New York Reducing Number of Trout You Can Catch Daily on Lake Ontario

The New York DEC is placing some immediate regulations in place when it comes to trout fishing on Lake Ontario. Some of the changes are aimed at putting US regulations in line with Canadian laws. Others are meant to protect the fish population.

One of the new regulations will expand the season, while others will reduce the daily catch limit and increase the minimum size limit. Here are the new regulations that are now in place:

• Increasing fishing opportunity by opening the Lake Ontario/Lower Niagara River lake trout season on December 1 (formerly opened on January 1). The season will be closed from October 1 through November 30, and is now consistent with Province of Ontario regulations.
• Reducing the daily creel limit for rainbow trout/steelhead on the open waters of Lake Ontario (excluding the Lower Niagara River) to two fish per day to provide consistency with Province of Ontario regulations and help increase survival of steelhead, especially during periods of reduced fishing success for other species.
• Decreasing the brown trout daily creel limit on Lake Ontario tributaries (excluding the Lower Niagara River) to one fish/day to maintain high-quality brown trout fishing opportunities from fall through the spring;
• Increasing the minimum size limit for rainbow trout/steelhead to 25 inches to prolong high-quality rainbow trout/steelhead fishing opportunities through the winter months on Lake Ontario tributaries (excluding the Lower Niagara River). The rainbow trout/steelhead minimum size limit for the open waters of Lake Ontario and the Lower Niagara River remains at 21 inches.
• Eliminating unnecessary angling regulations on Spooner Creek and tributaries (Erie County) and the North Branch Clear Creek and tributaries (Erie County) from Taylor Hollow Road upstream to the outflow of Clear Lake by allowing fishing year-round.

Here are the new regulations in detail and the official Press release