By the time you are reading this, the deadline for State Park Fishing Permits will be little more than a month away. Waiting until the last week will ensure that you’ll be waiting on lengthy lines, and there is also the risk that you forget until it’s too late. If you don’t get your permit by the March 31 deadline, they will not be available again until the Tuesday after Labor Day. Vehicle Registration, Driver’s License and DEC Marine registry are required for all permits. Permit details are listed below.
Also discussed at the February meeting of the State Fishing Advisory Board was the status of the Montauk Lighthouse revetment project. The final permit from DEC was recently received and bids are out for the project. It was hoped work would begin this spring, but permit delays have pushed the start date back to the summer or possibly even the fall. Barring any unforeseen problems, the work should take 18 months to two years to complete. It will result in a new upper level and a lower level approximately ten feet above the water, which should create a more fisherman friendly perch than the existing structure.
Also, there was some good news concerning Gilgo access. The Fire Island Inlet dredging project which has been pumping sand onto Gilgo since the fall has resulted in a significant buildup of the beachfront along the length of the state park property, and extending west through Town of Babylon property. Barring the effects of major storms or piping plover issues, there is every reason to believe that we will once again have access to this popular and productive stretch of oceanfront in 2019.
There has been concern from several quarters about the relocation of the Nature Center to West End 2 and the area being labelled a “nature preserve.” We were assured that the designation as a nature preserve will not result in any change of usage and will not result in the loss of fishing access. It is likely however that there will be some form of lot closures during the reconstruction period. The construction will not affect access to the Work Dock (Construction Dock) area on the inlet side of West End 2. The West End Jetty is accessible from that parking area.
PERMIT INFO:
NIGHT SPORT FISHING PERMIT: Fee of $35.00, $60-Out of State. Permit is valid for fishing after sunset only from April 1-December 31, except where noted. Valid for: Captree – Main field, Overlook and Captree Drawbridge (north side only – 24 hr access) Jones Beach – Fields 6, 10, West End 2, West End Boat Basin, West End Dock Area (24 hr access) & Green Island (24 hr access) Hither Hills – Except Memorial Day to Labor Day Montauk Point – Lower Parking Lot only. Robert Moses – Field 2, Field 3 September 15 to December 31 (24 hr access), Field 4 April 1 to June 23 (7pm-7am) and September 15 to December 31 (24 hr access), Governor Alfred E. Smith/Sunken Meadow – Field 1 & Field 3 (24 hr access), Wildwood – Main Field. Sold at: Babylon Headquarters – Permit Office, Jones Beach, Montauk Downs, Robert Moses, Governor Alfred E. Smith/Sunken Meadow and Wildwood.
FOUR-WHEEL DRIVE BEACH VEHICLE FISHING PERMIT: Fee of $80.00, $125-Out of State. Permit is ONLY valid for fishing at: Hither Hills (Year round), Montauk Point (Year round), Napeague (Year round), Robert Moses (Democrat Point and Sore Thumb) – April 1 – December 31, hours vary. Sold at: Babylon Headquarters – Permit Office, Jones Beach, Montauk Downs, Robert Moses and Sunken Meadow.
CAMP HERO FISHING PERMIT: Fee of $40.00, $75-Out of State. Permit is valid for fishing after sunset only at Camp Hero State Park, April 1 – December 31. Sold at: Babylon Headquarters – Permit Office and Montauk Downs.
CAUMSETT FISHING PERMIT – 500 available permits are sold out.
For more info on permits, call 631-321-3510 or visit www.nysparks.com.
