Saltwater Fishing
For information pertaining to Shellfishing in New York, visit our Shellfishing page.
DEC's Marine Permit Office is closed to walk-in customers until further notice. Please send all applications by mail and contact the Marine Permit Office with question or concerns by calling 631-444-0470 or email MPO@dec.ny.gov.
The Marine Permit Office does not issue the Recreational Marine Fishing Registry, please register online through the official DECALS website.
Commercial Fishing
Visit our Commercial Fishing page to find commercial trips, quota allocation plans, and more! For more information, review a list of DEC's marine permits and licenses and requirements for applying.
Recreational Fishing
The marine waters of New York host varied and exciting fishing opportunities for recreational anglers. Long Island is ideally situated so that both southern and northern fish species frequent our waters. You can fish for Atlantic cod, winter flounder and mackerel in the spring, or try your luck for bluefish, summer flounder and Spanish mackerel when school is out.
Register Before Going Fishing
Make sure to enroll in the annual no-fee Recreational Marine Fishing Registry before going fishing in the marine and coastal district waters or when fishing in the Hudson River and its tributaries for "migratory fish of the sea" (e.g. striped bass).
Check Fishing Limits and Seasons
Before setting out on your fishing trip, check the Recreational Saltwater Fishing Regulations for marine fish, lobsters, and crabs.
Find a Boat Launch or Fishing Access Site
Locate the parks, agencies, and municipalities that manage facilities with access to the water. Rules and fees that apply to facilities differ widely, so make sure you check with the appropriate authority before you travel. Also, check the Artificial Reefs webpage to identify where New York's artificial fishing and diving reefs are located.
View Angling Records
Check the marine angling records list to see the variety of local fish species and sizes that they can attain. In any given year, one or more of these records can be broken. Perhaps by you!
Recreational Catch Sampling
Make sure to look for our New York State DEC field staff, who will be onboard party boats, at boatyards, local beaches and other saltwater access points conducting the Access Point Angler Intercept Survey (APAIS). Data from this survey is used to help manage our fisheries and any input from our local fishermen is always greatly appreciated.
Visit Recreational Catch Sampling for more information.
Report Your Catch Online
New York State recreational anglers can now report their catch in a voluntary online angler logbook, called eLogbook. Anglers can document their fishing activities, compile their fishing data and plan more effective fishing trips. If you wish to use this online logbook, please register and log on online at the ACCSP web site. Check our ACCSP and Electronic Reporting web page for more information.
Know Before You Go Tilefishing
All recreational vessels fishing for blueline or golden tilefish must have a permit and report their trips within 24 hours of returning to port.
- Register an account on the GARFO Fish Online website (leaves DEC website).
Support NY's Marine and Coastal District
A portion of the proceeds from the sale of this attractive plate featuring the Montauk Lighthouse and striped bass will help benefit the Marine and Coastal District of New York Conservation, Education and Research Fund. The collected monies will be used to promote marine sport fishing, increase participation in marine recreational angling, increase public awareness and appreciation of marine and estuarine natural resources, encourage conservation of marine fisheries resources, and promote research and increased knowledge of the state's marine and estuarine natural resources.
More information on ordering a Marine and Coastal District of New York plate can be found at the DMV website.
A commercial trawl vessel (left) and a commercial
fisherman offloading catch of loligo squid (right), a
popular commercial catch.
Photos courtesy of NOAA
Marine Email Newsletter
DEC would like to ensure that fishermen take advantage of the abundant fishing opportunities available in New York waters, and also have current fishing information available to them.
You can now subscribe to an electronic mailing list and receive information from the DEC Division of Marine Resources concerning updated fishing regulations, upcoming fishery meetings and other current events concerning the local fishing industries. Upon subscribing to the mailing list, you will be able to receive fishing information quickly, sent directly to your e-mail address.
How to Subscribe
- Visit subscribe to GovDelivery and enter your email and click 'Submit'.
- The next page is Topic Choices, you will see all the topics that you can receive email updates on from DEC.
- Check the box next to "Saltwater Fishing and Boating"
- You will receive an email confirming your subscription choices.
More about Saltwater Fishing:
- Recreational Saltwater Fishing Regulations - Learn your size limits and bag limits before you go fishing!
- Artificial Reefs - Artificial reefs provide fishing opportunities for the NY angler.
- ACCSP and Electronic Reporting - Where does fishing vessel trip report data go?
- Best Practices for Saltwater Fishing - Practicing responsible, safe, and ethical fishing is an essential part of conservation to ensure fish not harvested are returned to the water with little or no injury.
- CARES Act Marine Fisheries Relief Program - News and updates relating to marine fisheries management processes, public comment periods, and regulation changes.
- Citizen Involvement in Marine Fisheries - Become a citizen scientist and volunteer with NYSDEC to help conserve and manage marine species.
- Coastal Sharks - New York State shark fishing regulations
- Commercial Fishing - DEC Announcement of the Annual Commercial Fishery Quota Distributions
- Crabbing in NY - New York State recreational and commercial crabbing information.
- Marine Permits and Licenses - List of all marine permits, their fees and requirements.
- Marine Resources Councils and Boards - DEC participates in many marine and fishery councils and boards in cooperation with fishermen, other states and the federal government.
- Marine Recreational Angler Records Program - New York State marine fish records - the biggest fish!
- Public Access to New York's Marine Waters - Who to contact to find boat ramps, fishing piers or the beach
- Recreational Catch Sampling - Data is collected from anglers at fishing access sites to help manage our recreational fisheries.
- Vessel Trip Reports - Information on the completion and submission of VTRs
