New
York and Ontario Canada Fishing Regulations 2008-09

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Information provided here was taken from the
NYS Department of Environmental
Conservation [NYSDEC] website and from the
Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources
website [OMNR]

Special New York State
Regulations for Lake Erie, Lake Ontario,
Niagara River & St. Lawrence River
On this page GO HERE
[Below]

Ontario Regulations
GO HERE at the bottom of
this page or scroll down

Statewide Regulations can be found below
or go to the official NYS DEC website

(ii)
Table A:

[Top]

Special regulations
for Lake Erie, Lake Ontario,
Niagara River and St. Lawrence River.

Read this carefully before
proceeding:
A note from Bill Hilts Jr. 12/11/07

I notice where you announced changes to Ontario
fishing regs for 2008, when I click through it has NYS
regs, too, and the lake trout regs are wrong for Lake
O and the lower river. Actually I’m not sure how that
will play out for the lower river now and will check
the DEC website. For Lake O, you can only keep two
lake trout per person and one can be any size; the
second must be outside the slot limit. That was a
change that went into effect Oct. 1, 2006. The
lower river limit is three in aggregate for all
trout and salmon species. I would assume that no
more than two can be lake trout – one of any size and
one outside the slot if they decide to keep lakers

Water

Species

Open season

Minimum length

Daily limit

Lake Erie

Brown trout Rainbow trout (including steelhead) Coho
salmon Chinook salmon Pink salmon

All year

9″

3 in any combination

Lake trout

All year

9″

1
Note: Read what it says in the yellow box above

Northern pike

First Saturday in May through March 15

22″

Walleye

First Saturday in May through March 15

15″

Muskellunge and Tiger Muskellunge

Third Saturday in June through November 30

54″

Yellow perch, Sunfish

All year

Any size

50 of each

Black bass; (Open waters of Lake Erie excluding
tributaries)

First Saturday in May through Friday before Third Saturday
in June

15″

Black Bass

Third Saturday in June through November 30

12″

Lake Sturgeon

CLOSED

POSSESSION PROHIBITED

Upper Niagara River

Brown trout Rainbow trout (including steelhead) Coho
salmon Chinook salmon Pink salmon

All year

9″

3 in any combination

Lake trout

All year

9″

Northern pike

First Saturday in May through March 15

22″

Walleye

First Saturday in May through March 15

15″

Muskellunge and Tiger Muskellunge

Third Saturday in June through November 30

48″

Yellow perch, Sunfish

All year

Any size

50 of each

Black Bass north of the Peace Bridge

Third Saturday in June through November 30

12″

Lake Sturgeon

CLOSED POSSESSION PROHIBITED

Lake Ontario, St. Lawrence River

Brown trout
Rainbow trout (including steelhead)
Coho salmon
Chinook salmon Pink salmon

All year

15″

3 in any combination not to include more than one rainbow
trout (or steelhead) in the tributaries

Except 9″ in Irondequoit Creek
(entire), Lindsey Creek, Skinner Creek (Oswego and Jefferson
Counties) and the Black River (Jefferson County)

Lake trout

January 1 through September 30

Fish greater than 25″ and less than 30″ must be released

Atlantic salmon

All year

25″

Muskellunge and
Tiger Muskellunge

Third Saturday of June through December 15

48″

Northern pike

First Saturday of May through March 15

22″

Walleye

First Saturday of May through March 15

18″

Lake Sturgeon, American eel

CLOSED POSSESSION PROHIBITED

Yellow perch, Sunfish

All year

Any size

Except yellow perch and sunfish
may be taken in number in Jefferson County east of Stony
Point.

