DEC Proposing Changes to Freshwater Fishing Regulations

The NY Department of Environmental Conservation is proposing several changes to freshwater fishing regulations around the state.  The changes involve daily catch and size limits, use of gear and bait fish.

The DEC is taking public comments on the proposed changes through October 7, they would go into effect April 1 of next year.  Among the changes near CNY:

• Establish an 18-inch minimum size limit and daily creel limit of three walleye for Sacandaga Lake and tributaries and outlet and Lake Pleasant and tributaries (Hamilton County); Cazenovia and DeRuyter lakes (Madison County); Canadarago Lake (Otsego County); and additional portions of the Seneca River (Cayuga, Onondaga, Seneca and Wayne counties).
• Clarify that statewide black bass regulations apply to the Hamilton County portion of Fourth Lake.
• Decrease the minimum size length for lake trout in Woodhull Lake (Herkimer County) from 21 to 18 inches.
• Reduce the number of brown trout and rainbow trout that can be kept as part of a five fish daily limit in Skaneateles Lake to no more than three of either species.
• Reduce the allowable daily harvest of brown trout and rainbow trout from five of each to three of each and increase the allowable daily harvest of lake trout from three to five as part of the five in any combination daily limit regulation for trout, lake trout, and landlocked salmon at Cayuga and Owasco lakes.
• Increase the minimum size limit for rainbow trout from 9 to 15 inches at Owasco, Skaneateles and Otisco Lake tributaries.
• Remove the prohibition on the use or possession of smelt in Lake George and allow for harvest of smelt by angling.

Those are just some of the regulation changes being proposed, here is the full list. If you'd like to offer comment on the changes, email your thoughts to regulations.fish@dec.ny.gov or use regular mail; Gregory Kozlowski, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Bureau of Fisheries, 625 Broadway, Albany, NY 12233-4753.

SOURCE: NY State Department of Conservation