Streamlined Rule Changes to Take Effect April 1st.

• changing the statewide regulation for rainbow trout and brown trout in ponds to allow for yearround fishing and aligning harvest limits for rainbow trout, brown trout and brook trout across streams and ponds at five fish per day no minimum size, only two of which can be over 12”.

• changes the statewide regulations for Atlantic Salmon and lake trout to allow for year-round fishing.

• all openers for sportfish will begin on a hard date.

• ice fishing will be allowed statewide unless specifically prohibited in all but 9 Adirondack counties, where the existing regulation prohibiting ice fishing in waters inhabited by trout will remain.

The new regulations reflect the input received during the public comment period earlier this year. The new regulations were developed as part of an ongoing effort to make fishing regulations in general, less complicated and easier to understand.

The changes will reduce the number of special regulations. Some of the new statewide regulations were already broadly applied via special regulations. Some special regulations are still necessary, particularly for waters that require unique management strategies to achieve desired fisheries outcomes.

DEC also adopted more conservative harvest regulations for sunfish to protect populations from overharvest and increased the minimum size limit for crappie to 10 inches to improve the stability and size structure of populations. DEC also placed experimental regulations on 11 waters to determine if larger sunfish can be produced under a 15-fish-perday harvest limit and an eight-inch minimum size limit.

Highlights of the Regulation Changes

A complete compilation of changes and an assessment of public comment associated with the final rulemaking is available on the DEC website. Major regulation changes include:

New statewide regulation for rainbow, brown trout, and splake in lakes and ponds. The season will now be open year-round, with a five-fish daily limit, any size, with a "no more than two longer than 12 inches" harvest rule;

Statewide Atlantic salmon regulations will now allow for a year-round open season;

Ice fishing is permitted on all waters in New York unless specifically prohibited with the exception of Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Hamilton, Herkimer, Lewis, St. Lawrence, Warren, and Washington counties where previous rules remain;

New specific dates replaced floating dates for statewide season openers to include:

May 1 - Walleye, Northern Pike, Pickerel and Tiger Muskellunge;

June 1 - Muskellunge. Note that in 2022, DEC will allow for the fishing of muskellunge beginning the last Saturday in May to accommodate previously planned fishing trips; and

June 15 - Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass.

A five-fish daily walleye limit in Oneida Lake;

A new regulation to limit the growth of the walleye population in Skaneateles Lake. No daily possession limit; 12-inch minimum size limit, open year-round;

The statewide sunfish daily harvest limit has been reduced from 50 to 25 fish; and

The statewide minimum size limit for crappie has been increased from nine inches to 10 inches.

New 2022 Freshwater Fishing Regulations Guide

The new guide will be posted to the DEC website to download or print at home later this month. Hard copies of the guide are currently being produced and guides are anticipated to be available at License Issuing Agents by the second week of April. Hard copies can also be requested by emailing [email protected].