A boy fishes for yellow perch at Mill Pond in Wantagh. Credit: Linda Karlin, Valley Stream
For freshwater fishing, all you need is a basic, well-made fishing rod and appropriate bait. Here are places where you might try dropping a line — and an idea of what might be biting.
Jim Jonke, of Shoreham, fishes for large mouth bass at Forge Pond in Calverton. Credit: Newsday/Steve Pfost
NASSAU
FOREST CITY PARK POND, 6 acres, Wantagh; largemouth bass, carp, pumpkinseed, brown bullhead, bluegill, American eel.
FREEPORT RESERVOIR, 18-acre pond; bass, carp, crappie, pumpkinseed, brown bullhead, bluegill, American eel.
GRANT PARK POND, 6 acres, Hewlett; bass, bluegill, carp, American eel. No boats.
HEMPSTEAD LAKE, 167 acres, West Hempstead; bass, pickerel, perch, crappie, bluegill, carp, pumpkinseed. Boat permit needed.
MASSAPEQUA LAKE/CAROONS LAKE, 40 acres, Massapequa Preserve; largemouth bass, chain pickerel, bluegill, pumpkinseed, carp, white and yellow perch, bullhead. No boats.
MASSAPEQUA RESERVOIR, 20 acres; stocked with brown and rainbow trout in March and April and brown trout in the fall; largemouth bass, American eel, carp, pumpkinseed, bluegill, bullhead. No boats.
MCDONALD POND, 1 acre, Hempstead Lake State Park; stocked with brook, brown and rainbow trout in the fall; largemouth bass, bluegill, pumpkinseed, bullhead. No boats.
Charles Gansky, of New Hyde Park, fishes for bass in McDonald Pond in Hempstead Lake State Park. Credit: Jeff Bachner
OYSTER BAY MILL POND, 20 acres, West Shore Road and Lake Avenue, Oyster Bay; stocked with rainbow and brown trout in the spring and brown trout in the fall; largemouth bass, brown bullhead and others. No boats.
SMITH POND, 19 acres, Rockville Centre; bass, pickerel, yellow perch, bluegill, pumpkinseed, carp and others. No boats.
SOUTH POND, 19 acres, Hempstead Lake State Park, directly across from McDonald Pond; stocked with brook, brown and rainbow trout in the fall; largemouth bass, chain pickerel, black crappie, sunfish, yellow perch, carp. No boats.
UPPER TWIN POND, 20 acres, between Wantagh Parkway and Old Mill Road, Wantagh; stocked with rainbow and brown trout in the spring and brown trout in the fall; black crappie, largemouth bass, carp, bluegill, brown bullhead, American eel, pumpkinseed and others. No boats.
WANTAGH MILL POND, 15 acres, west of Wantagh State Parkway on north side of Merrick Road; perch, largemouth bass, brown bullhead, bluegill, American eel, pumpkinseed and others. No boats.
SUFFOLK
ARGYLE LAKE, 25 acres, Carlls River, Babylon; stocked with rainbow and brown trout in the spring and brown trout in the fall; largemouth bass, yellow perch, sunfish and others. No boats.
ARTIST LAKE, 30-acre kettle hole, Middle Island; largemouth bass, chain pickerel, crappie, perch and others. Canoes or hand-carried boats only.
BELMONT LAKE, 19 acres, Belmont Lake State Park, West Babylon; stocked with rainbow and brown trout in the spring; largemouth bass, bluegill, carp, brown bullhead, pumpkinseed, yellow perch. No private boats. Boat rentals available for fishing.
BIG REED POND, 45 acres, Montauk County Park; largemouth bass, bluegill, pumpkinseed, white perch. Hand-carry boat launch allowed.
CANAAN LAKE, 26-acre human-made lake, north end of Ohls Street, North Patchogue; rainbow trout in the spring and brown trout in the fall; largemouth bass, brown bullhead, chain pickerel, yellow perch, bluegill, pumpkinseed. Hand-launched boats permitted.
CARLLS RIVER, Babylon; stocked with rainbow and brown trout in March; carp, perch, largemouth bass, brown bullhead, bluegill, pumpkinseed.
CARMANS RIVER, Yaphank-Shirley, about 10 miles long, from near Route 25 to Great South Bay; stocked with brown trout in March, brown and rainbow trout in April and May, and brown trout in the fall.
CONNETQUOT RIVER, 8 miles long, from Lakeland County Park to Great South Bay; stocked with rainbow and brown trout in May.
Fish for crabs on the Connetquot River off the Great River Dock in Great River. Credit: Rick Kopstein
FORGE POND, 120 acres, South River Road, Calverton; largemouth bass, pickerel, carp, brown bullhead, crappie, perch, pumpkinseed, bluegill. Trailed boat and hand-carry boat launches are available; kayak slide.
FORT POND, 181 acres, Montauk; bass, bluegill, pumpkinseed, brown bullhead, walleye, perch, carp. Trailed boat launch allowed.
