Saltwater Fishing
For information pertaining to Shellfishing in New York, visit our Shellfishing page.
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
Anglers casting off the shores of Montauk, NY.
Photo courtesy of NY SeaGrant
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.
Download DEC's free app for species and regulation information or to locate a fishing spot near you using advanced GPS mapping features.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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 (link leaves DEC 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?
- 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.
- I FISH NY Saltwater Fishing Guide for New York City Area - Go fishing in New York City!
- Marine Permits and Licenses - List of all marine permits, their fees and requirements.
- New York State Marine Fishing Records - 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
