The DEC was ecstatic to bring back the annual Fall Family Fishing and Children’s Festival at Hampstead Lake State Park on October 16 following the cancellation of the popular festival in 2020 due to COVID-19.
In partnership with NYS Parks, DEC Fisheries staff welcomed over 650 people to the fishing program and cleaned over 150 stocked trout for participants to take home. Festival activities included fishing with free loaner rods and bait, fishing instruction, casting instruction, and fish-cleaning services. In addition to fishing opportunities, the festival offered a children’s casting for pumpkins contest, live animal show, magician, pumpkin decorating, fish printing, and children’s slide, in addition to DEC and State Parks displays. Fish were stocked from Connetquot’s Fish hatchery, and the average size was 14-inch Rainbow trout.
For more information about the fall trout stocking program in Nassau and Suffolk counties, call the DEC Bureau of Fisheries at (631) 444-0280. General information on freshwater fishing on Long Island can be found at DEC’s Long Island/NYC Fishing webpage and more info at DEC’s Fishing webpage.
