Where to go freshwater fishing on Long Island
Fisherman on the lake at Suffolk County Blydenburgh Park was the only fisherman on the lake and caught a fish. Credit: Daniel Goodrich
For freshwater fishing, all you need is a basic, well-made fishing rod and appropriate bait. Here are some places on Long Island where you might try dropping a line — and an idea of what might be biting.
NASSAU
SUFFOLK
Regulations and registrations
Check the Department of Environmental Conservation website for current regulations. Marine registrations are free and valid for one year. General freshwater-fishing license fees for residents are $5 for one day, $12 for seven days, $25 for 365 days; nonresidents $10 for one day, $28 for seven days, $50 for 365 days. Sign up at a licensing agent, at nwsdy.li/nyfish or call 866-933-2257, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. weekdays.
All residents 16 or older who fish in the New York State Coastal Marine District and adjacent federal waters must be registered. Marine registrations are free and valid for one year. For more about the Recreational Marine Fishing Registry, visit nwsdy.li/registry, call 631-444-0430 (saltwater) or 631-444-0280 (freshwater) or visit nwsdy.li/nyfish.
For rules on catching tuna, billfish and other shark species, visit bit.ly/3ZSKmsK or call 888-872-8862 (federal). No fishing for Atlantic shortfin mako. Also visit the National Marine Fisheries Service permit shop at hmspermits.noaa.gov (outside NYS waters, 3 miles or more offshore) or nwsdy.li/nysalt (saltwater fishing regulations for New York State).
