The Best Fishing Spots in New York
In New York anglers enjoy varied fishing from the Great Lakes and Lake Ontario to the Atlantic coast, Long Island, the Hudson River, Finger Lakes and Adirondack waters; key species include smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, walleye, northern pike, rainbow trout, brown trout, Chinook and coho salmon, plus plenty of perch, crappie and other panfish and coastal runs of striped bass, with popular methods being boat and shore angling, fly fishing for trout and winter ice fishing on many inland lakes.
Top Cities For Fishing
Sea Fishing
Astoria
(0 km to coast)
Bayside
(2 km to coast)
Borough Park
(4 km to coast)
Brooklyn
(7 km to coast)
Brownsville
(6 km to coast)
Bushwick
(6 km to coast)
Canarsie
(3 km to coast)
Chinatown
(1 km to coast)
Corona
(4 km to coast)
East Flatbush
(6 km to coast)
East Harlem
(1 km to coast)
East New York
(4 km to coast)
East Village
(2 km to coast)
Elmhurst
(6 km to coast)
Flatbush
(6 km to coast)
Flatlands
(5 km to coast)
Fordham
(2 km to coast)
Forest Hills
(9 km to coast)
Gravesend
(4 km to coast)
Greenburgh
(3 km to coast)
Harlem
(1 km to coast)
Jackson Heights
(4 km to coast)
Jamaica
(7 km to coast)
Kings Bridge
(1 km to coast)
Manhattan
(2 km to coast)
Mount Vernon
(7 km to coast)
New Rochelle
(2 km to coast)
New York City
(1 km to coast)
Parkchester
(4 km to coast)
Park Slope
(3 km to coast)
Queens
(5 km to coast)
Richmond Hill
(7 km to coast)
Ridgewood
(7 km to coast)
Sheepshead Bay
(2 km to coast)
South Ozone Park
(3 km to coast)
Staten Island
(4 km to coast)
Sunset Park
(1 km to coast)
The Bronx
(5 km to coast)
Upper West Side
(1 km to coast)
Washington Heights
(1 km to coast)
Yonkers
(0 km to coast)
Top Saltwater Fishing Spots
East River
A fast tidal strait where structure-rich zones like Hell Gate , bridge abutments, and seawalls produce surge-driven feeds of striped bass and bluefish, with a summer mix of fluke; productive from shore or boat on moving tides with bucktails, soft plastics, and topwaters.
Great South Bay
A shallow, bait-rich lagoon that shines for summer fluke, steady porgy and weakfish action, and spring/fall striped bass along marshlines and channels; shore anglers work parks and docks while boats drift flats near Captree and edges leading toward Fire Island Inlet .
Jamaica Bay
A vast urban estuary with marshes and flats holding spring and fall striped bass, summer fluke, plus weakfish and blues, Jamaica Bay fishes well from shore at piers and parks and by kayak or boat along channels, bridges, and back-bay edges, with productive zones near Rockaway Inlet and Floyd Bennett Field .
Jones Inlet
A productive gateway between Hempstead Bay and the ocean where tides stack bait and draw striped bass, bluefish, and summer fluke, with rocky edges and bridges holding tautog; fishable from jetty rocks, nearby beaches, or by boat working the bars and channels.
Long Island Sound
Current-swept reefs and structure across the Sound produce exceptional striped bass, fluke, and porgy action, with reliable summertime black sea bass and fall blitzes of bluefish; shore anglers work rocky points while boats drift rips and humps from Orient Point to Throgs Neck .
Montauk Point
The tip of Long Island is famed for epic runs of striped bass, fast-moving false albacore, and summer fluke, with jetties and beaches offering productive shore access while boats drift rips like the Point, North Bar, and Elbow; peak action surrounds spring and fall migrations, with solid shots at bluefish, blackfish (tautog), and porgy, and nearby options around Lake Montauk and Shagwong expand the bite window.
Peconic Bay
The Peconics offer a classic mixed bag—spring weakfish, solid porgy and sea bass, roaming striped bass, and summer fluke over channels and shoals—fishable by boat or from town docks and causeways between Greenport , Shelter Island , and Southold .
Shinnecock Inlet
Powerful inlet currents funnel bait to prowling striped bass, bluefish, and fall false albacore, with spring and late-season shots at tautog on rocks; jetty access enables effective shore casting while boats jig and drift rips and outflows toward Shinnecock Bay .
Top Freshwater Fishing Spots
Lake Erie
Western New York’s inland sea offers world-class walleye trolling, outstanding smallmouth bass, and nearshore steelhead staging by tributary mouths, with boaters working structure off Buffalo and shore anglers covering piers, harbors, and accessible beaches.
Salmon River
New York’s premier tributary run fishery, the Salmon River sees massive migrations of Chinook and coho in fall, followed by winter-spring steelhead and spring brown trout, with productive drifts and swing water from Pulaski to the Douglaston Salmon Run .
Seneca Lake
The deepest Finger Lake offers consistent lake trout and seasonal brown trout and Atlantic salmon, with trolling, jigging, and shoreline casting effective near points and creek mouths from Geneva to Watkins Glen .
Cayuga Lake
This deep Finger Lake holds abundant lake trout, plus landlocked salmon and browns, with trolling and jigging over drop-offs producing year-round; bays and creek mouths offer warm-season bass and pickerel near Ithaca and Long Point .
Chautauqua Lake
A renowned muskellunge destination with strong largemouth and smallmouth bass and reliable crappie and perch, Chautauqua’s weedlines, bays, and basins fish well from spring through fall around Bemus Point and Mayville .
Lake George
Crystal-clear and steep-sided, Lake George produces deepwater lake trout and landlocked salmon, along with solid smallmouth bass on rocky points and humps; boats troll basins like Northwest Bay , while shore anglers work access in Lake George Village .
Niagara River
Mighty currents hold year-round steelhead, seasonal salmon, and bruiser smallmouth bass, with drifts and bottom presentations excelling around the Devil’s Hole and lower river drifts; shore access is ample, and boats target seams and eddies below Niagara Falls .
Oneida Lake
A shallow, wind-driven lake famed for walleye, strong yellow perch, and quality smallmouth, Oneida fishes well on drifts and trolling passes over shoals and weed edges, with seasonal bites around Bridgeport , Constantia , and the eastern flats.
Lake Ontario
The big lake delivers trophy Chinook salmon, coho, and deepwater lake trout, plus shoreline and nearshore bites for brown trout and steelhead; charters and trollers roam from Oswego to Oak Orchard , while piers and river mouths shine during staging runs.
Top Saltwater & Freshwater Spots
Hudson River
The tidal Hudson hosts a renowned spring striped bass run, with bait and lure fishing from piers and parks and by boat around channel edges and flats, while upriver stretches hold smallmouth bass, walleye, and catfish; hotspots span from New York City north past Haverstraw Bay and Albany .