Places to Fish
With more than 7,500 lakes and ponds and 70,000 miles of rivers and streams, there are plenty of places to try freshwater fishing in New York! There is world class fishing for a wide variety of coldwater and warmwater species. Whether it is smallmouth bass fishing on Lake Erie, brook trout fishing on a crystal clear Adirondack lake, Pacific salmon fishing on Lake Ontario, fishing for stripers on the Hudson River, brown trout fishing on the Beaver Kill or fishing for panfish on a local pond, there is something special here for everyone.
I FISH NY Guide To Freshwater Fishing In New York State
This guide/map provides in-depth fishing, boating, and local information for 158 streams and rivers and 320 lakes, ponds, and reservoirs from Montauk to Buffalo. The waters included were selected by DEC staff as the best fishing locations in New York State. Request your free copy by email -- be sure to include your name and mailing address.
Additional Brochures and Publications on Places to Fish or Boat in New York State
I FISH NY Guide to Capital District Fishing (PDF)
I FISH NY Guide to Great Lakes Fishing (PDF)
I FISH NY Guide to Freshwater Fishing on Long Island and New York City (PDF)
New York State Boat Launching Sites (PDF)
To receive a copy of a brochure or publication by mail, send an email to fwfish@dec.ny.gov -- include your name, mailing address, and the title of the publication(s) you wish to receive.
Boating Access Sites
Visit the Boat Launch Sites by County page to find directions and details on both DEC and municipally managed boat ramps statewide.
Statewide Fishing Opportunities
New York is a big state with a lot of waters to fish. The statewide fishing opportunities pages give a good overview of some of the places to consider fishing.
Great Lakes Fishing Opportunities
Great Lakes! Great Fish! New York's Great Lakes waters include Lake Ontario, Lake Erie, the Niagara River and the St. Lawrence River. Fourteen of New York's state record fish come from these waters or their tributaries, including a 41 lb. 8 oz. lake trout from Lake Erie, a 33 lb. 7 oz. Coho Salmon from Lake Ontario, a 47 lb. 13 oz. Chinook Salmon from the Salmon River and a monster 69 lb. 15 oz. musky from the St. Lawrence River.
Finger Lakes Fishing Opportunities
The 11 glacially formed Finger Lakes of central and western New York are some of the most beautiful and unique lakes found in the state. Most of the Finger Lakes are considered two-story fisheries, containing both coldwater (trout and Atlantic salmon) and warmwater (bass, pike, walleye, and perch) fisheries.
Streams with Public Fishing Rights
DEC has purchased fishing rights on more than 1,300 miles of streams to open up additional fishing opportunities for anglers. For more details on these streams and how to access them, visit the Public Fishing Rights page.
Lake Contour Maps
There are approximately 400 lake contour maps available in PDF format. Maps are to be used as a fishing aid only and are not intended for navigation.
More about Places to Fish:
- Trout Stream Fishing Map User Guide - Information on accessing and using the NY Trout Stream Fishing Map, as part of DECinfo Locator.
- Streams with Public Fishing Rights - Maps for Public Fishing Rights on selected waters in the state (DEC Regions 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9).
- Lake Contour Maps - Contour maps of selected lakes in New York State; arranged by county.
- Statewide Fishing Opportunities - New York statewide fishing opportunities.
- Great Lakes/Niagara River/St. Lawrence River Fishing - Fishing opportunities in the New York portions of the Great Lakes, Niagara River, and St. Lawrence River.
- Finger Lakes Fishing - Information on fishing in the Finger Lakes.
- Long Island/NYC Fishing - Freshwater Fishing on Long Island and in New York City
- Southeastern NY Fishing - Information on fishing locations in the Hudson Valley and Catskills region of New York
- East-Central NY Fishing - Fishing opportunities in East-Central New York (Albany, Columbia, Delaware, Greene, Montgomery, Otsego, Rensselaer, Schenectady and Schoharie Counties).
- Adirondack/Lake Champlain Fishing - Maps and fishing information for the Adirondack Region and Lake Champlain of New York State.
- North Central NY Fishing - Fishing opportunities in North Central New York (Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Oneida, and St. Lawrence Counties).
- Central NY Fishing - Information on fishing locations in central New York
- West Central NY Fishing - Fishing opportunities in West Central New York (Chemung, Genessee, Livingston, Monroe, Ontario, Orleans, Schuyler, Seneca, Steuben, Wayne, and Yates Counties).
- Western NY Fishing - Fisheries information from western New York.
