New York State is offering the opportunity for residents to enjoy a day of connecting with the outdoors on Veterans Day by allowing for a day of free fishing. This free fishing day will be the final one of 2025, and will give honor to those that served with the opportunity to have a day of fishing without the need for a fresh water license.

While the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation has offered free fishing days throughout the year since 1991, the addition of free fishing on Nov. 11 is the newest to be offered. The final yearly free fishing day was implemented by Governor Kathy Hochul in 2022 to specifically coincide with Veterans Day. Since fishing is such a peaceful and therapeutic outdoor activity, Hochul stated that this would present a wonderful opportunity to honor veterans. Being that fishing is an easy and non stressful activity, it is perfect for veterans, active military, families, and any members of the community looking to spend a day connecting with the outdoors.

The NYS DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos stated that this state contains such a large quantity of locations that present freshwater fishing opportunities to residents. Seggos noted that this is because of the 7,500 lakes and ponds and 70,000 miles of rivers and streams that exist across the state. This makes fishing an easily accessible activity, which veterans and families will be able to reap mental and physical benefits from. The state hopes that this program will result in more people giving fishing an attempt, and better conservation opportunities by encouraging people to purchase a NYS fishing license.

This program is simply a piece in the state’s overall mission to expand fishing opportunities and encourage more individuals to grow a love for the sport. The DEC has been operating the I Fish NY program to provide greater education and examples for those looking to learn more about fishing. The program provides a host of online resources to assist with educating children in grades three through five, and also allows organizations to hold educational fishing clinic programs. The DEC also hosts an annual Veteran Fly Fishing event, which has been put on for about 18 years now. This event is hosted in partnership with Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing and CompeerCORPS Rochester, and offers veterans the chance to catch and release steelhead along a portion of the Salmon River. This initiative not only provides a fun activity for veterans, but also provides an amount of physical and emotional rehabilitation for these veterans.

The DEC launched the Tackle Box feature in 2022 through the HuntFishNY app, with the goal of assisting fishing related tourism and providing a host of fishing spots to anglers. This app provides information on most state fishing regulations, waterbody locations, state-operated access sites, stocking information, and identifying information. This app can prove incredibly effective for those looking to find new spots, or looking to try fishing for the first time on free fishing day. For more information visit www.dec.ny.gov.