Trout fishing season in New York opened on Sunday.

DEC will stock 2.26 million catchable-size trout in 315 lakes and ponds and roughly 2,845 miles of streams across the state. Anglers should visit DEC’s website for a list of stocked waters and the 2018 Coldwater Fishing Forecast for recommended trout and salmon fishing locations.

DEC’s spring stockings will include 1.72 million brown trout, 377,500 rainbow trout, and 158,500 brook trout. Approximately 97,000 two-year-old brown trout 13 to 14 inches long will also be stocked into lakes and streams across the state. These fish will provide enhanced angling experiences for the estimated 647,000 anglers that fish for trout in New York.

Although fishing conditions can be less than optimal during the early season, conditions will improve as the weather warms. As always, the best early season fishing can be found on Long Island, the lower Hudson Valley, and Western New York, which tend to warm up earlier than other portions of the state.

New York also provides some of the finest backwoods brook trout fishing in the northeast. These opportunities are most abundant in the Adirondacks, where more than 500 waters are managed for brook trout. Fish in these waters can weigh more than three pounds. In 2018, more than 310,000 brook trout fingerlings will be stocked in 345 lakes and ponds in the Adirondacks during the spring and fall to restore or enhance brook trout populations. Anglers new to brook trout fishing should look to the Guide to Brook Trout Fishing in Adirondack Ponds for assistance.

DEC also provides maps of its public fishing rights easements. DEC officials say they remind anglers to observe special trout regulations on waters noted in the current fishing guide. Additional information on places to fish for wild and stocked trout is available on DEC’s website.

For beginning or youth anglers, ponds are easiest to fish, particularly during the early season. Information about where and how to fish, including a new highly effective technique for early season trout, can be found on the DEC’s website.

Anyone 16 years of age and older must have a current state fishing license to fish in New York. Fishing licenses are now valid for 365 days from the date of purchase. More information on purchasing a fishing license can be found at http://www.dec.ny.gov/permits/6091.html.

License purchasers are reminded that by law, every dollar spent on a fishing license helps fund fish stocking and other programs conducted by the Bureau of Fisheries. People can also consider purchasing a Habitat/Access Stamp which helps fund important access and habitat improvement projects. For more information on the Habitat/Access Stamp program visit www.dec.ny.gov/permits/47452.html.