General Info
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All the cities in the county and links to their sites (if available)
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Not including unincorporated communities
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*For more information visit: http://www.richmondcountyclerk.com/
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Future Big Game Season Dates | ||
Area | Season | Dates |
Northern Zone | Early Bear (some WMUs) | The first Saturday after the second Monday in September through the day immediately preceding the early muzzleloading season. |
Early Bowhunting – Bear | The first Saturday after the second Monday in September through the day immediately preceding the early muzzleloading season. | |
Early Bowhunting – Deer | September 27 through the Friday immediately preceding the regular season. | |
Early Muzzleloading – Deer & Bear | 7 consecutive days beginning on the 1st Saturday after Columbus Day. | |
Regular – Deer & Bear | 44 consecutive days beginning on the 2nd Saturday after Columbus Day. | |
Late Bow and Muzzleloading – Deer | 7 consecutive days immediately following the regular season. (Only open in specific WMUs) | |
Southern Zone | Early Bear (some WMUs) | 16 consecutive days beginning the first Saturday after Labor Day. |
Early Bowhunting – Deer & Bear | October 1 through the Friday immediately preceding regular season. | |
Regular – Deer & Bear | 23 days beginning the third Saturday of November. | |
Late Bow and Muzzleloading – Deer & Bear | 9 consecutive days immediately following the regular season. | |
Westchester County | Regular – Deer & Bear (bowhunting only) | October 1 through December 31. |
Suffolk County | Regular – Deer (bowhunting only) | October 1 through January 31. |
Special Firearms Season – Deer | The first Sunday in January through January 31. |
See Rifle, Shotgun and Bow Areas for a description of the hunting implements which may be used in the early bear season and regular deer and bear seasons.
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General take and possession
Endangered and threatened fish
It is illegal to fish for, or possess fish that are officially listed by DEC as endangered or threatened:
Any unintentionally caught threatened or endangered fish species must be unhooked and released immediately. They may not be handled for any purpose other than removing the hook and placing them back into the water.
Foul hooking
All foul-hooked trout, lake trout, coho salmon, chinook salmon, pink salmon and landlocked salmon must be released without unnecessary injury to the fish. All foul-hooked walleye in Oneida Lake and the tributaries to first bridge upstream from the lake must be released without unnecessary injury to the fish.
Use of gaffs
Use or possession of gaffs or gaff hooks is prohibited when fishing in freshwater, including the Hudson River upstream of the Tappan Zee Bridge, except when ice fishing.
Methods of Taking Fish
Angling
Angling means taking fish by hook and line. This includes bait and fly fishing, casting, trolling and the use of landing nets to complete the catch.
Ice fishing
Ice fishing is permitted in the following waters:
* If you are unsure whether a water is considered trout or non-trout, contact the DEC Regional Office for that area.
Ice fishing regulations (where ice fishing is permitted)
Ice shanties
Ice shanties must be marked on the outside with the owner’s name and address in letters at least 3 inches high. Shanties must be removed from all waters by March 15 to prevent them from falling through the ice in spring and becoming hazards to navigation.
Dip nets
Any person who has a fishing license, or is entitled to fish without a license, 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. Refer to regulations specific to dip net use for alewife and blueback herring on the Hudson River.
Note: Smelt, suckers, alewives and blueback herring are the only fish that may be taken with a dip net.
Bowfishing
Any person who has a fishing or small game hunting license, or is entitled to fish without a license, may take carp of any size and in any number by longbow (recurve or compound) from May 15 through September 30 from any water of the state where fishing and the discharge of a bow is permitted. The Fish Carcass Disposal Law must be followed. Taking fish by bow is otherwise prohibited. Taking fish by crossbow is prohibited at all times.
Snatching
The taking of fish by snatching, but not blind snatching, is permitted from January 1 through March 15 only as follows:
Spearfishing
The taking of fish by spear (not spear gun) is permitted only as follows:
Spearfishing prohibited
Use of fish traps
Fish traps may only be used to take baitfish.
Use of nets
Nets may only be used to take fish as follows:
Regulations for Harvested Fish
Fish cleaning law
It is illegal on New York State waters to possess walleye, black bass, brook trout, lake trout or Atlantic salmon that have been cut, dismembered, filleted, skinned or otherwise altered so that the species and total length of such fish cannot be easily determined. However, these fish may be gilled or gutted. Other species of fish may be filleted provided that the skin is not removed from the fillets. This regulation allows more effective enforcement of harvest regulations on protected game fish.
