The family fun fishing festival is coming up once again! New York State Parks and the New York Department of Environmental are once again hosting their annual Family Fishing Festival at Belmont State Park on April 5th.
Regarding this event DEC Regional Director Cathy Haas said “The Belmont Lake Spring Family Fishing Festival is a wonderful way to kick off the spring freshwater fishing season on Long Island. This annual festival is fun for the whole family, and we hope anglers of all ages and abilities join us for another fantastic event.” State Parks Long Island Regional Director George Gorman Jr. said also chimed in and said “This fishing festival has become a family tradition enjoyed by thousands of Long Islanders and our visitors. The joy of fishing within Belmont Lake, in such a beautiful surrounding cannot be understated. People of all ages will have an amazing time.”
Festival activities begin at 10 a.m. and are provided, free of charge. Activities include open fishing, fishing instruction, fly casting demonstrations, and fish cleaning services. DEC and local fishing clubs will also set up informational displays. Loaner rods and free bait will be available to participants, and as the supply of loaner rods is limited, participants are encouraged to bring their fishing tackle if possible.
Children’s activities include the “Spring Fling” casting contest and hands-on educational displays by DEC’s Education Unit. Children participating in the casting contest can win some great prizes supplied by DEC’s I FISH NY Program and The Natural Heritage Trust. This event will be held rain or shine.
The Spring Family Fishing Festival has been designated a Free Fishing Event, so the freshwater fishing license requirement for anglers ages 16 and older has been suspended for this event only. After 4 p.m., anglers will need a valid NYS freshwater fishing license to legally fish.
Remember, if you do go, a vehicle use fee of $8 will be in effect. Parking is free for Empire Pass holders. The 2025 Empire Pass can also be purchased for $80 for a physical version or $72 for a digital copy at state park offices or online.
The festival highlights DEC’s spring trout stocking program in Nassau and Suffolk counties. Before the festival, DEC will stock Belmont Lake with over 1,000 brown and brook trout. Additional brook and rainbow trout will be stocked by State Parks. In total, DEC’s spring stocking program, which is conducted by regional freshwater fisheries staff, staff from DEC’s Catskill Fish Hatchery and volunteers, will place over 16,000 brown trout and rainbow trout in over 20 ponds and streams in Nassau and Suffolk counties. A complete list of DEC fish stockings can be found by taking a look inside the April print edition of The Fisherman Magazine right next to the news brief section. Also, keep in mind that in the fall, some of these lakes will receive a supplemental stocking that will keep anglers busy through the remainder of the fall, and these trout will also hold over into the winter for additional opportunities.
Remember to be mindful of regulations if you plan on keeping trout to consume. There is a daily limit of five fish per person with no more than two longer than 12 inches. Special regulations apply to certain bodies of water in the area, which you can take a look at by visiting them. www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/124996.html. Spring trout stocking began in mid-March and will be completed by early May. For more information on any of this call I FISH NY at (631) 444-0283 or Belmont Lake State Park at (631) 667-5055, or visit DEC’s Lean to Fish webpage.
This is certainly a traditional event which in my opinion kicks off the fishing season in a way for local anglers. Even if you’re not entirely a freshwater fisherman, catching trout to start off the year is always a great time and almost is a sure bet to dust off the winter cobwebs and bend the rod. I encourage you to try to get down to this one for the festivities and if you know a child that you want to get into the sport, this is a great event to take them to. I’ll be there as well giving out magazines and will take some casts myself to participate in the tradition. Hope to see you then!
