Mark your calendars for this year's free fishing days in New York State.

• June 28-29
• September 27 (National Hunting and Fishing Day)
• November 11 (Veterans Day)

On these days anyone can freshwater fish in New York without a fishing license, so it's the perfect opportunity to introduce fishing to a friend or family member.

To help make fishing more affordable and help inspire the next generation of anglers, DEC has partnered with libraries across the state to provide a free fishing rod lending program. For more information and a list of participating libraries, visit the DEC’s website.

Not sure how to get started? DEC has you covered with these resources:

• I FISH NY Beginners' Guide to Freshwater Fishing (PDF)
• How to series on DEC’s YouTube channel
• Places to Fish webpages
• HuntFishNY app
• Learn to Fish Clinics