Because of how close Long Island is to New York City, there are some fantastic piers on the island. They’re kept clean and well maintained, and no one is allowed to feed stray animals in the area. To fish on Long Island, you must have either your saltwater or freshwater license, depending on where the pier is.
Best Fishing Piers on Long Island
Jones Beach State Park
This state pier is one of the most popular piers on Long Island. But don’t think that you are going to have to share the ocean water with a bunch of surfers and families. If you walk up less than half a mile north from the main beach, you will see the field 10 Fishing Pier. If you are set on fishing at this pier, you will have to leave your feline friend. Feeding the feral cats around the area or abandoning cats that you no longer want to care for will result in heavy fines and other serious penalties.
Harborfront Park
If you want to fish at the pier that is right in the middle of the action, you’re going to enjoy fishing at Harborfront Park. The pier juts into the ocean where you can get up close and personal to marine life and the dozens of ships on the water. But perhaps if you’d like to be alone and away from the noise, you would enjoy fishing at Jones Beach State Park instead. Harborfront Park hosts many different events like farmers’ markets and movies on the Harbor.
Wantagh Park
The word on fishing forums is Wantagh Park is great for catching snappers late into the summer season. Sometimes if snappers are not biting, flukes will. When you’re done fishing, you can also check out tennis courts or basketball courts that are located in the area. There is also a walking path for walkers, joggers, and bike riders. The fishing pier is open year-round as long as the weather is being safe for fishing and being outside.
Magnolia Pier
One of the most popular piers in Long Island, Magnolia Pier, is a great place to fish for sea herring. Along with sea herring, you also find Bluefish, Snappers, weakfish, blackfish, and even blowfish, although we are not sure if you should eat blowfish without a license.
This pier is in a prime location so that you can witness many different types of schools of fish traveling around the area. Using this pier is free of charge and is open year-round. However, you are only allowed to use one rod per person.
What Kind of Fish are Around Long Island?
The type of fish in the waters around Long Island depends on the season. When you are out in the water during different times of the year, you can find different sea bass and mackerel, flounder, cobia, blackfish, porgy, and fluke. And these are only the saltwater species. In certain lakes, there are American eels, Bluegill, Bass, and Carp.
If you regularly fish in freshwater, then expect to come across pike, catfish, sturgeon, and perch. Rainbow trout, largemouth bass, yellow perch, catfish, and black Crappie are just some more of the fish you can discover around the coast of Long Island.
Fishing Rules and Regulations on Long Island
Since Long Island is in New York, you must follow and adhere to the fishing rules and regulations of New York.
Anyone older than 16 years old requires a license to fish. There are two types of fishing licenses, a freshwater fishing license and a saltwater fishing license.
Freshwater License
For a freshwater fishing license, an annual pass can be purchased for $25 or $50 if you are not a resident. If you would like to purchase a 7-Day license. It will only cost $12 for residents, but $28 for non-residents and a one-day pass is $5 or $10.
Saltwater License
If you would like to fish in saltwater, you will have to get a license, but a saltwater fishing license does not cost any money. But you do need to sign up and register. You will need a saltwater fishing license if you plan to fish in rivers that open out into the ocean.
Please note that even though you have a saltwater fishing license, you cannot hunt for sharks or tuna. Also, crabbing is restricted as well as clamming and shellfishing.
If you do not wish to buy a fishing license, you can fish for free once a year. It is called the “free fishing weekend.” It occurs only during the last weekend of June.
Best Time to Fish on Long Island
One popular way to fish on Long Island is to travel through the Sound, usually by boat or ferry. There is a diversity of fish that can be spotted while fishing on the Sound, no matter the season. But the best time to catch fish on Long Island depends on which fish you are actively trying to capture.
If you are looking to fish for bass, you should fish during April and December. If you try to fish out of this timeframe, it is illegal, and you will be fined or receive jail time. If the blackfish that you want to fish, look for them from October to December.
Many fish do not stay in the area for the winter, so by November, you will see a serious decline in fish quantity and variety.
Conclusion
The variety of fish that Long Island offers is unbelievable, and it might be one of the most diverse areas in the country. There are many types of marine life, and you can see new fish because of their migration dates. Some of the fish available on Long Island throughout the year are porgy, fluke, mackerel, catfish, sturgeon, and rainbow trout. When you’re done fishing, the best attractions are available for or people in the tri-state area to visit. Just be sure to have your freshwater or saltwater license, so you don’t get in trouble and face heavy fines for community service.
