Fishing in
New York
9,895 named waters · 0 stocked in the last 30 days
New York's Finger Lakes hold lake trout and landlocked salmon in deep, cold water, while Lake Ontario's tributaries see some of the best Chinook salmon and steelhead runs on the Great Lakes each fall. The Catskills are where American fly fishing effectively started, on streams like the Beaverkill and the Willowemoc that still draw anglers chasing that history.
New York holds 9,895 fishable waters on the books. NYSDEC has logged 1,745 stockings in the last year, led by brown trout. The biggest water in the state is Lake Ontario at 4,656,928 acres.
Loading the map…
When does New York stock?
Stocking peaks in April, going by every record on the books.
What you'll catch here
- Brown Trout308 waters
- Brook Trout268 waters
- Rainbow Trout159 waters
- Landlocked Salmon43 waters
- Lake Trout37 waters
- Walleye30 waters
- Steelhead22 waters
- Splake11 waters
Freshest stockings
Full report →- Saranac RiverRainbow TroutJun 11, 2026
- Saranac RiverRainbow TroutJun 11, 2026
- Willowemoc CreekBrown TroutJun 4, 2026
- Willowemoc CreekBrown TroutJun 4, 2026
- West Branch Ausable RiverBrown TroutJun 4, 2026
Most-stocked waters, last 12 months
- Kinderhook Creek32× stocked
- West Branch Delaware River32× stocked
- West Canada Creek27× stocked
- West Branch Ausable River25× stocked
- Genesee River22× stocked
- Chittenango Creek20× stocked
- Saranac River16× stocked
- Catskill Creek16× stocked
- Kayaderosseras Creek16× stocked
- Batten Kill16× stocked
Biggest waters
- Lake Ontario4,656,928 ac
- Oneida Lake51,325 ac
- Seneca Lake43,394 ac
- Cayuga Lake42,911 ac
- Lake George28,562 ac
- Great Sacandaga Lake24,910 ac
- Chautauqua Lake13,296 ac
- Keuka Lake11,667 ac
Major rivers
- Saint Lawrence Riverorder 10 · ~281,401 cfs
- Niagara Riverorder 10 · ~242,698 cfs
- Hudson Riverorder 8 · ~20,386 cfs
- Oswego Riverorder 8 · ~8,476 cfs
- Seneca Riverorder 8 · ~5,891 cfs
- Mohawk Riverorder 8 · ~5,674 cfs
- Harlem Riverorder 8 · ~14 cfs
- Bronx Killorder 8 · ~7 cfs
Waters by county
All counties →Hamilton (694) · Essex (690) · St. Lawrence (576) · Suffolk (540) · Herkimer (498) · Franklin (442) · Sullivan (347) · Warren (298) · Lewis (298) · Westchester (279) · Delaware (254) · Orange (247) · Oneida (232) · Nassau (218) · Jefferson (199) · Oswego (197) · Saratoga (191) · Ulster (189) · Cattaraugus (180) · Dutchess (169) · Clinton (166) · Steuben (156) · Washington (143) · Chenango (141) · Fulton (136) · Putnam (131) · Otsego (129) · Rensselaer (119) · Broome (118) · Chautauqua (111)
Seasons, limits, and rules are New York's call — read the official regulations and buy your license from the state, not a middleman. We link the source; we never restate the rules.
Explore nearby states
New York fishing — FAQ
Where does New York stock fish?+
NYSDEC logged 1,745 stockings across New York in the last year, led by brown trout, brook trout, rainbow trout and landlocked salmon. Browse the map and most-stocked waters above for exact locations.
When does New York stock fish?+
Stocking in New York peaks in April, going by every record on the books. See each water's page for its own seasonality.
Do I need a license to fish in New York?+
Yes — New York requires a fishing license for most anglers. Buy one from the state agency and check current seasons and limits before you go.
How many fishable waters are in New York?+
New York has 9,895 named fishable waters mapped on FishableWaters, from stocked reservoirs to wild streams.