Lower Niagara River

Brown trout Rainbow trout (including steelhead) Coho
salmon Chinook salmon Pink salmon

All year

15″

3 in any combination including Brown trout,Rainbow trout
(including steelhead),Coho salmon,Chinook salmon, Pink salmon,
Lake trout and Atlantic salmon. Catch shall include no more
than one Atlantic Salmon

Lake trout

January 1 through September 30

Fish greater than 25″ and less than 30″ must be released

3 in any combination including Brown trout, Rainbow trout
(including steelhead), Coho salmon, Chinook salmon, Pink
salmon, trout and Atlantic salmon. Catch shall include no more
than one Atlantic Salmon

Atlantic salmon

All year

25″

3 in any combination including Brown trout, Rainbow trout
(including steelhead), Coho salmon, Chinook salmon, Pink
salmon, Lake trout and Atlantic salmon. Catch shall include no
more than one Atlantic Salmon

Muskellunge and Tiger Muskellunge

Third Saturday of June through December 15

48″

Northern pike

First Saturday of May through March 15

22″

Walleye

First Saturday of May through December 31

18″

Yellow perch, Sunfish

All year

Any size

50 of each

Lake Sturgeon, American eel

CLOSED POSSESSION PROHIBITED

[Top]
(b) Additional special fishing regulations for Lake Erie, Lake
Ontario, Niagara River and St. Lawrence River and their
tributaries upstream to the first barrier impassable by fish. No
person, when fishing in these waters, may:

(1) engage in any action to frighten fish and move them from
concealment, including herding, driving, kicking and stoning;(2) possess foul-hooked fish, i.e.,fish not hooked in the mouth;

(3) fail to immediately return foul-hooked fish to the water;

(4) take fish by snatching or any other fishing technique
that results in fish being intentionally foul-hooked;

(5) fish at any time, unless otherwise posted by the
department, in Beaverdam Brook, Oswego County, from the mouth to
the upstream boundary of the Salmon River Hatchery property, or
within 100 yards of any department fish collection device;

(6) use other than a conventional sportfishing rod, reel and
line.

(1) Tributaries of Lake Erie, Lake Ontario, and St. Lawrence
River.

(i) The special regulations set forth in
this paragraph shall apply to that portion of each tributary
that runs from the bridge closest to the mouth upstream to the
first barrier impassable by fish, except that the area of
applicability for the following tributaries shall be as
specifically provided below:

(a) Cattaraugus Creek (Erie and Cattaraugus
Counties) from the Aldrich Street extension bridge in Gowanda
upstream to Springville Dam.

(b) Eighteenmile Creek (Niagara County)
from the Route 18 bridge upstream to Burt Dam.

(c) Oak Orchard Creek (Orleans County) from
the power lines that are 1.9 miles upstream (south) of Route 18
bridge upstream to Waterport Dam.

(d) Sterling Creek (Cayuga County) from Old
State Road to impassable barrier upstream of Route 104A.

(e) Sterling Valley Creek (Cayuga County)
from McIntyre Road to impassable barrier upstream of Route 104A.

(f) Owego River (Oswego County) from the
Utica Street bridge upstream to the Varick Dam.

(g) Catfish Creek (Oswego County) from
mouth upstream to dam at County Route 1.

(h) Black River (Jefferson County) from the
upstream tip of the lowermost island to Mill Street Dam in
Watertown.

(ii) From September 1st through March 31st of
the following year, the following regulations shall apply:

(a) Fishing at night is prohibited, except
in the Black River (Jefferson County) from Lake Ontario upstream
to Route 180 bridge in Dexter.

(b) Hooks attached to any lure, except an
artificial fly as defined in section 19.1(c) of this Title,
shall be free-swinging.

(d) Use of hooks with added weight is
prohibited, except that artificial flies with no more than
one-eighth ounce added weight are permitted.

(e) The distance between the hook,
artificial fly or lure and any weight attached to the line or
leader, whether fixed or sliding, shall not exceed four feet.

