It's Time for Stockies
Even though trout fishing is allowed on a year-round basis in some Long Island waters, late March and early April are considered by many sweetwater fans to be the true start of trout fishing season. No doubt some diehards already put their first scores on the board before St. Patrick’s Day targeting a variety of panfish, holdover trout, pickerel and largemouth bass, but with over 20 locations scheduled to be stocked with trout by May 1, even novice piscators have a solid shot of connecting on local lakes, ponds and rivers within a short drive of home as we transition to warmer weather.
This spring the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (D.E.C.) will stock approximately 21,450 trout in Long Island waters, a mix of rainbows measuring eight inches long, plus nine- to 15-inch browns, across Nassau and Suffolk counties. The vast majority of these will be released during late March and April, with additional stockings added to select locations come fall. By April Fool’s Day, every stocking location on Long Island should have received its initial stocking for the year.
A DEC worker tosses some fresh rainbows, ready to be caught in a local creek. Photo: NYS DEC.
In addition to the DEC stockings, New York State Parks usually stocks about 6,500 trout between Belmont Lake, and Hempstead State Park each year. That total includes supplying supplemental stocking prior to the spring and fall Family Fishing & Children’s Festivals held at Belmont Lake and Hempstead State Park, respectively. The Town of Southampton does some additional trout stocking, too. This year they plan to release nearly 1,400 brook and rainbow trout measuring up to 10 inches into a dozen different ponds within the township. To fish these locations, however, You’ll need to be a Southampton Town resident or be accompanied by a licensed Southampton Town guide to fish at these locations.
Belmont Lake family fishing festival. Always a fun time! Photo by NY State Parks.
As for some places to try your luck, there’s nothing wrong with simply hitting the closest spots on the stocking list (see the links below.) Massapequa Reservoir, Upper Lake in Yaphank, Oyster Bay Mill Pond, Argyle Lake in Babylon, Belmont Lake and West Lake in Patchogue are among the perennial hot spots.
For those eligible to fish in Southampton, Wildwood Lake in Northampton, Big Fresh Pond in North Sea and Trout Pond in Noyack are all good bets. Note that Big Fresh Pond now has a fish ladder allowing alewives to return from the sea and spawn, which should help put the trout, bass and pickerel there all in a feeding mood.
In terms of gear, this is your chance to make the most of lightweight and ultralight tackle. Since even the two-year-old browns are unlikely to measure more than 15 inches, a 6-foot St. Croix Premiere Series ultralight rod matched to a size 1000 Shimano Ultegra spinning reel filled with 4- or 5-pound-test Berkley Trilene XL Monofilament, or 5-8 lb. braid is ideal and can double for fun with panfish.
A nice fat stockie caught on a jig with an ultralight setup is always a good time. OutdoorTom.com photo.
Top baits for early season trout include Leland Lures Trout Magnets, Berkley Power Bait, and yellow corn kernels. A 2-inch segment of nightcrawler fished a foot or two below a small float is another solid option. If you’d rather throw lures, small 1/8- to ¼-ounce Road Runner Original Marabou Jigs, Panther Martin Sonic Streamer in-line spinners and Blue Fox spinners all work well. Don’t forget about small 1/8 oz. Kastmasters too! Silver blades tend to attract the ‘bows while gold blades often have an edge with the browns.
If you can find enough room to fly-cast, consider using Mop flies in river or stream waters with significant current. Stripping a wooly bugger, or indicator fishing with Beadhead nymphs also works well in still waters, as will a bushy dry fly-fly pattern along the lines of an Elk Hair Caddis if you see fish sipping the surface. Any of these can be presented with an affordable and efficient 5wt TFO fly rod combo, such as the TFO NXT Black Label 5wt Fly Combo.
Because trout are cold-water fish, few stockies are expected to survive the summer months in our area. That means it’s okay to creel your daily limit. Just be sure to check the NYS DEC website for the latest freshwater fishing regulations before heading out as just about every year sees a few changes.
Links:
New York State Freshwater Fishing Regulations Guide
Spring 2025 Trout Stocking List For Nassau County
- Bryce Poyer
