Special Angling Regulations

Dip Netting

Any person who has a fishing license or is entitled to fish without a licence may operate one dip net as specified in the tables below. These are the only circumstances where dip netting is permitted unless a commercial license has been obtained.

Note: smelt, suckers, alewives, and blueback herring are the only fish that may be taken. Smelt may be taken in a dip net not exceeding 14 inches in diameter, or 13 x 13 inches if square, as follows:

Waters where dip netting is allowed
Waters	Open Season	Daily Hours and Limit	Tributaries
Raquette Lake	Anytime	Sunset to sunset 8 quarts	All from lake upstream 1/2 mile
Tupper Lake	Anytime	Sunset to sunset 8 quarts	Lake and Bog River upstream to Rte 421
Canandaigua Lake Canadice Lake Hemlock Lake Keuka Lake Seneca Lake	Anytime	Sunset to sunset 8 quarts	All from lake upstream to first barrier. Exceptions: no dipping in Catherine Creek and L'Hommedieu Diversion channel (Seneca Lake), Willow Creek, (Cayuga Lake) and upstream of old Lehigh Valley Railroad bridge at Naples Creek (Canandaigua Lake)
Indian Lake Fulton Chain** East Caroga Lake West Caroga Lake	April 1 - May 15	5 am to 10 pm* 8 quarts	All from lake upstream to first barrier. No dipping in Mead Creek from mouth upstream to State Route 29A
Cayuga Lake Owasco Lake	March 1 - May 21	7 pm to 2 am* 8 quarts	All from lake upstream to first barrier
Hudson River upstream to Troy Dam	Anytime	Sunset to sunset 10 quarts	All from river upstream to first barrier
Marine District	Anytime	Sunset to sunset 10 quarts	All upstream to extent of tidal influences

*Prevailing time
**Exception: dipping in Seventh Lake and its tributaries is prohibited Smelt may be taken in any size dip net as follows:

Great Lake Waters with restrictions for dip netting for smelt
Waters	Open Season	Daily Limit	Tributaries
Lake Erie Lake Ontario Niagara River	Anytime	8 quarts	All from lake upstream to first barrier

Suckers

Suckers may be taken in a dip net not exceeding 14 inches in diameter, or 13 x 13 inches if square, as follows:

Waters with restrictions for dip netting for suckers
Waters	Open Season	Daily Limit	Tributaries
Cayuga Lake	Anytime	Any number	All except Willow Creek
Seneca Lake	Anytime	Any number	All except Catherine Creek
Canandaigua Lake	Anytime	Any number	All except Naples Creek where netting is prohibited upstream of old Lehigh Valley Railroad bridge
Hudson River upstream to Troy Dam	Anytime	Any number	All from river upstream to first barrier

Alewives and Blueback Herring
Alewives and blueback herring may be taken in a dip net not exceeding 14 inches in diameter, or 13 x 13 inches if square, as follows:

Waters for dip netting for alewives and blueback herring
Waters	Open Season	Daily Limit	Tributaries
Hudson River upstream to Troy Dam and Mohawk River from Crescent Dam upstream to Dam at junction of Barge Canal and Mohawk River in City of Rome	Anytime	Any number	All from river upstream to first barrier

Spearfishing

"Spear" means a hand-propelled single or multiple pronged pike, blade, or harpoon. It does not include the mechanically propelled device commonly called a spear gun.

Prohibitions

Spear guns may only be used in the Marine District.
Spears may not be used within 275 yards of eel weirs.
Spears may not be possessed on any water in the Adirondack Park or within 200 feet of the high water marks of these waters.
Possession of spears is prohibited on all waters except where the taking of fish by spear is permitted.

Permitted Spearfishing

The taking of fish by spear is permitted only as follows:

In Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan, Ulster, and Westchester counties, suckers may be taken in any stream from January 1 through May 15.
In the Delaware River, East Branch Delaware River below Pepacton Reservoir, West Branch Delaware River below Cannonsville Reservoir, Neversink River below Neversink Reservoir, Rondout River below Rondout Reservoir and above Eddyville Dam, and Esopus Creek below Ashokan Reservoir and above Cantine Dam, eels may be taken from May 15 through September 30.
In Montgomery County, suckers may be taken from January 1 through May 15 from Evas Kill, Flat Creek, Canajoharie Creek from mouth to dam one half mile above mouth and Caroga Creek.
In Otsego County, suckers may be taken from January 1 through May 15 from Herkimer Creek, Hyder Creek, Trout (Mink) Creek, Hayden Creek from mouth to Shipman Pond Dam, Shadow Brook, Sand Hill Creek from mouth to Route 7 bridge, Otsdawa Creek from mouth to Route 7 bridge, and Mill Creek from mouth to Route 7 bridge.
In Clinton County, bowfin, burbot, carp, eel, freshwater drum, gar, redhorse, and suckers may be taken from March 20 through September 30 from Corbeau Creek and Scomotion Creek from mouth upstream to Beekmantown town line.
In Lake Champlain, bowfin, burbot, carp, eel, freshwater drum, gar, redhorse, and suckers may be taken from March 20 through September 30.
In Franklin County, bowfin, burbot, carp, eel, freshwater drum, gar, redhorse, and suckers may be taken from March 20 through September 30 from Big Salmon River from Canada upstream to dam at Fort Covington, Lawrence Brook from county line upstream to County Route 6 west of Moira, Little Salmon River from mouth upstream to County Route 32 in South bombay, Pike Creek from Canada upstream to State Route 95 west of Bombay, St. Regis River from Canada upstream to dam at Hogansburg and Farrington Brook from mouth upstream to U.S. Route 11.
In the Hudson River, carp, eel, and suckers may be taken from March 20 through September 30 from Bakers Falls in the Village of Hudson Falls upstream to confluence of Stony Creek in Warren County.
In Cayuga County, bullhead and sucker may be taken from January 1 through May 15 from Grindstone Creek downstream of the dam at Fernwood, Little Salmon River downstream from the bridge at Arthur, Ninemile Creek downstream of Route 104A, Eightmile Creek downstream of Route 104A, Salmon River downstream of New York Route 3, Red Creek or Sunset Bay Creek, Otter Branch Creek, Butterfly Creek, Sage Creek, and Snake Creek.
In Wayne County, bullhead and suckers may be taken from January 1 through May 15 from Black Creek Bay and Red Creek Bay.

