The NY State Department of Environmental Conservation is currently considering possible changes in freshwater fishing regulations for 2017/2018. Proposals will actually be finalized and made available for public comment during the late summer of 2016. At this time the Department is soliciting feedback on what may be proposed later this year.
To submit input regarding any of the possible changes being considered, send an email with the following subject line: "Possible Freshwater Fishing Regulation Changes [ID number of the regulation you are commenting on]." For your convenience, each "Email a comment." link will fill in the To: and subject lines with the correct information. To ensure we receive and can properly review your suggestions, you must leave the subject line as it appears on the e-mail, and be sure to indicate the ID # (s) of the regulation(s) you are remarking on. Please send a separate email for each possible regulation you would like to make suggestions on!
Input will be collected through March 31, 2016.
Please note that due to the high volume of e-mails received, the Department will be unable to reply to individual submissions. All input will be reviewed and considered towards developing a proposed rule making consisting of sportfishing regulation changes that, if accepted, would become effective April 1, 2017. There are two changes proposed for our region, one for Suffolk County and one for Westchester County.
Suffolk County
Trout regulation change on Carman’s River in Southaven County Park (2017_R1_01):
Description: Eliminate the nine inch minimum size limit for trout in the Carmans River in Southaven County Park and eliminate the catch and release only regulation for Brown Trout and Rainbow Trout from the LIPA Power Lines upstream to Yaphank Avenue.
Rationale: The rationale for these changes is to allow anglers to harvest more stocked trout. Angler surveys and trout population surveys conducted from 2011 through 2013 found that 77% of the angler effort occurred in April, May and June. Up to 80% of the trout stocked in March and April are less than nine inches long and are not expected to grow to the nine inch minimum size during the period when most of the people are fishing. These surveys also showed that year to year survival of stocked trout was negligible. So while the intent of the nine inch minimum size was to protect the trout until they could grow to a larger size, the reality of the regulation was that it did not allow for the harvest of most of the trout stocked for the duration of the time when they were in the river and when most anglers were fishing for them.
The "Catch and Release Only" regulation on the section of the Carmans River above the LIPA Power Lines was instituted in the 1990’s in an effort to protect stocked Brown and Rainbow Trout and native Brook Trout to provide more likelihood of holdover trout for anglers. Brook Trout are now catch and release only throughout the river and the DEC no longer stocks Brown and Rainbow Trout in this section, so the regulation is no longer needed. This change simplifies the regulations.
Westchester County
Titicus Reservoir Walleye Size and Creel Limit (2017_R3_01):
Description: Establish an 18-inch minimum size limit and creel limit of 3 per day for walleye for Titicus Reservoir.
Rationale: A five year experimental walleye stocking plan was initiated in 2014 for Titicus Reservoir with the intent of establishing a self-sustaining population. The increased size limit is intended to protect walleye until they have had at least one opportunity to spawn before reaching harvestable length and the reduced daily limit is intended to limit the harvest of fish until a self-sustaining population is well established.
To comment on these changes, to suggest other changes, or to view statewide proposals for regulation changes, visit the NYDEC website.
