Health Advice for Eating Sportfish

Key Messages

2024 DOH advice for eating the fish you catch is more protective yet provides plenty of options for the whole family to eat fish you catch. New advice is based on an extensive review of available statewide fish contaminant data and considers input from more than 7,800 anglers.

General Messages

• Fishing is a fun, healthy activity for the whole family and fish are a great choice for a healthy diet. However, some fish contain chemicals at levels that may be harmful. Before you keep your catch, get the latest advice at health.ny.gov/fish.
• People who can get pregnant under age 50 and children under age 15 should follow the more protective Sensitive Population advice.

⊲ Chemicals in fish can have a greater effect on childhood development and unborn babies. Many of these chemicals can stay in the human body for decades. People who eat highly contaminated fish and get pregnant may be at higher risk of having children who are slower to develop and learn. Breastfeeding can also pass on some of these chemicals to a baby.

• Everyone else may have fewer health risks and can eat more fish by following our General Population advice.
• Everyone should avoid eating fish from DON’T EAT Waters (list available at health.ny.gov/fish).
• Adirondack and Catskill freshwaters continue to have their own Regional Advice for eating fish you catch.

Changes to the Statewide Advice

• The Statewide Advice, which applies to most NYS freshwaters, is now more protective. It has changed from eating up to four meals a month of any fish to different advice for each fish species.
• This change is based on new data analysis, the most recent information on mercury toxicity, and guidance from EPA and neighboring states. It is not because mercury levels in fish have increased. Mercury has been in the New York State environment and in fish for many years.
• Popular fish such as trout, yellow perch, sunfish, crappie, and smaller walleye are still great choices for eating. However, people should eat less freshwater drum, white perch, and larger walleye, and smallmouth bass.
• When following the Statewide Advice, eat mostly Best and Good Choice species.

Changes to Waterbody-specific Advice

• Some waters have Specific Advice because certain fish have higher levels of mercury or other chemicals like polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and perfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) than fish in the rest of the state.
• Lake Erie, Lake Ontario, Oneida Lake, and parts of the St. Lawrence River offer the most variety of healthy fish choices making them some of the best fisheries if you want to eat your catch.

NYS DOH General Advisory

Follow this advice if you don’t see your water listed in the Waterbody-specific Advice on the next page (excluding the Catskill and Adirondack Regions). Try to eat Best Choice and Good Choice fish, which are lower in mercury. This advisory replaces the previous 4 meals/month general advisory with fish specific advice due to changes to NYS mercury guidelines.

The Sensitive Population refers to anyone who can get pregnant (under 50) and children under 15 years old. The General Population refers to everyone else.

Waters with Waterbody-specific Advice

• Amawalk Reservoir (Westchester)
• Arthur Kill (Richmond)
• Atlantic Ocean (Nassau, Queens, Suffolk)
• Ballston Lake (Saratoga)
• Big Reed Pond (Suffolk)
• Black Lake (St. Lawrence)
• Black River Pond (Rensselaer)
• Black River, Carthage State Dam to Herrings Dam (Jefferson)
• Black River, downstream of

Herrings Dam (Jefferson)

• Boyd Corners Reservoir (Putnam)
• Bradley Lake (Rensselaer)
• Buffalo Outer Harbor (Erie)
• Buffalo River and Inner Harbor (Erie)
• Candice Lake (Ontario)
• Lake Capri (Suffolk)
• Carmans River, above Suffolk Club Dam (Suffolk)
• Carter Pond (Washington)
• Cayuga Creek (Niagara)
• Cayuga Lake (Tompkins, Cayuga, Seneca)
• Lake Champlain (Clinton, Washington, Essex)
• Chenango Lake (Chenango)
• Chenango River (Broome, Chenango, Madison)
• Chodikee Lake (Ulster)
• Coldbrook Creek (Chemung)
• Cross River Reservoir (Westchester)
• Delaware Park Lake/Hoyt Lake (Erie)
• Delta Lake (Oneida)
• Diverting Reservoir (Putnam)
• Donahues Pond (Suffolk)
• Dunham Reservoir (Rensselaer)
• Dyken Pond (Rensselaer)
• East Branch Reservoir (Putnam)
• East River to Throgs Neck Bridge (Queens, New York, Kings, Bronx)
• East Sidney Reservoir (Delaware)
• Eaton Brook Reservoir (Madison)
• Eighteenmile Creek, downstream of Burt Dam (Niagara)
• Eighteenmile Creek, upstream of Burt Dam (Niagara)
• Erie Canal, between Lockport and Lock 21 (Niagara, Orleans, Monroe, Ontario, Seneca, Cayuga, Onondaga, Oswego, Oneida)
• Erie Canal, between Lockport & Niagara River/Tonawanda Creek downstream of Pendleton (Erie, Niagara)
• Lake Erie (Chautauqua, Erie)
• Freeport Reservoir (Nassau)
• Fresh Pond, Hither Hills State Park (Suffolk)
• Glacier Lake, Clark Reservation State Park (Onondaga)
• Glass Lake (Rensselaer)
• Goodyear Lake (Otsego)
• Grant Park Pond (Nassau)
• Grasse River, upstream of Massena Power Canal (St. Lawrence)
• Green Lake (Greene)
• Hall’s Pond (Nassau)
• Harlem River (New York, Bronx)
• Hoosic River, from Schaghticoke

