Syracuse.com - Rules and regulations that Central New York trout anglers need to know

[HuntingNY-News]

Ignorance is no excuse. Anglers need to know the law before hitting the streams and rivers Tuesday.

Syracuse, N.Y. -- Before heading out to fish on the opening day of the trout fishing season Tuesday, it's a good idea to review the rules and regulations.

There's general regulations, along with a number of the specific regulations on certain waterways. Ignorance of the law is no excuse if you're caught doing something illegal by a state Department of Environmental Conservation officer.

The season on most waterways and lakes begins at 12:01 a.m., with the exception of the Finger Lake tributaries, where it starts at sunrise (6:47 a.m. on Tuesday).

The following is a brief run-down of what anglers need to know:

*A fishing license ($29) is required to fish. It must be carried by an angler at all times while fishing. Anglers 15 and younger are not required to have a license.

* Daily catch/ length limit: For most inland streams and rivers in Central New York the limit is five fish, with no more two fish measuring longer than 12 inches. There's no minimum size limit.

*Catch- and- release fishing: Local waterways with catch- and- release stretches (where anglers are allowed to use artificial flies and lures only) can be found on Skaneateateles Creek, Chittenango Creek, Genegantslet Creek and West Canada Creek. For more specifics, see the DEC fishing guide.

*Finger Lake tributary rules: They vary, so it really pays to read the DEC fishing guide beforehand. Tributaries are defined as waterways that flow into a lake. Nine Mile Creek, which flows out of Otisco Lake, is not a tributary of Otisco. On tributaries flowing into Skaneateles and Owasco lakes, for example, the minimum size limits for brown and rainbow trout is nine inches, and 15 inches for lake trout and landlocked salmon.

For Cayuga Lake tributaries, it's 15 inches for all trout and 18 inches for landlocked salmon. In addition, anglers on these waterways are only allowed to keep three fish. On the tributaries of the western Finger Lakes (Seneca Lake and westward), it's still three fish in combination, but no more than one rainbow trout.

One exception is Spafford Creek, which flows into Otisco Lake. Anglers fishing that waterway, can keep five fish, with no more than two fish measuring longer than 12 inches.

In addition, fishing is not allowed on Finger Lake tributaries between sunset and sunrise, and anglers are not allowed to use a fishing line with any more than a single hook. Possession of hooks with a gap greater than a half inch are prohibited. The use of lures on these waters with treble hooks, with certain exceptions, are also banned.

** For more specifics on fishing regulations, see the DEC fishing guide or check out the DEC website.

Better yet, contact the DEC environmental conservation office in your region. The headquarters in Region 7 is in Syracuse and can be reached at 426-7431. The DEC fishing guide also has a listing in the back of conservation officers assigned to each county and their contact numbers.

There's also a general number, 1-877-457-5680. To give confidential information concerning significant illegal actitivities, you can also call 1-800-TIPP-DEC.to speak to a dispatcher.

One final note: Do not fish on posted land. That's trespassing and violators face getting a ticket.

View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog