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Free Fishing Day

  • Date

    May 30, 2026

  • Time

    6:00 am - 11:00 pm

DEC Announces Free Public Fishing Events for World Fish Migration day on May 30

Twelve Family-Friendly Educational Activities Will Highlight the Importance of Fish Migration and Healthy Waterways

New Yorkers Encouraged to ‘Get Offline and Get Outside’ at Multiple Hudson River and New York Harbor Sites

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) today announced a series of free public fishing events on May 30 in celebration of World Fish Migration Day. The family-friendly educational activities will take place at 12 locations across the Lower Hudson River and New York Harbor. World Fish Migration Day is a global celebration to raise awareness about migratory fish species and the communities and ecosystems that depend on them.

“On World Fish Migration Day, DEC and our partner organizations offer an opportunity for New Yorkers to see migrating fish up close and learn about our efforts to protect and preserve their habitat,” DEC’s Hudson River Programs Coordinator Heather Gierloff said. “DEC encourages families to get outside on May 30 and discover the rich diversity of fish and wildlife that inhabit the waters of the Hudson River and New York Harbor region.”

DEC is partnering with organizations throughout the Lower Hudson and New York Harbor to host special activities that highlight local marine life and habitat conservation. Participants will have opportunities to learn about local fish species, migration patterns, river ecology, and community science efforts taking place throughout the estuary. The events are organized by the Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory and DEC’s Hudson River Estuary Program.

Each spring the Hudson River is alive with migratory fish species that are drawn into the protective waters of the estuary as part of their spawning cycle. World Fish Migration Day is a global celebration to create awareness about the importance of migratory fish and free-flowing rivers.

Events take place on Saturday, May 30 unless otherwise noted and event times vary by site.

Manhattan

  • Seining, Fort Washington Park Beach, 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
  • Seining, Randall’s Island Park, 2:00 – 4:00 p.m.
  • Wetlab Open, Rod & Reel, Minnow Pots, Hudson River Park Pier 40*, 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. *Please note this event will take place on June 6

Brooklyn

  • Seining, Brooklyn Bridge Park Pier 4, 3:00 – 5:00 p.m., Register to attend
  • Seining, Shirley Chisholm State Park,10:00 a.m. – noon

Queens

  • Eel Mop, Oyster Cages, Biodiversity Survey, Gantry Plaza State Park, 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
  • Rod & Reel, Rockaways Ferry Terminal, noon – 3:00 p.m.

Staten Island

  • Seining, Lemon Creek Park, 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
  • Oyster Cages, Stapleton Waterfront Park, 10:00 a.m. – noon

Lower Hudson

  • Seining, Sarah Lawrence Center for the Urban River at Beczak,10:00 a.m. – noon
  • Seining, LDEO Hudson River Field Station, noon – 4:00 p.m.
  • Seining, Little Stony Point, Hudson Highlands State Park, 3:00 p.m.

Additional information on participating sites and activities is available through Lower Hudson and Harbor Fish Count.

https://dec.ny.gov/news/press-releases