State, New York City to mark local start of trout season

PHOTOGRAPHER: Edward Munger Jr.

Two New Yorks — the state and city — are looking to draw people out into nature to enjoy an annual rite of spring for many — the April 1 opening of trout fishing season.

The state Department of Environmental Conservation plans to stock 2,000 trout in Rensselaer Lake at Albany’s Six Mile Waterworks on Monday, while inviting those unaccustomed to fishing to try it out for free without a license.

Meanwhile, the New York City Department of Environmental Protection is highlighting Southern Tier fishing opportunities on 22 reservoirs and more than 190 miles of streams.

At a glance

WHAT: Fishing clinic offered by state DEC

WHEN: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday

WHERE: Six Mile Waterworks, off Fuller Avenue between Washington and Central avenues, Albany

HOW MUCH: Free

MORE INFO: www.dec.ny.gov

“Spring has brought another trout fishing season to our upstate watersheds, including streams and rivers where early innovations contributed to the strong and unique heritage of angling in North America,” DEP commissioner Carter Strickland said in a news release.

A fishing license is required to fish in the state’s waters, unless the DEC holds a free clinic like the one planned for Monday. A standard adult fishing license costs $29 for state residents. One- and seven-day licenses are also available for $5 and $15, respectively.

Out-of-state residents pay $70 for the yearlong license and $15 and $35 for the one- and seven-day licenses, respectively.

Some of the New York City watershed waters require a special permit, while many do not.

A full list of fishing waters and links to get a recreational access permits can be found at www.nyc.gov.

The upcoming season may spark a boost in business at bait and supply shops. Business activity tends to slow down between ice fishing and the spring seasons, said Tanya Towne, owner at the Sportsmen’s Den outdoors supply store in Fort Plain. Towne said she hadn’t seen a flurry of business leading up to Monday’s trout season opening, but she expects it will start as the weather warms up.

Though the snow has only recently melted away and the high temperature forecast for April 1 is just 49 degrees, the trout should be active, according to John R. Foster, chairman of the Fisheries and Wildlife Department at SUNY Cobleskill. Foster said the chilly temperatures will likely mean fewer fisherman out in the water, but not fewer fish.

“Trout are cold water fish. They thrive when the temperature is low,” Foster said in an email.

Foster said water levels shouldn’t be very high on Monday, either, making it easier to access the shores and find the fish as well.

More information on fishing licenses can be found on the website of the state Department of Environmental Conservation at www.dec.ny.gov.