Freshwater Fishing Regulations
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2022 Freshwater Fishing Regulations
(Effective April 1)
Regulation Changes for 2022: Review details on significant changes to freshwater fishing regulations that went into effect April 1, 2022.
Statewide Seasons and Catch Limits
(Exceptions may apply in certain waters through special regulations - see below)
Special Regulations for Specific Waters
Great Lakes and Tributaries (includes the Niagara River and St. Lawrence River and their tributaries)
Border Waters: Delaware River | Lake Champlain | Greenwood Lake | Indian Lake
Map of DEC Regions
Waters by Region/County:
- Region 1(Long Island): Nassau | Suffolk
- Region 2 (New York City): Brooklyn | Bronx | Manhattan | Queens | Staten Island
- Region 3 (Lower Hudson Valley): Dutchess | Orange | Putnam | Rockland | Sullivan | Ulster | Westchester
- Region 4 (Capital Region/Northern Catskills): Albany | Columbia | Delaware | Greene | Montgomery | Otsego | Rensselaer | Schenectady | Schoharie
- Region 5 (Eastern Adirondacks/Lake Champlain): Clinton | Essex | Franklin | Fulton | Hamilton | Saratoga | Warren | Washington
- Region 6 (Western Adirondacks/Eastern Lake Ontario): Herkimer | Jefferson | Lewis | Oneida | St. Lawrence
- Region 7 (Central New York): Broome | Cayuga | Chenango | Cortland | Madison | Onondaga | Oswego | Tioga | Tompkins
- Region 8 (Wester Finger Lakes): Chemung | Genesee | Livingston | Monroe | Ontario | Orleans | Schuyler | Seneca | Steuben | Wayne | Yates
- Region 9 (Western New York): Allegany | Chautauqua | Cattaraugus | Erie | Niagara | Wyoming
Additional Regulations and Guidance
- General Regulations
Definitions, taking and possession, harvest, purchase and sale, natural baits other than baitfish. - Baitfish Regulations
Use, purchase, collection, possession, and transportation of baitfish - Fishing Licenses
Requirements, types, privileges, and purchasing information on freshwater fishing licenses or enrolling in the recreational marine fishing registration (for migratory fish species only) - Fish Consumption Advisories (link leaves DEC website)
Species, quantity, and waterbody locations from which you can safely eat fish.
View a Full Copy of the Fishing Regulations Guide
Download a Printable PDF
New York Freshwater Fishing Regulations Guide: 2022 (PDF)
Pick Up a Copy
You can get a hard copy of the 2022 guide in one of the following ways:
- Visit a License Issuing Agent/Vendor near you, OR
- Send an email to FWFish@dec.ny.gov to request a copy by mail
