Statewide Seasons & Catch Limits

Name: eRegulations
Price range: $

The following statewide species regulations apply to all fresh waters for which special regulations have not been established. See dec.ny.gov/things-to-do/saltwater-fishing/ recreational-fishing-regulations for fishing regulations in the Marine and Coastal District
A person may not fish for a species (not even catch and release) outside of the open season for that species on a given water.

SPECIES	OPEN SEASON^¹	MINIMUM LENGTH^²	DAILY LIMIT^³
Brook Trout in lakes and ponds	April 1–Oct 15	None	5
Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout, Splake in lakes and ponds	All year	None	5 with only 2 longer than 12”
Brook, Brown, and Rainbow Trout and Splake in Inland Trout Streams⁴	April 1–Oct 15	None	5 with only 2 longer than 12”
	Oct 16–Mar 31	Catch and Release only, Artificial lures only
Lake Trout	April 1–Oct 15	21”	3
Atlantic Salmon (Landlocked)	All year	15”	3
Coho & Chinook Salmon	See Great Lakes & Tributaries Regulations (pages 60–67)
Black Bass (Largemouth and Smallmouth)	June 15–Nov 30	12”	5
Black Bass (Largemouth and Smallmouth)	Dec 1–June 14	Catch and Release only, Artificial lures only
Muskellunge	June 1–Nov 30	40”	1
Northern Pike	May 1–Mar 15	18”	5
Pickerel	May 1–Mar 15	15”	5
Tiger Muskellunge	May 1–Mar 15	30”	1
Walleye	May 1–Mar 15	15”	5
Crappie (Black and White)	All year	10”	25
Yellow Perch	All year	None	50
Sunfish (Bluegill, Pumpkinseed, and Redbreast Sunfish)	All year	None	25
Lake Whitefish	All year	None	5
Paddlefish, Sauger	Closed	Fishing for (including Catch and Release) or possession prohibited
Lake Sturgeon, Atlantic Sturgeon, Shortnose Sturgeon	Closed	Fishing for (including Catch and Release) or possession prohibited.
Striped Bass (north of George Washington Bridge)	April 1–Nov 30	1 (not less than 18” nor greater than 28”)
American Shad—All inland waters except those listed in special regulations	All year	None	2
	Possession prohibited in Hudson River and tributaries (Tidal Hudson River Regulations)
Hickory Shad	Aug 1–Nov 30	None	5
American Eel	All year	9”	25
All endangered or threatened fish species (page 69)	Fishing for (including Catch and Release) or possession prohibited
Snakeheads (all species)	Live possession prohibited (see page 70)
All other species (except those listed in special regulations)	All year	None	Any number

Remember, if the water you plan to fish doesn’t have a special regulation, statewide seasons and limits apply.

^¹ Open Season means the time during which fish may be legally taken.

^² Minimum length means the greatest possible length measured from the tip of the fish’s snout to the tip of the tail. The mouth may be open or closed and the tail may be spread or compressed in order to achieve the greatest length.

^³ Daily Limit

A person may not have in possession, or intentionally kill or injure, fish other than the sizes specified and allowed for that species on a given water. Any fish in a vehicle used to access a given water counts towards the number and sizes of fish in possession.

^⁴Inland Trout Streams shall mean all rivers and streams inhabited by trout except as follows:

Great Lakes tributaries to the 1st impassable barrier;
Finger Lakes tributaries to the 1st impassable barrier;
Lake Champlain tributaries to the 1st impassable barrier;
Tidal stream reaches