(f) For tributaries located in Oswego and
Cayuga Counties, weight shall not be added to the line, leader,
swivels, artificial fly or lure in any manner such that the
weight hangs lower than the attached hook, artificial fly or
lure when the line or leader is suspended vertically from the
rod. This prohibition shall also apply from September 1st
through November 30th in the Genesee River (Monroe County) from
the Driving Park Bridge upstream to the Lower Falls.

(g) Use or more than one hook is
prohibited, except that multiple hooks attached to floating
lures are permitted as noted in “special provisions for floating
lures” in clause (i) of this subparagraph.

(h) Use of hooks having more than one point
is prohibited, except that double or treble hooks attached to
floating lures are permitted as noted in “special provisions for
floating lures” in clause (i) of this subparagraph.

(i) Special provisions for floating lures:

(1) A floating lureis a lure that floats
while at rest in water regardless of any weight attached to the
line, leader or lure.

(2) Multiple, single, double or treble
hooks are permitted on floating lures, except:

(i) in tributaries within Cayuga and
Oswego Counties other than the Oswego River; and

(ii) from September 1st through November
30th in the Genesee River (Monroe County) from the Driving Park
Bridge upstream to the Lower Falls.

(3) Any hooks on a floating lure, other
than an artificial fly as defined in section 19.1(c) of this
Title, must be attached thereto by a ring or swivel.

(4) The distance between the body of a
floating lure and the points of any attached hooks shall not
exceed one and one-half inches.

(iii) From April 1st through August 31st,
subdivision (a) of this section shall apply. For species not
listed in subdivision (a) of this section, general angling
regulations listed in section 10.1(b) of this Part shall apply.

(iv) The special regulations set forth in this
paragraph shall not apply to:

(a) tributaries of the St. Lawrence River
in Franklin and Clinton Counties;

(b) Buffalo River (Erie County);

(d) Round Pond, Buck Pond, Long Pond,
Cranberry Pond and Irondequoit Bay (Monroe County);

(e) Sodus Bay (Wayne County); and

(f) Salmon River, its tributaries, and
South Sandy Pond (Oswego County).

For more and complete information on New York Fishing
Regs go to:
NYS Department of
Environmental Conservation [NYSDEC]

Contents

§10.1 Sportfishing regulations – General
– Statewide

(a) In accordance with Table A in subdivision (b) of this
section, except as provided for in sections 10.2 and 10.3 of this
Part, and Parts 11, 19, 35, 36 and 40 of this Chapter, no person
shall;

(1) have in possession, take or attempt to take fish of a
species listed other than during the open season specified for
such species;(2) have in possession or intentionally kill or
unnecessarily injure fish of a species listed of sizes other
than those specified and allowed for such species; or

(3) possess, kill or unnecessarily injure fish of a species
listed in excess of the daily limit specified for such species
except that fish caught and returned to the water immediately
without unnecessary injury will not be counted as part of the
daily limit: or

(4) Except in the marine and coastal district, as defined in
Environmental Conservation Law Section 13-0103, no person shall
possess for personal use more than 100 bait fish in the
aggregate of the species listed in Environmental Conservation
Law Section 11-1315 (1)(a); or

(5) Except in the marine and coastal district, as defined in
Environmental Conservation Law Section 13-0103, bait fish
collected for personal use from any water of the State of New
York shall only be possessed or used in the water from which
such bait fish were collected, and shall not be used or
possessed in any other water of the State.

For more and complete information on New
York Fishing Regs go to:
NYS Department of
Environmental Conservation [NYSDEC]

(B) [Top]

