Fishing News
Fishing the Hudson River
Depending on the specific location of the Hudson River that you will fish, and/or the specific species fished for, you may need to have a recreational marine fishing license, a freshwater fishing license, or both licenses.
♦ If fishing downstream from the Tappan Zee Bridge, you are considered fishing in the marine and coastal district and will need to have a recreational marine fishing license – regardless of species of fish you are fishing for.
♦ If you are fishing upstream from the Tappan Zee Bridge and are fishing for non-migratory fish (such as largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, catfish, carp, walleye, and perch) only, you need to have a freshwater fishing license.
♦ If you are fishing upstream from the Tappan Zee Bridge and are fishing for "migratory fish from the sea" (such as striped bass, hickory shad, blueback herring, or alewife) only, you need to have a recreational marine fishing license.
♦ If you are fishing upstream from the Tappan Zee Bridge and are fishing for migratory fish from the sea and non-migratory fish, you need both a recreational marine fishing license and a freshwater fishing license.
♦ More information on regulations for fishing the Hudson River may be found at http://www.dec.ny.gov/permits/54950 .
New Changes to Fluke, Scup, and Black Bass Seasons
The following emergency regulations are currently in effect:
♦ Black Sea Bass: For 2010, DEC has set the season for May 22 to Sept. 12, a reduction from 2009 when the season was open the entire year. The minimum size limit remains at 12.5” and the possession limit remains 25 fish per day.
♦ Scup: The regular recreational season is the same as last year: May 24 through September 26. The size limit is 10.5” and the possession limit is 10 fish per day. However, there is a new season for scup for recreational anglers aboard licensed party or charter vessels; it will run from June 8 to September 6, with a minimum size limit of 11” inches and a possession limit of 10 fish per day. The scup “bonus” season for recreational anglers aboard licensed party or charter vessels will be from September 7 through October 11, with a size limit of 11” and a new daily possession limit of 40 fish.
♦ Fluke (summer flounder): The recreational season for fluke will open May 15 and close September 6. The minimum size limit remains at 21” and the possession limit remains at two fish per day.
♦ More information on these changes is available at http://www.dec.ny.gov/press/64864.html .
NOTE: DEC adopted these changes as emergency regulations, and is proposing to adopt the emergency rules as permanent. Public comments on the proposed permanent rulemaking may be submitted by July 10, 2010 to wmarine@gw.dec.state.ny.us with the subject line "2010 Fluke." Comments can also be sent to Stephen W. Heins, NYSDEC Marine Resources, 205 Belle Mead Road, Suite 1, East Setauket, NY 11733.
Fishing Guides Available Online
Recreational Marine Fishing Regulations Guide: http://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/fish_marine_pdf/marinelic09.pdf .
Freshwater Fishing Regulations Guide: http://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/fish_marine_pdf/fishguide09.pdf .
New Freshwater Fishing Regulations Take Effect in Fall of 2010
DEC announced new freshwater fishing regulations that will be effective October 1, 2010. Some highlights of the changes: new brook trout limits in certain areas; new river herring limits (alewife and blueback herring) on the Delaware River and the West Branch Delaware River; new regulations for walleye on Burden Lake and Dunham Reservoir in Rensselaer County and Muskellunge Lake in Jefferson County; fishing seasonally prohibited on a section of the Oswegatchie River below the dam in Ogdensburg in St. Lawrence County to protect spawning walleye; fishing for, or possessing, river herring (alewife and blueback herring) on the Mohawk River in Saratoga County; also changes for Nassau and Suffolk County areas in Long Island and several counties in the Adirondacks.
Full information on all changes is available at http://www.dec.ny.gov/regulations/34113.html . Always check the regulations for the specific water where you plan to fish for any changes.
Commercial and Recreational Fishing for American Shad
March 17, 2010: DEC enacted new regulations that ban commercial and recreational fishing for American Shad in the Hudson River and the Marine and Coastal District of New York, effective today. The regulations also prohibit the sale, or offering for sale, of any American shad caught in New York State. New restrictions were imposed as well for American shad in the Delaware River by reducing the daily creel limit from six fish a day to three and prohibiting commercial shad fishing in the river.
DEC states that the Hudson River shad stock has declined dramatically for more than a decade, and restrictions enacted in 2008 did not trigger a rebound. As a result, closing the fishery for now is the best way to try to prevent this historically important species from permanently vanishing from the Hudson River ecosystem.
Regulations governing the shad fishing changes are published in the New York State Register at http://www.dos.state.ny.us/info/register/2010.html. Click on "March 17", then on "Rule Making Activities", and scroll down to page 4.
Changes to Baitfish Regulations
Changes to baitfish regulations became effective on January 6, 2010. Anglers are now allowed to legally possess and use certified disease-free bait fish for 10 days after purchase in certain western New York waters. The previous time limit was 7 days. The regulation change also allows use of two bait fish species in additional waters of the state where their use had been prohibited. Alewife may now be used in Hemlock Lake in Livingston County, Canadice Lake in Ontario County, and Waneta Lake in Schuyler County. Rainbow smelt are now allowed as bait in Hemlock Lake and Canadice Lake, as well as Honeoye Lake (Ontario County). These species were added to the acceptable list of bait fish species that can be used because reproducing populations of alewife and smelt currently exist in these lakes and their use as bait fish poses no biological threat to the waters’ fish communities. While DEC is expanding the list of waters where the use of alewife and rainbow smelt is permitted, their use is still subject to the statewide regulations pertaining to the use of bait fish, including the prohibition against the overland transport of uncertified bait fish. Information about these requirements can be found at http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/7917.html.
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