NEW YORK STATE (WWTI) — Several freshwater fishing opportunities opened across New York over the weekend.
This included fishing for northern pike, pickerel, tiger muskellunge and walleye as the seasons opened on Sunday, May 1.
This opening date was a part of new fishing regulation changes implemented earlier in 2022 that replaced the previous floating “Saturday” season openers with a fixed date.
According to Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Basil Seggos, this change was made to enhance fishing opportunities across the state.
“We’re excited to announce the opening of these seasons as part of our new, streamlined program and wish all anglers across the state another safe and successful fishing season,” Commissioner Seggos said in a press release. “DEC is committed to enhancing the world-class fishing opportunities New York offers, and our experts continue to advance important conservation and restoration actions to grow the sport and capitalize on the economic opportunities they create.”
DEC also enforces specific fishing regulations for different water bodies across New York. Local season and limits for Lake Ontario, the St. Lawrence River and tributaries are included in the chart below:
| Species | Open season | Min. Length | Daily limit |
| Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout, Coho Salmon, Chinook Salmon | All year | 15″ Rainbow Trout: 21″ in Lake, 25″ in tributaries | 3 in combination |
| Lake Trout | December 1- September 30 | None | 2 |
| Atlantic Salmon | All year | 25″ | 1 |
| Brook Trout | April 1- October 15 | None | 5 |
| Northern Pike (Lake Ontario) | May 1- March 15 | 22″ | 5 |
| Northern Pike (St. Lawrence River and tributaries downstream of Tibbets Point) | May 1- March 15 | 22″ | 3 |
| Black Bass | Prohibited between December 1- June 14 | ||
| Walleye | May 1 to March 15 | 18″ | 3 |
| American Eel | Closed | Possession Prohibited | 0 |
| Yellow Perch | All year | None | 50 |
The above seasons do not apply to St. Lawrence River tributaries in Clinton and Franklin counties. Additional local regulations can be found on the DEC website.