except for those stream sections listed to the right and Fall Creek downstream of Ithaca Falls.
C. Angling is prohibited between sunset and sunrise from April 1–May 15 and Oct 1–Dec 31, except for those stream sections listed to theright.
D. Angling is prohibited all year in Cayuga Inlet for a distance of 500 feet up and downstream of the dam located within the food control channel and Coy Glenn Creek from Cayuga Inlet up to and including the second check dam in Tompkins County.
E. Use of more than one line with a single hook point is prohibited, except for those stream sections listed to the right.
F. Possession of hooks with a gap greater than ½" is prohibited, except for those stream sections listed to the right.
G. Possession of landing nets larger than 50 inches around the frame or with handles longer than 20 inches is prohibited, except for thosestream sections listed to the right.
Stream Sections forWhich Additional Tributary Regulations B, C, D, E, F, and G Do Not Apply:
Trout season is closed Jan 1–March 31 in these sections.
- Barge Canal from Seneca Lake upstream to the northernmost Rte. 14 bridge in Montour Falls, Schuyler County
- Cayuga Inlet and food control channel from Cayuga Lake upstream to posted “NO FISHING" boundary below the fshway in TompkinsCounty
- Fall Creek from Cayuga Lake to the downstream edge of the railroad bridge below Rte. 13 in Ithaca, Tompkins County
- Guyanoga Creek from Keuka Lake upstream to Rte. 54A bridge, Yates County
- Old Seneca Inlet in the southeast corner of Seneca Lake upstream of State Rte. 414
- Owasco Inlet from Owasco Lake upstream 0.7 miles to marked boundary at old railroad bed in Cayuga County
- Sucker Brook from Canandaigua Lake upstream in Ontario County
- West River from Canandaigua Lake upstream in Ontario County
- Yawgers Creek from Cayuga Lake upstream to the abandoned Lehigh Valley railroad bridge in Cayuga County