General Statewide
Sportfishing regulations.
See NYS Niagara River,
Lakes Erie and Ontario below
	Species	Open season	Minimum length	Daily limit
(1)	(a) Trout (brook brown and rainbow trout and hybrids of these species; and splake)	April 1 through October 15	Any size	5
	(b) Lake Trout	April 1 through October 15	21″	3
	(c) Landlocked Salmon	April 1 through October 15	15″	3
(2)	Kokanee	April 1 through October 15	Any size	10
(3)	Black Bass	Third Saturday in June through November 30	12″	5
(4)	Muskellunge	Third Saturday in June through November 30	30″	1
(5)	Walleye	First Saturday in May through March 15	15″	5
(6)	Tiger Muskellunge	First Saturday in May to March 15	30″	1
(7)	Northern Pike	First Saturday in May through March 15	18″	5
(8)	Pickerel	First Saturday in May through in May through March 15	15″	5
(9)	Whitefish	All year	Any size	5
(10)	Crappie	All year	9″	25
(11)	Atlantic Sturgeon, paddlefish	Possession prohibited
(12)	American eel	All year	6″	50
(13)	American shad	All year	Any size	6
(14)	Sunfish (bluegill, pumpkinseed and redbreast sunfish)	All year	Any size	50
(15)	Yellow perch	All year	Any size	50
(16)	All endangered or threatened fish species	May not be taken or possessed at any time, except pursuant to a special permit.
(17)	Bullhead, Catfish, Carp, Cisco, Rock Bass, Sauger, Sucker, White Bass, White Perch, and all other fishes not listed in this table	All year	Any size	Any number
(18)	Striped Bass (in the Hudson River and tributaries north of the George Washington Bridge and all inland waters)	March 16 through November 30	18″ TL (total length see ECL § 13-0-339[4])	1

[Top]
Note: See Parts 11, 12, 19, 25, 26 of this Title for additional
special fishing regulations.

(1) no person when fishing in waters of the State other than the
marine and coastal district may use or possess gaff hooks,
except when fishing through the ice;(2) a single, uninjured
black bass that is being landed, measured or is in the process
of being released from a recirculating or aerated livewell will
not be counted as part of the daily limit; and

(3) no person when fishing in the waters of the State shall
use or possess as bait round goby, Neogobius melanostomus.

(d) Special regulations for the cleaning of fish. No person,
while upon waters of the State, excluding the marine and coastal
district, shall possess:

(1) walleye, black bass, brook trout, lake trout or landlocked
Atlantic salmon that have been dismembered or otherwise prepared
for cooking or consumption beyond removal of the gills and
viscera;(2) other species of fish that have been dismembered
or otherwise prepared for cooking consumption, except that the
gills and viscera may be removed and such fish may be filleted,
provided the skin is not removed from the fillet.

(e) Definition of black bass. For purposes of this Part, black
bass shall mean largemouth bass and smallmouth bass.

§10.2 Boundary water fishing regulations

(a) Lake Erie, Lake Ontario, Niagara River and St. Lawrence
River.

(1) Notwithstanding the provisions of section 10.1 of this Part
and in accordance with Table A in paragraph (2) of this
subdivision, no person, when fishing in Lake Erie, Lake Ontario,
Niagara River and St. Lawrence River and their tributaries
upstream to the first barrier impassable to fish except
tributaries to the St. Lawrence River in Franklin County and
Clinton County where statewide regulations apply, shall take or
possess on these waters or the shores thereof fish of the
species listed:

(i) other than during the open
season specified for such species;

(ii) of a size less than that specified for
such species; and

(iii) in excess of the daily limit specified
for such species.

(2) Fishing regulations for Lake Erie, Lake Ontario, Niagara
River, St. Lawrence River and their tributaries to first barrier
impassable by fish, except tributaries to the St. Lawrence River
in Franklin and Clinton Counties where General Angling
Regulations, as provided in section 10.1 of this Part, apply.

(i) Brook trout, black bass, pickerel,
whitefish, bullheads, carp, catfish, cisco, crappies, rock bass,
sauger, suckers, sunfish, white bass, white perch, and any fish
not specified in Table A of this subdivision: General Angling
Regulations, as provided in section 10.1 of this Part, apply.