Dam to Vermont state line

(Rensselaer, Washington)

• Hudson River Corinth Dam to NYC Battery
• Irondequoit Bay (Monroe)
• Jamaica Bay (Nassau, Queens, Kings)
• Jamesville Reservoir (Onondaga)
• Kayuta Lake (Oneida)
• Kelsey Creek (Jefferson)
• Keuka Lake (Yates, Steuben)
• Kill Van Kull (Richmond)
• Kinderhook Lake (Columbia)
• Koppers Pond (Chemung)
• Lewiston Reservoir/Power Reservoir (Niagara)
• Lofts Pond (Nassau)
• Long Island Sound (Nassau, Westchester, Queens, Suffolk, Bronx)
• Long Pond/Chenango (Chenango)
• Lower New York Bay, south of Verrazzano Narrows Bridge

(Kings, Richmond)

• Massapequa Reservoir, upstream of Long Island Railroad

(Nassau)

• Massena Power Canal (St. Lawrence)
• Middle Branch Reservoir (Putnam)
• Mohawk River/Erie Canal between Lock 21 and Cohoes Falls (Albany, Herkimer, Montgomery, Oneida, Saratoga, Schenectady)
• Moodna Creek, downstream of Firthcliffe Dam to mouth of Hudson River
• Moreau Lake (Saratoga)
• Mud Creek, tributary to Sauquoit Creek (Oneida)
• Nassau Lake (Rensselaer)
• New Croton Reservoir

(Westchester)

• New York Bay (Lower), south of Verrazzano Narrows Bridge

(Kings, Richmond)

• New York Bay (Upper), north of Verrazzano Narrows Bridge

(Richmond, New York)

• Newark Bay (Richmond)
• Newburgh Area Waters

(Orange): Beaverdam Lake,

Stream from Stewart State

Forest to Beaverdam Lake, Clark Street Ponds, Crest View Lake, Lockwood Basin/Masterson Park Pond, Moodna Creek, upstream of Firthcliffe Dam, Recreation Pond, Silver Stream, Washington Lake

• Niagara River, downstream of Niagara Falls (Niagara)
• Niagara River, upstream of Niagara Falls (Erie, Niagara)
• Oneida Lake (Oneida)
• Onondaga Lake (Onondaga)
• Lake Ontario (Niagara, Oswego, Monroe, Jefferson, Orleans, Wayne, Cayuga)
• Oswego River, mouth to Varick Dam at Oswego (Lock #8)

(Oswego)

• Oswego River, Varick Dam at Oswego (Lock #8) to Upper Dam at Fulton (Lock #2)
• Owasco Lake (Cayuga)
• Patroon creek (Albany)
• Peconic Lake and River, between Edwards Avenue Dam and Peconic Lake Dam (Suffolk)
• Queechy Lake (Columbia)
• Randall Pond (Suffolk)
• Raquette River, downstream of Raymondville Dam

(St. Lawrence)

• Raritan Bay, east of Wolfe’s Pond Park (Richmond)
• Raritan Bay, west of Wolfe’s Pond Park (Richmond)
• Red Lake (Jefferson)
• Ridders Pond (Nassau)
• Rio Reservoir (Sullivan, Orange)
• Rushford Lake (Allegany)
• Salmon River Reservoir (Oswego)
• Salmon River, mouth to Salmon

