Fishing in New York public spots, conditions & reports
11 of 18worth the trip today
Mostly rainbow trout and striped bass today. Each spot is scored for whatever is in season and biting best there.
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Every New York spot
18 public spots, best first. Each is scored for whatever is in season and biting best there.
61° water · 12 mph wind · outgoing tide
61° water · 12 mph wind · outgoing tide
60° water · 16 mph wind · incoming tide
61° water · 15 mph wind · outgoing tide
61° water · 16 mph wind · high slack tide
The state report
The current report names brook trout, brown trout, chinook salmon, coho salmon, crappie, lake trout, largemouth bass, muskellunge, rainbow trout, smallmouth bass, steelhead, walleye and yellow perch.
Licenses and rules
Rules for what people fish for here
- Striped bass28" minimum · 31" maximum · 1 a day1 fish at 28" to under 31", Apr 15–Dec 15 in marine waters. Non-offset circle hooks required when fishing with bait.Open · New York · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source
- Bluefish5 a dayNo minimum size. 5 fish a day from shore or a private boat, 7 on for-hire vessels. Open all year.Open · New York · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source
- Summer flounder19" minimum · 3 a day (May 4–Aug 1); 19.5" minimum · 3 a day (Aug 2–Oct 15)3 fish a day: 19" minimum May 4–Aug 1, 19.5" Aug 2–Oct 15.Out of season · New York · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source
- Smallmouth bass12" minimum · 5 a dayNew York statewide: 12" minimum, 5 black bass a day combined, Jun 15–Nov 30; Dec 1–Jun 14 catch and release with artificial lures only. Lake Champlain opens the second Saturday in June; the St. Lawrence is closed to bass fishing Dec 1–Jun 14.Open · New York · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source
- Common carpno daily limitNew York statewide: carp are open all year, any size, any number.Open · New York · verified Oct 18, 2026 · source
- Brown trout5 a dayNew York inland trout streams: 5 trout a day, any size, but only 2 longer than 12", Apr 1–Oct 15; catch and release with artificial lures Oct 16–Mar 31. Stocked-extended, wild-quality, wild-premier and catch-and-release reaches are stricter.Catch and release · New York · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source
- Yellow perch50 a dayNew York statewide: 50 yellow perch a day, any size, open all year. Lake Champlain has no daily limit.Open · New York · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source
- Walleye15" minimum · 5 a dayNew York statewide, Oneida Lake included: 15" minimum, 5 walleye a day, May 1–Mar 15; closed to all walleye fishing Mar 16–Apr 30. Lake Champlain and the St. Lawrence are 18" and 3 a day.Open · New York · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source
- Rainbow trout5 a dayNew York inland trout streams: 5 trout a day, any size, but only 2 longer than 12", Apr 1–Oct 15; catch and release with artificial lures Oct 16–Mar 31. Stocked-extended, wild-quality, wild-premier and catch-and-release reaches are stricter.Catch and release · New York · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source
- Largemouth bass12" minimum · 5 a dayNew York statewide: 12" minimum, 5 black bass a day combined, Jun 15–Nov 30; Dec 1–Jun 14 catch and release with artificial lures only. Lake Champlain opens the second Saturday in June; the St. Lawrence is closed to bass fishing Dec 1–Jun 14.Open · New York · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source
- Lake trout21" minimum · 3 a dayNew York statewide: 21" minimum, 3 lake trout a day, Apr 1–Oct 15, closed the rest of the year. Lake Champlain and the Finger Lakes have their own all-year rules.Open · New York · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source
- Steelhead21" minimum · 2 a dayLake Ontario and the Lower Niagara: 15" minimum (21" for rainbow trout and steelhead), 3 trout and salmon a day combined, no more than 2 rainbow trout or steelhead. In Lake Ontario tributaries rainbows must be 25" and only 1 rainbow and 1 brown may be kept.Open · New York · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source
- Chinook salmon15" minimum · 3 a dayLake Ontario and the Lower Niagara: 15" minimum (21" for rainbow trout and steelhead), 3 trout and salmon a day combined, no more than 2 rainbow trout or steelhead. In Lake Ontario tributaries rainbows must be 25" and only 1 rainbow and 1 brown may be kept.Open · New York · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source
- Coho salmon15" minimum · 3 a dayLake Ontario and the Lower Niagara: 15" minimum (21" for rainbow trout and steelhead), 3 trout and salmon a day combined, no more than 2 rainbow trout or steelhead. In Lake Ontario tributaries rainbows must be 25" and only 1 rainbow and 1 brown may be kept.Open · New York · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source
- Chain pickerel15" minimum · 5 a dayNew York statewide: 15" minimum, 5 pickerel a day, May 1–Mar 15; closed Mar 16–Apr 30. Lake Champlain: any size, 10 a day, all year.Open · New York · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source
Limits differ by water. Each spot page shows the limits for its own water.
What’s biting in New York
Species people fish for at New York spots, and how many of those spots are worth the trip for them today.
Smallmouth bassMicropterus dolomieu4 of 6 spots worth the trip in New York
Best now at Cayuga Lake, NY93
Bites in 55–78° water
Brown troutSalmo trutta4 of 4 spots worth the trip in New York
Best now at Upper Delaware River, NY100
Bites in 45–68° water
Striped bassMorone saxatilis3 of 9 spots worth the trip in New York
Best now at Ditch Plains Beach, NY80
Bites in 50–72° water
Yellow perchPerca flavescens3 of 4 spots worth the trip in New York
Best now at Selkirk Shores, NY100
Bites in 45–70° water
WalleyeSander vitreus3 of 4 spots worth the trip in New York
Best now at Selkirk Shores, NY100
Bites in 50–72° water
Rainbow troutOncorhynchus mykiss3 of 3 spots worth the trip in New York
Best now at Upper Delaware River, NY100
Bites in 45–68° water
Common carpCyprinus carpio2 of 6 spots worth the trip in New York
Best now at Selkirk Shores, NY78
Bites in 52–86° water
Largemouth bassMicropterus salmoides2 of 3 spots worth the trip in New York
Best now at Cayuga Lake, NY87
Bites in 55–85° water
About fishing in New York
New York's 18 public access points span the Atlantic coast, rivers and streams, and lakes, across 11 counties. Across them, the species anglers most often target are Striped Bass, Bluefish, Summer Flounder, and Smallmouth Bass. Each is scored live on water temperature, tide or river flow, moon phase, barometric pressure, and weather. Always confirm current size, creel, and season limits with the New York state fishery agency before keeping fish — we flag any species whose regulations we haven't yet verified.
18 public access points across 0 water bodies. Data from NOAA, NWS, USGS, and New York DEC.
Coastal regions
- Long IslandThe ocean beaches of Long Island, New York, from Jones Beach to Montauk.