Activities and Facilities > Fishing

Fishing in New York City Parks

New York City has more than 520 miles of shoreline, as well as inland lakes in our parks, all of which offer an opportunity to participate in the fun and excitement of freshwater and saltwater sport fishing.

Have you ever wanted to go fishing but you didn’t know the rules and regulations or where to go? NYC Parks is here to help.

Please follow the rules below as well as all posted guidelines and City, State, and Federal regulations.

Know Before You Go

Leaving Fishing Areas

Once you're done fishing, please remove all fishing line fragments, hooks, and lures from parklands and waters. The discarded fishing line can entangle birds, other wildlife, and even people resulting in serious injuries.

Locations

• Bronx
• Brooklyn
• Manhattan
• Queens
• Staten Island

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Location	Description	Type	Image
American Veterans Memorial Pier Bay Ridge Avenue and Shore Road	This popular Bay Ridge fishing pier provides anglers with plenty of striped basses as well as a breathtaking view of the Manhattan skyline.	Saltwater
Kaiser Park Bayview Avenue and Neptune Avenue	This beautiful waterfront park offers anglers a fishing pier with scenic views! Come take in the beauty of Coney Island Creek and the towering Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge while you go fishing.	Saltwater
Brooklyn Bridge Park At the western end	Enjoy views of the New York Harbor and Manhattan skyline as you cast your line from Pier 5 into the East River. Visit Brooklyn Bridge Park's fishing page for more information.	Saltwater
Prospect Park South side of the park between Prospect Park SW and St. Paul's Place	Fishermen are attracted to the population of largemouth bass at this tranquil 48-acre lake at Prospect Park’s southern tip. It is also home to bluegill and pumpkinseed sunfish, black crappie, and yellow perch. Visit the Prospect Park Alliance's fishing page for more information.	Freshwater
Wnyc Transmitter Park End of Kent Street	Visit the former home of WNYC’s radio transmission towers and cast your line into the East River from the recreational pier near Kent Street.	Saltwater
Valentino Pier	Fish for bluefish, striped bass, fluke, and weakfish while enjoying views of the Statue of Liberty, Governor’s Island, Manhattan’s skyline, Staten Island, and the New York Harbor.	Saltwater

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Location	Description	Type	Image
Baisley Pond Park	This 28-acre lake provides plenty of shoreline for the enterprising angler, who can expect to find largemouth bass and carp, along with the occasional black crappie, bluegill sunfish, or chain pickerel. Access includes a concrete promenade from which a line may be cast in addition to grassy areas.	Freshwater
Broad Channel American Park	For the early Dutch settlers, this area was an amazing source of oysters, clams, shrimp, and fish. Today, enjoy the tranquility of fishing for flounder, striped bass, bluefish, or sea robin from the park’s sandy beaches or marshy shorelines.	Saltwater
Kissena Park Northeast park between 160 Street and 163 Place	You can find bluegill sunfish, black crappie, carp, and brown bullhead flourishing in this eight-acre lake. Keep your eye on your line, or you may run the risk of catching one of the lake’s many turtles!	Freshwater
Flushing Meadows Corona Park South of the Long Island Expressway	In addition to catching white perch and carp, largemouth bass, and pumpksinseed, sometimes you may land a snakehead here. Help protect native fish populations and do not release snakeheads back into the water. Learn more about the northern snakehead, and report any catches to your local DEC office.	Freshwater
Alley Pond Park Northwestern section of the park	This natural lake, fed by an underground spring and a ravine, allows visitors to enjoy more than just fishing for bluegill sunfish, chain pickerel, and perch. The natural diversity of the area also attracts a variety of different birds, from waterfowl to songbirds.	Freshwater

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Location	Description	Type	Image
Clove Lakes Park	Originally constructed as water sources for milling operations, the three ponds that make up Clove Lakes Park are home to bluegill sunfish, carp, brown bullhead, and largemouth bass. There are vegetation breaks around the lakes’ perimeters allowing access for fishing.	Freshwater
Conference House Park	Known as the southernmost park of New York State, Conference House Park offers fishing in Raritan Bay. This historic park also offers amenities including hiking trails, historic houses, a playground, and more.	Saltwater
Lemon Creek Park	This park on Staten Island’s south shore provides access to plenty of flounder, striped bass, bluefish, sea robin, and dogfish.	Saltwater
Eibs Pond Park	Seize the opportunity to take in nature and catch some bluegill sunfish or large-mouth bass at this freshwater pond. Fun fact: Despite its relatively small size, Eibs Pond Park serves as habitat for more than 80 bird species.	Freshwater
Franklin D. Roosevelt Boardwalk And Beach	Cast your line out into the Lower Bay and test your skills on fish entering and leaving the Hudson River Estuary.	Saltwater
Stapleton Esplanade	This park in Stapleton opened in 2016. It offers parkgoers a chance to fish in The Narrows and experience all that saltwater fishing has to offer.	Saltwater
Willowbrook Park	This serene freshwater lake contains bluegill and pumpkinseed sunfish, largemouth bass, carp, and brown bullhead. It’s great for beginners and family fishing excursions.	Freshwater
Wolfe's Pond Park Cornelia Avenue and Hylan Boulevard	Enjoy the opportunity to fish either from the interior of this nature preserve or along the beach on the south shore.	Both Freshwater and Saltwater