Snatching

Snatching is prohibited at all times in all Great Lakes waters, including tributaries (see note under Great Lakes).

Grappling hooks and snatch hooks may not be possessed on Lake George or within 200 feet of the high water mark of Lake George, except in a dwelling or building.

Possession of snatch hooks is prohibited on all waters except those where fish may be taken by snatching.

In waters other than tributaries to the Great Lakes snatching, but not blind snatching, is permitted January 1 through May 15 only as follows:

In Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan, Ulster, and Westchester counties, suckers may be taken from any stream.
In Delaware County, suckers may be taken from the West Branch Delaware River, East Branch Delaware River and Charlotte Creek.
In Otsego County, suckers may be taken from the Unadilla River, Wharton Creek, and Butternut Creek.
In Fulton, Saratoga, Washington, Franklin, Warren, Clinton, Essex, and Hamilton counties, suckers may be taken from any stream except the Mohawk River, the Hudson River, the Hudson River downstream of Bakers Falls, including tributaries upstream to first barrier, or tributaries to Lake Champlain and Lake George upstream to first barrier.
In Chenango and Madison counties, suckers may be taken from the Chenango River downstream of Randallsville and the Unadilla River downstream of South Edmenston.
Snatching and blind snatching is permitted with hooks having no more than two hook points to take whitefish in Otsego Lake from January 1 through March 15 and in Piseco Lake from January 1 through November 30.
Snatching and blind snatching is permitted to take burbot in Scomotion Creek in Clinton County from its mouth to Pardy Road during December 1 - March 31.

Bowfishing

Any person who has a fishing license or a small game hunting license or is entitled to fish without a license may take carp of any size and in any number by longbow from May 15 through September 30 from any water of the State where fishing and the discharge of a bow is permitted. Taking fish by bow is otherwise prohibited.

Ice Fishing

Ice fishing is legal from November 15 through April 30 in most non-trout and certain trout waters. Wherever ice fishing is legal, no more than five tip-ups and two hand lines are allowed with very limited exceptions. Ice fishing is permitted in the following waters:

All non-trout waters except a few that are found in Clinton, Franklin, Hamilton, Nassau, and Otsego counties. See Special Regulations by County.
Certain trout waters, including (refer to respective sections in this Guide): Lake Champlain, Lake Erie, Niagara River, Lake Ontario, St.Lawrence River, Finger Lakes, Border Waters, most New York City Reservoirs, and those designated in Special Regulations by County.

Read through the regulations pertaining to the water you intend to fish. Where ice fishing is permitted, fish may be taken in accordance with the seasons, minimum size, and creel limits in effect in that water.

Wherever ice fishing is permitted, no more than two hand lines and five tip-ups may be used, except as noted in Border waters, Lake Champlain, or Special Regulations by County.

All tip-ups must be marked with the name and address of the operator. The operator must be present when lines (tip-ups or hand lines) are in the water. Tip-ups may only be operated on waters of the state between November 15 and April 30.

Remember: Trout waters where ice fishing is permitted are specifically designated in this Guide; ice fishing is prohibited in all other trout waters. If you are unsure whether a water is considered trout or non-trout, contact the DEC Regional Office for that area.

Ice shanties must be marked on the outside with the owner's name and address in letters at least three inches high. Shanties must be removed from all waters by March 15 to prevent them from falling through the ice in spring and becoming navigational hazards.

Frogs

Any person who has a small game hunting license or a fishing license or is entitled to fish without a license may take frogs with a spear, club, hook, or by hand. A small game hunting license is required to take frogs with a gun and with a longbow. Frogs may be taken in any number from June 16 through September 30 between sunrise and sunset.

Frogs may be imported, bought and sold at any time. An importer must keep a record of names and addresses of buyers and sellers.