For more and complete
information on New York Fishing Regs go to:
NYS Department of
Environmental Conservation [NYSDEC]

Species

Open season

Minimum length

Daily limit

(1)

(a) Trout (brook brown and rainbow trout and hybrids of
these species; and splake)

April 1 through October 15

Any size

(b) Lake Trout

April 1 through October 15

21″

April 1 through October 15

15″

(2)

Kokanee

April 1 through October 15

Any size

(3)

Black Bass

Third Saturday in June through November 30

12″

(4)

Muskellunge

Third Saturday in June through November 30

30″

(5)

Walleye

First Saturday in May through March 15

15″

(6)

Tiger Muskellunge

First Saturday in May to March 15

30″

(7)

Northern Pike

First Saturday in May through March 15

18″

(8)

Pickerel

First Saturday in May
through in May
through March 15

15″

(9)

Whitefish

All year

Any size

(10)

Crappie

All year

9″

(11)

Atlantic Sturgeon, paddlefish

Possession prohibited

(12)

American eel

All year

6″

(13)

American shad

All year

Any size

(14)

Sunfish (bluegill, pumpkinseed and redbreast sunfish)

All year

Any size

(15)

Yellow perch

All year

Any size

(16)

All endangered or threatened fish species

May not be taken or possessed
at any time, except pursuant to a special permit.

(17)

Bullhead, Catfish, Carp, Cisco, Rock Bass, Sauger, Sucker,
White Bass, White Perch, and all other fishes not listed in
this table

All year

Any size

Any number

(18)

Striped Bass (in the Hudson River and tributaries north of
the George Washington Bridge and all inland waters)

March 16 through November 30

18″ TL (total length see ECL § 13-0-339[4])

[Top]
Note: See Parts 11, 12, 19, 25, 26 of this Title for additional
special fishing regulations.

(3) no person when fishing in the waters of the State shall
use or possess as bait round goby, Neogobius melanostomus.

(d) Special regulations for the cleaning of fish. No person,
while upon waters of the State, excluding the marine and coastal
district, shall possess:

(e) Definition of black bass. For purposes of this Part, black
bass shall mean largemouth bass and smallmouth bass.

§10.2 Boundary water fishing regulations

(a) Lake Erie, Lake Ontario, Niagara River and St. Lawrence
River.

(i) other than during the open
season specified for such species;

(ii) of a size less than that specified for
such species; and

(iii) in excess of the daily limit specified
for such species.

For more and complete
information on New York Fishing Regs go to:
NYS Department of
Environmental Conservation [NYSDEC]

[Top]

NEW ONTARIO CANADA
REGULATIONS
LAKE ERIE – LAKE – ONTARIO – NIAGARA RIVER

Complete Ontario Regulations can be found on the OMNR website
HERE

This is a summary of
NEW
regulations for 2008 and 2009

St. Clair R/Lake St.
Clair/Detroit R/Lake Erie/upper Niagara R are
now found in Zone 19. Southwestern Ontario is Zone 16

Important changes for
2008-09 in Zone 16 and 19 are :

Two rods while fishing from a boat in open water on Lake St. Clair
No more pike spearing
Zero limit for sturgeon on the Detroit R Personnel baitfish limit is
120, even if purchased
Crayfish limit is 36 and must be from water in which you are fishing
No longer able to use yellow perch and alewife as bait
Anglers cannot release live bait or empty contents of bait bucket,
including water, into any waters
All ice huts must now be registered in zones 16 & 19
Walleye and pike seasons open year round on Thames R. below Kiel St
and Sydenham R. below Dresden
No longer a sanctuary on Thames River but season closed Mar 16 – 2nd
Sat in May
Grand River – Lake Erie to Caledonia – walleye limit 4/2 and no size
limit
Grand River – Lake Erie to Onondaga/Tuscarora Twp – walleye and pike
closed March 1 to 2nd Saturday in May
Anglers fishing from a boat many now catch and retain, and
selectively live release, more walleye, northern pike, largemouth or
smallmouth bass, provided (see page 9 for details)