State announces six free fishing days including two in February
Fishing (file photo)
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — New York State has announced six designated free fishing days for this year including on Presidents’ Day Weekend, Feb. 17 and 18.
People can also fish without a license on Saturday, June 29 and Sunday, June 30 in addition to National Hunting and Fishing Day which falls on Saturday, Sept. 28 and Veterans Day which falls on Monday, Nov. 11.
Ordinarily, people need a license to fish in the state’s freshwaters. Gov. Kathy Hochul said free fishing days aim to connect people to the state’s waterways by introducing them to fishing. Free fishing days began in 1991 to introduce people to a new hobby and to encourage them to get a license that supports environmental conservation.
You can see the Department of Environmental Conservation’s introductory guide to fishing here and learn how to get a fishing license here. You can also see a list of free fishing clinics here.