FISHING

Do I Need a
Fishing License?
With the exception of the circumstances
noted under License Requirements
(Page 6) everyone 16 years
or older must have a valid freshwater
fishing license to fish in New York State.
This includes:
• Anglers fishing on private waters
not open to the general public
• Anglers that do not keep the fish
that they catch
• Assisting an angler (including a
child under the age of 16) in the act
of fishing
• Anglers that fish occasionally
(shorter term licenses are available
at a lower cost)
We Need Your
E-mail Address
The Bureau of Fisheries routinely sends
information of interest to anglers via
e-mail. This includes our new e-news
letter “The Freshwater Fishing Insider”.
The Bureau also uses e-mail to gather
input from anglers concerning important
fisheries issues. Unfortunately,
e-mail addresses are not currently
required to purchase a license from a
license issuing agent and as a result we
may not have your e-mail address.
If we do not currently have your e-mail
address and would like to provide it,
please e-mail your fishing
license customer ID # and
your current e-mail address
to: fwfish@dec.ny.gov.
Be sure to include
"Fishing License E-Mail"
in the subject line.
Special Regulations
The following pages list exceptions to
the statewide angling regulations.
• Trout waters where ice fishing is permitted are identified here.
• Regulations that appear in the Method column pertain to all fishing
in the listed water.
• A “–” between dates in the Open Season columns represents
“through” and includes the ending date.
14 2016–2017 New York Freshwater Fishing Guide