Spring trout fishing season begins today in New York State.
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) trout stocking is in full swing with more than 1.7 million catchable-size brook, brown, and rainbow trout stocked in waters across the state from now through early June.
Drought conditions at Catskill Fish Hatchery during the late summer and autumn of 2025 reduced the water supply to a level that inhibited brown trout growth. Therefore, 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.
Stocked-Extended streams, specified in the Inland Trout Streams Regulations section of the Freshwater Fishing Regulations Guide, 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. Spring trout stocking lists, including the scheduled week of stocking for trout streams, can be found on DEC’s website.
The popular 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. Links to the Trout Stream Fishing Map and a User Guide are available on DEC’s website.
Anglers can also use their smart phones to find trout fishing opportunities around the state by accessing the Tackle Box feature in DEC’s HuntFishNY app.
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