ALBANY, N.Y. \u2014 The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation announced the spring trout fishing season starts April 1.<\/p>\n
\u201cNew York\u2019s season opener is a welcome sign of spring for trout anglers,\u201d Commissioner Amanda Lefton said. \u201cI encourage anglers to introduce someone new to recreational fishing this year and enjoy Getting Offline and Getting Outside to experience some of the greatest freshwater fishing opportunities in the nation.\u201d<\/p>\n
DEC trout stocking is underway with more than 1.7 million catchable-size brook, brown and rainbow trout being stocked in waters across the state from mid-March through early June. Drought conditions at Catskill Fish Hatchery during late summer and autumn of 2025 reduced the water supply to a level that inhibited brown trout growth.<\/p>\n
On average, yearling trout from this facility will be shorter than the 9-inch target size at stocking. Growth rates can be expected to recover at Catskill Fish Hatchery with normal rainfall.<\/p>\n
Stocked-Extended streams will receive fish every other week for two months to provide season-long opportunities for angler success. Most stream stockings include larger trout 12 inches or more as 10% of the total number.<\/p>\n
The Trout Stream Fishing Map on DECinfo Locator allows anglers to view trout stream reaches, color-coded by management category, as well as fishing access associated with those reaches. Anglers can also use their smartphones to find trout fishing opportunities around the state by accessing the Tackle Box feature in DEC\u2019s HuntFishNY app.<\/p>\n