FISHING

Waters Where the
Use of Baitfish
Is Prohibited
Waters where the use of baitfish is prohibited
can be found on the Special Regulations by
County pages.
Purchased Baitfish
Green list baitfish
The following baitfish are the only species that
can be purchased and used in any water body
in New York where it is legal to use fish as bait.
These baitfish are commonly used throughout
New York and are not considered to be a threat
to other native New York fish species (except for
trout in waters where baitfish use is prohibited).
Limiting the use of baitfish to the “Green List”
will help prevent the accidental introduction of
unwanted species.
Golden shiner
Emerald shiner
Common shiner
Spottail shiner
Banded killifish
Fathead minnow
Bluntnose minnow
Northern
redbelly dace
Stonecat
Tadpole madtom
Blacknose dace
Longnose dace
White sucker
Northern hogsucker
Creek chub
Fallfish
Logperch
Eastern silvery
minnow
Margined madtom
Brindled madtom
Other baitfish
In addition to the “Green List,” the following
baitfish may be purchased and used in
specified waters and their tributaries to the
first impassable barrier only. They are not
included on the “Green List” for a variety of
reasons including potential negative impacts on
native fish populations (i.e., alewife predation on
walleye fry) or they are Marine District species.
• Alewife: Canandaigua Lake; Canadice Lake;
Cannonsville Reservoir; Cayuga Lake; Cayuta
Lake; Conesus Lake; Hemlock Lake; Waneta
Lake; Hudson River downstream from Lock
C-4 and its associated dam in Stillwater to
the Battery at the southern tip of Manhattan
Island; Keuka Lake; Otsego Lake; Otisco
Lake; Owasco Lake; Lake Ontario; Lake Erie;
Lamoka Lake; Pepacton Reservoir; Seneca
Lake; St. Lawrence River; Niagara River;
Mohawk River, and all waters in Dutchess,
Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan, Ulster
and Westchester counties.
• Rainbow smelt: Canadice Lake; Canandaigua
Lake; Cayuga Lake; Cayuta Lake; Conesus
Lake; First, Second, Third, Fourth, and Fifth
lakes of the Fulton Chain; Hemlock Lake;
Honeoye Lake; Keuka Lake; Lake Champlain;
Lamoka Lake; Lake Ontario; Lake Erie;
Owasco Lake; Seneca Lake; Star Lake (St.
Lawrence County); Waneta Lake; the St. Lawrence
River; and the Niagara River.
• Mummichog: Hudson River and tidal portion
of Hudson River tributaries downstream of the
Federal Dam at Troy; and all waters in Nassau
and Suffolk counties.
• Blueback herring and Atlantic menhaden:
Hudson River downstream from Lock C-4 and
its associated dam in Stillwater to the Battery
at the southern tip of Manhattan Island; and
the Mohawk River and tributaries to the first
barrier impassable by fish.
• American eel: Delaware River and tributaries
to the first barrier impassable by fish, 9-inch
minimum size limit; and the Hudson River
downstream from the Federal Dam at Troy
to the Battery at the southern tip of Manhattan
Island, between 9 and 14 inches.
Use, Possession and
Transportation
of Purchased Baitfish
Certified baitfish
Certified baitfish are those that have been tested
and found to be free of specified diseases. Use
Use Baitfish Wisely
Baitfish Regulations
A Baitfish License
is Required to Sell
Baitfish in NY.
of certified baitfish helps prevent the spread of
fish diseases. Certified baitfish purchased from
a bait dealer can be transported overland in a
motorized vehicle and used in any water body
where it is legal to do so.
For baitfish to be considered certified, the
seller must provide a receipt that contains:
• the seller’s name,
• date of sale,
• the species of fish, and
• the number of each species sold.
The buyer must retain that receipt while in possession
of the baitfish. Baitfish without a receipt
or with a receipt that is older than 10 days shall
be considered uncertified bait.
Baitfish are a very effective and commonly used form of live bait for a variety of fish
species. However, the careless use and disposal of bait fish can have a dramatic impact
on native fish populations. Populations of fish such as brook trout that have evolved
with few, if any, competitive fish species and rarely feed on fish, have been destroyed
by the introduction of baitfish or other non-native fish species.
Anglers should also be cautious with how they dispose of the water that the bait fish
are contained in. This water could contain aquatic invasive species such as larval zebra
mussels or water fleas, as well as fish diseases. These species can be introduced into
another waterbody if bait water is dumped into it.
Help us protect New York’s waters from damaging fish
diseases, aquatic invasive species and non-native fish.
• USE baitfish only in waters where their use is permitted.
• ONLY use bait purchased from a dealer selling certified disease-free bait.
• DON’T move bait or other fish from one water to another.
• DUMP unused bait in the trash or other receptacle, or in an appropriate location
on dry land. Introduction of fish species, including the dumping of unused baitfish,
into a water body without a DEC stocking permit is a violation of Environmental
Conservation Law.
• NEVER dump bait water into a waterbody. If you need to replace the water in your
bait bucket, first drain the existing water on dry land. If you intend to place bait fish
into a boat’s bait well, replace the water they are being held in with water from the
waterbody you will be fishing in prior to dumping them into the bait well.
• REPORT illegal stocking activities
Keep Fishing Great in New York State!
2016–2017 New York Freshwater Fishing Guide 55