Fish carcass disposal law
It is illegal to discard any fish carcass, or parts thereof, into the freshwaters of the state within 100 feet of shore or upon any public or private lands contiguous to and within 100 feet of such water, except:
Transportation
Transportation of fish is permitted as follows:
Fish caught in New York State
Fish caught outside of New York State
Fish caught outside of NY may be transported into New York in any manner, except parcel post, in the number that may be legally exported from the place of taking.
Non-salable fish transported by carrier
A tag must be attached showing name and address of both taker and consignee, and contents of the package.
Purchase and Sale of Fish
Fish that are salable at any time include:
Fish that are non-salable are fish that have a minimum size limit or a closed season.
Exceptions:
Natural Baits Other Than Baitfish
Salamanders and snakes
Native salamanders and snakes cannot be collected or used as bait.
Aquatic insects
No aquatic insect (or any insect that lives in the water during any of its life stages) shall be taken from waters inhabited by trout, or from the banks of those waters at anytime.
Rusty crayfish
Fish eggs
Taking and possession of frogs
Any person who has a hunting or 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 or a longbow. Frogs may be taken in any number and at any time from June 15 through September 30, except that no person shall use a gun to take frogs between sunset to sunrise. Frogs may be imported, bought and sold at any time. An importer must keep a record of names and addresses of buyers and sellers.
Exception: Leopard frogs may not be taken in NYC, Nassau or Suffolk counties. Northern cricket frogs or eastern spadefoot toads may not be taken anywhere in New York State.
Smelt may be taken in a dip net not exceeding 14 inches in diameter, or 13 x 13 inches if square, as follows: | ||||
Water | Open Season | Daily Hours & Limit | Tributaries | |
Tupper Lake | All year | Anytime/8 quarts | Lake and Bog River upstream to Rt 421 | |
Canandaigua Lake Canadice Lake Hemlock Lake Keuka Lake Seneca Lake Cayuga Lake Owasco Lake |
All year | Anytime/8 quarts | All from lake upstream to first barrier impassable by fish | |
Exceptions: no dipping in Catharine Creek and L’Hommedieu Diversion channel (Seneca Lake) and upstream of old Lehigh Valley Railroad bridge at Naples Creek (Canandaigua Lake) | ||||
Indian Lake Fulton Chain (except Seventh Lake) East Caroga Lake West Caroga Lake |
April 1 through May 15 | 5 am to 10 pm (prevailing time) 8 quarts |
All from lake upstream to first barrier impassable by fish. No dipping in Mead Creek from mouth upstream to State Route 29A | |
Hudson River from Tappan Zee Bridge upstream to the Troy Dam | All year | Anytime/Any number | All from river upstream to first barrier impassable by fish | |
Marine and Coastal District | Contact (631) 444-0430 or www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/7894.html | |||
Smelt may be taken in any size dip net as follows: | ||||
Water | Open Season | Daily Limit | Tributaries | |
Lake Erie Lake Ontario Niagara River |
All year | 8 quarts | All from lake upstream to first barrier impassable by fish | |
Suckers may be taken in a dip net not exceeding 14 inches in diameter, or 13 x 13 inches if square, as follows: | |||
Water | Open Season | Daily Limit | Tributaries |
Cayuga Lake | All year | Any number | All tributaries from the lake upstream to the first impassable barrier by fish |
Seneca Lake | All year | Any number | All except Catharine Creek |
Canandaigua Lake | All year | Any number | All except Naples Creek where netting is prohibited upstream of old Lehigh Valley Railroad bridge |
Hudson River upstream to Troy Dam | All year | Any number | All from river upstream to first barrier impassable by fish |
Stocking
A DEC stocking permit is required to stock fish (including fish used as bait) into a New York State water body. A stocking permit application may be obtained from your regional DEC Fisheries Office.
Tagged Fish
If you catch a tagged fish, write down the tag number, length of the fish, date and location of capture, and send this information to the address on the tag. You will be sent information about DEC’s tagging program and the individual fish reported. Please don’t remove tags from fish you release.