FRESH POND, 35 acres, Montauk; bass, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, brown bullhead, pumpkinseed. Hand-carry boat launch allowed.
FRESH POND, 15 acres, Shelter Island; bass, bluegill, carp, pumpkinseed. Hand-carry boat launch allowed.
GREAT POND, 50 acres, Southold; largemouth bass, pumpkinseed, chain pickerel, crappie, yellow perch, bluegill. Town of Southold parking permit required.
HARDS LAKE, 30 acres, Southaven County Park, Brookhaven; stocked with rainbow and brown trout in March and April, brown trout in May; largemouth bass, bluegill, yellow perch, pumpkinseed, brown bullhead. No private boats; rentals only. Suffolk County Green Card is required.
HOOK POND, 64 acres, East Hampton; largemouth bass, bluegill, perch, carp, pumpkinseed, brown bullhead. Village of East Hampton parking permit required. Hand-carry boats permitted.
KAHLERS POND, 13 acres, north of Merrick Road, East Moriches; stocked with rainbow trout in March, brown trout in the fall; bass, chain pickerel, yellow perch, carp, pumpkinseed, brown bullhead, bluegill. Hand-launched boats are allowed.
LAKE RONKONKOMA, 243-acre glacial kettle hole; 65 feet at deepest; bass, bluegill, carp, brown bullhead, crappie, pumpkinseed, perch, chain pickerel, walleye. Boats permitted, launched from DEC boat launch. No gas motors.
LAUREL LAKE, 30 acres, 47-foot deep kettle hole lake, north of Route 25, Laurel; stocked with rainbow and brown trout in the spring; bass, bluegill, perch, chain pickerel, brown bullhead, pumpkinseed.
MARRATOOKA POND, 26 acres, Mattituck; largemouth bass, bluegill, perch, pumpkinseed, brown bullhead. Hand-carry boats permitted.
MILLERS POND, 21 acres, Smithtown; largemouth bass, yellow perch, brown bullhead, sunfish. No boats.
NISSEQUOGUE RIVER, about 8 miles long from Hauppauge to Long Island Sound; stocked with brown trout in March-April, rainbow trout in April and brown trout in the fall.
PATCHOGUE LAKE, 40 acres; largemouth bass, chain pickerel, pumpkinseed, crappie, brown bullhead, yellow perch. Hand-launched boats are allowed.
POXABOGUE POND, 44 acres, Village of Sagaponack; bass, bluegill, pumpkinseed. No boats.
RANDALL POND, 4 acres, north of Middle Country Road, Ridge; bass, bluegill, brown bullhead, pumpkinseed. Hand-launched boats allowed.
RATTLESNAKE CREEK, Oakdale, tidal waters south of Montauk Highway; stocked with rainbow trout in May.
SAYVILLE MILL POND, 6 acres, Montauk Highway and Mill Pond Road; largemouth bass, sunfish. Hand-launched boats are allowed.
SEARS AND BELLOWS PONDS, Hampton Bays; largemouth bass, chain pickerel, bluegill. Park rents rowboats. Suffolk County Green Card is required.
SOUTHARDS POND, 19 acres, Babylon; stocked with rainbow and brown trout in March and brown trout in the fall; largemouth bass, yellow perch, bluegill, pumpkinseed, brown bullhead, carp, pickerel. No boats.
SWAN (EAST) LAKE, 30 acres, north of Montauk Highway, East Patchogue; stocked with rainbow and brown trout in April; largemouth bass, pumpkinseed, yellow perch, brown bullhead. Hand-launched boats are allowed.
TWIN PONDS, 5 acres, Betty Allen Nature Preserve, Route 25A, Centerport; stocked with brown and rainbow trout in March and brown trout in the fall; bluegill, pumpkinseed, largemouth bass. No boats.
UPPER MILLS POND, 60-acre body downstream from Forge Pond, Calverton; largemouth bass, chain pickerel, black crappie, brown bullhead, perch, carp, pumpkinseed, bluegill. Hand-launched boats are allowed.
WEST LAKE, 20 acres, just north of Montauk Highway and west of Waverly Avenue, Patchogue; stocked with brown trout in March, brown and rainbow trout in April and brown trout in the fall; largemouth bass, bluegill, yellow perch, pumpkinseed, brown bullhead. Hand-launched boats are allowed.
WILDWOOD LAKE, 64 acres, Northampton; largemouth bass, chain pickerel, pumpkinseed, perch, brown bullhead, rock bass. Town of Southampton residents only. Nonresidents can fish with a town-licensed guide.
Regulations and registrations
Check the New York State 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 one year for ages 16-69; nonresidents $10 for one day, $28 for seven days, $50 for one year for ages 16-69. 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 (There is a $1 print fee for printed transactions made by email. Transactions made online or over the phone are subject to a $2 printing/mailing fee.) and valid for one year. For more about the Recreational Marine Fishing Registry, visit nwsdy.li/registry, or call 866-933-2257, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. weekdays (saltwater) or 631-444-0280 (freshwater) or visit nwsdy.li/nyfish.