River Reservoir (Oswego)

• Sauquoit Creek, between Old Silk Mill Dam near New Hartford/Paris town line and Mohawk River (Oneida)
• Sawmill River, upstream of the flume at Mill Street in Yonkers

(Westchester)

• Scajaquada Creek (Erie)
• Seneca Lake (Ontario, Yates, Seneca, Schuyler)
• Seneca River, downstream of Lock 24 at Baldwinsville

(Onondaga)

• Sheldrake River (Westchester)
• Sixmile Creek, downstream of Gulf Road to mouth of Mohawk River (Oneida)
• Skaneateles Creek, Skaneateles

Lake Dam to Seneca River

(Onondaga, Cayuga)

• Smith Pond, Rockville Centre (Nassau)
• Smith Pond, Roosevelt Park (Nassau)
• Spring Lake, Middle Island (Suffolk)
• St. Lawrence River (Franklin, Jefferson, St. Lawrence)
• St. Regis River (St. Lawrence)
• Lake Superior (Sullivan)
• Susquehanna River (Broome, Chenango, Delaware, Tioga, Otsego)

Follow the QR code to see Statewide specific advisories and map or visit www.health.ny.gov/fish

• Swinging Bridge Reservoir (Sullivan)
• Lake Taghkanic (Columbia)
• Thayer Pond - Hoosick Falls Area (Rensselaer)
• Thompsons Lake (Albany)
• Threemile Creek (Oneida)
• Titicus Reservoir (Westchester)
• Unadilla River (Herkimer, Chenango, Oneida, Madison, Otsego)
• Upper Twin Pond (Nassau)
• Upper Yaphank Lake (Nassau, Suffolk)
• Valatie Kill, between County Rt. 18 and Nassau Lake

(Rensselaer)

• Valatie Kill, between Nassau Lake and Kinderhook Lake

(Rensselaer, Columbia)

• Wappingers Lake (Dutchess)
• Waterport Reservoir/Lake Alice (Orleans)
• Lake Welch (Rockland)
• West Branch Reservoir (Putnam)
• Whitney Park Pond (Nassau)

Adirondack Region Specific Advisories

When fishing in the Adirondacks (which includes Essex, Lewis, Hamilton, Warren, and Fulton counties, and parts of Clinton, Franklin, St. Lawrence, Herkimer and Saratoga counties) follow the specific advisories for these waters at www.health.ny.gov/fish/ADK.

• Bubb Lake - • Lewey Lake - • Salmon River, downstream
• Effley Falls Pond - • Lower Chateaugay Lake - of Davis Lake Dam to Lake Champlain
• Fall Lake - • Meacham Lake

• Ferris Lake - • Moshier Reservoir
• Franklin Falls Flow/Pond - • North Lake, Town of Ohio
• Hudson River, upstream of - • Oseetah Lake
• Rainbow Falls Reservoir

• Soft Maple Reservoir
• Stark Falls Reservoir
• Stoner Lakes

South Glens Falls Dam - • Sunday Lake

• Lake Champlain, bay within - • Tupper Lake

• Sagamore Lake

Cumberland Head Southwest to

Peru Boat Launch

For all other waters in the Adirondacks follow the regional advisory:

*The Sensitive Population refers to anyone who can get pregnant (under 50) and children under 15 years old. The General Population refers to everyone else.

Catskill Region Specific Advisories

When fishing in the Catskill Region, follow the specific advisories for these waters at www.health.ny.gov/fish/CAT.

• Ashokan Reservoir - • North-South Lake
• Cannonsville Reservoir - • Pepacton Reservoir
• Herrick Hollow Creek - • Schoharie Reservoir
• Neversink Reservoir

For all other waters within the Catskill Region boundary (which includes parts of Delaware, Greene, Schoharie, Sullivan, and Ulster counties) follow the regional advisory below:

*The Sensitive Population refers to anyone who can get pregnant (under 50) and children under 15 years old. The General Population refers to everyone else.

More Information New York State Department of Health www.health.ny.gov/fish 518-402-7530; 800-458-1158 [email protected]

For information on contaminants in sportfish:

Bureau of Ecosystem Health

518-402-8920