DEC is seeking feedback on proposed regulations to provide better protection for Adirondack brook trout, while making the fishing regulations easier to understand.
Proposed changes include:
- Prohibit the use of live baitfish within the Adirondack Park boundary (Blue Line) in all but 137 lakes and portions of 9 rivers.
- Why? Once introduced, baitfish can eliminate brook trout populations through competition for food and predation. Explicitly stating the waters where live baitfish can be used is straightforward and avoids confusion. This proposal does not restrict other types of live bait (e.g. worms) or dead, preserved baitfish.
- Eliminate all special regulations for brook trout in Adirondack ponds and manage them using the statewide 5 fish per day, any size from April 1 – October 15 regulation.
- Why? The special regulations haven't resulted in a noticeable benefit. Managing them under the statewide regulation provides consistency, while still affording the protection needed to ensure healthy fisheries.
These changes align with the Adirondack Brook Trout Management Plan (PDF) which was finalized late last year after extensive outreach and an official public comment period.
For the full text and summary of the proposed regulatory changes, along with a list of proposed waters where live baitfish use will be permitted see Fish and Wildlife Proposed Regulations. Comments will be accepted through December 28, 2026, and should be emailed to regulations.fish@dec.ny.gov with the subject line "Adirondack Brook Trout Regulations," or sent by standard mail to: NYSDEC, c/o Inland Fisheries Section, 625 Broadway, Albany, NY 12233-4753.
In the United States pond dwelling populations of brook trout are extremely rare outside the Adirondack region of New York and the state of Maine.