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Location	Description	Type	Image
Castle Hill Park Between Westchester Creek to the east and Pugsley Creek to the west	This park features both rocky and marshy shoreline access with a charming view.	Saltwater
Hunts Point Riverside Park	Located just upstream from the terminal mouth of the Bronx River, you can fish in brackish waters from the fishing pier. For several years, NYC Parks has been conducting an anadromous fish introduction program in the Bronx River; recent annual releases included alewife herring.	Saltwater
Crotona Park Crotona Park East & Charlotte Street	This beautiful 3-acre lake is home to largemouth bass, bluegill, and pumpkinseed sunfish. Anglers can cast off from the east side deck, or follow paved paths to more solitary spots on the shoreline.	Freshwater
Pelham Bay Park At the waterfront east of the Aileen B. Ryan Recreational Complex	Cast a line off of this rocky shoreline and test your skills fishing for striped bass or flounder. There is a small parking lot available on Middletown Road. From here, it is a short journey through Huntington Woods to reach the shore, less than a half mile walk.	Saltwater
Van Cortlandt Park Bailey Ave & Van Cortlandt Park South	This gorgeous 18-acre lake is home to plenty of yellow perch, brown bullheads, largemouth bass, black crappie, and carp. The lake’s shoreline includes both flat grassy areas as well as more challenging spots in the sloping, forested section of the lake.	Freshwater

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Location	Description	Type	Image
East River Esplanade	Enter from 96th street and enjoy the views of Randall’s Island and Long Island City while fishing for white perch, striped bass, flounder, black sea bass, oyster toadfish, and even eels.	Saltwater
John v. Lindsay East River Park	Almost anywhere along this 1.5-mile shorefront park, you can fish for striped bass, flounder, black sea bass, oyster toadfish, and even eels.	Saltwater
Central Park East side from 106th to 110th Street	Be surrounded by the city as you fish for pumpkinseed and bluegill sunfish, largemouth bass, and carp. Respect all fences and stay out of closed landscapes. For those without equipment, the Charles A. Dana Discovery Center loans out free fishing poles to use at the Harlem Meer.	Freshwater
West Harlem Piers	Cast your line out into the Hudson River from this portion of the historic Manhattanville shoreline.	Saltwater

For a more comprehensive list of fishing locations and rules in New York, visit the NYS DEC fishing page. 

NYC Parks Fishing Regulations

By observing the following regulations when fishing in waters under the jurisdiction of the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation, you will help preserve our marine resources for future generations to enjoy. For state and federal regulations of which you should be aware, please visit the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation website.

(The following is an excerpt from Section §1-05 Regulated Uses of the Rules & Regulations of the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation.)

(h) Fishing

1. Fishing shall be permitted from locations under the jurisdiction of the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation, except in open swimming areas or where specifically prohibited.
   
   Any person who engages in fishing shall obey all posted guidelines and comply with all applicable City, State, and Federal laws and regulations, including Title 6 of the New York State Environmental Conservation Law.
2. The use of lead fishing weights in waters under the jurisdiction of the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation shall be a violation of these rules.
3. Failure to remove fishing line fragments and hooks from land and waters under the jurisdiction of the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation shall be a violation of these rules.
4. All fish caught in freshwater areas shall be immediately released. The use of barbed hooks in such areas shall be a violation of these rules.
5. The use of traps to catch fish and/or crustaceans in areas under the jurisdiction of the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation shall be a violation of these rules.

Resources

• NYC Parks Fishing Rules
• Permits, Licenses, and Registrations (Department of Environmental Conservation)
• Freshwater Fishing Regulations (Department of Environmental Conservation)
• Recreational Saltwater Fishing Regulations (Department of Environmental Conservation)
• Catch and Release Fishing in Central Park (Central Park Conservancy)
• New York City Region Fish Advisories (New York State Department of Health)
• Lead Fishing Weights and Loons (Department of Environmental Conservation)
• Restoration Projects: Anadromous Fish Reintroduction