2022 Fishing Regulations Announced

[greensider]

My friend and I will definitely be making trips to target them just based on new regulations

[SizeMatters]

ALBANY, N.Y. (WKBW) — The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation is making changes to its freshwater fishing regulations that will take effect within the next two weeks.

Effective April 1, 2022, the DEC is changing its fishing seasons for some fish and the size limits for others:

Rainbow trout, brown trout and splake season for lakes and ponds is now year-round, with a five-fish daily limit, any size; a "no more than two longer than 12 inches" harvest rule applies.
Atlantic salmon now has a year-round open season statewide
Ice fishing is permitted on all waters in New York, unless specifically prohibited. Previous rules remain in effect in Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Hamilton, Herkimer, Lewis, St. Lawrence, Warren, and Washington counties.
Statewide season openers for some fish have been replaced:
May 1: walleye, northern pike, pickerel and tiger muskellunge
June 1: Muskellunge. The DEC will allow for the fishing of muskellunge beginning the last Saturday in May to accommodate previously planned fishing trips for this year only
June 15: largemouth and Smallmouth Bass
A five-fish daily walleye limit is in effect for Oneida Lake
There is no more daily possession limit for walleye on Skaneateles Lake. Fish must be 12 inches minimum and the season is open year-round.
The statewide sunfish daily harvest limit has been reduced from 50 to 25 fish.
The statewide minimum size limit for crappie has been increased from 9 inches to 10 inches.

......and buried way down.......:
Honeoye Lake
Previous regs:
• Black Bass, 3rd Sat in June –Mar 15, Minimum Length-12", Daily Limit-5
• Black Bass, Mar 16– Fri preceding the 3rd Sat in June, Catch and Release only, Artificial lures only
• Walleye, 1st Sat in May-Mar 15, Minimum Length-15”, Daily Limit- 3
• Sunfish, All year, Minimum Length-none, Daily Limit-50

New regs:
• Black Bass, June 15–Mar 15, Minimum Length-12", Daily Limit- 5
• Black Bass, Mar 16–June 14, Catch and Release only, Artificial lures only
• Walleye, May 1–Mar 15, Minimum Length-18", Daily Limit- 3
• Sunfish, All year, Minimum Length-8”, Daily Limit-15

Silver Lake
Previous: Sunfish, All year, Minimum Length- none, Daily Limit-50
 
New:Sunfish, All year, Minimum Length- 8”, Daily Limit-15

[Mac Attack]

Thanks Greg!!

[greensider]

Looks to me like many lakes will be getting overpopulated with panfish

[filetandrelease]

Looks to me like many lakes will be getting overpopulated with panfish

I agree , more fish competing for the same amount of food , I could be wrong but this looks like it will lead to dinktom  , not all bodies of water need the same limits , just my .02

[skinny40]

I love the idea of bigger fish. This just doesn't make sense to me. So....to get bigger sunfish you need to take less, and only the biggest ones, but for walleye to get bigger you must take all the smal ones? How does that work?

[greensider]

Well the science must have changed like with covid 🤣🤣🤣

[skinny40]

Wish there was some science involved in this process. I just do not understand the logic behind the idea that in order to get bigger sunfish we need to take only the biggest ones and not to many, but in order to get the walleye bigger in skineatles we need to take 12" fish and there is no daily limit.

[oneida1]

They dont want any walleyes in skanaetels lake thats why there no closed season no limit suprised they put 12in size limit on them,,, An def dont want big wallleyes

[filetandrelease]

 Oneida 1 spot on they want them eradicated , thing is eyes have been there a very long time , if they set nets and shocked creeks they might improve their objective

[Old Timer]

Eyes love the little lakers. They are an oily fish, should grow fast on them….

[mcully]

haven't found anything but perch, rockies, smallmouth and crayfish in the eyes I've cleaned from that lake, bugs too. Stock bigger trout. Pic w mixed bag all from same depth.

[reeleyz]

That is a great mixed bag. Those eyes look healthy!

[greensider]

I agree with electro shocking to remove the eyes if that's what they want netting would be a disaster for the trout caught in it  but that cost money so they won't commit to it if they want them gone why even have any size limit at all just ask fisherman not to release any

[filetandrelease]

Nice bag mcully

 I read there is a lake out west that has an over abundance of eye , if memory serves no limit or size , and it’s a smash fest