The arrival of January means there are another 12 months ahead for New York's avid angling community.

This year, where are we going to go to pull pike or trout through cleanly chiseled auger holes, catch hungry spring brookies in rippling streams, or fish for lunker smallmouth bass or lake trout in the cool summer depths?

No matter what kind of angling action you're looking for, the Empire State has plenty of it!

Special regulations apply on many waters statewide. For details, be sure to check the New York Department of Environmental Conservation Web site at www.dec.state.ny.us.

Here's a look at 36 top-rated waters to keep anglers busy all through the coming year:

JANUARY
Tiger Muskies
Cossayuna Lake
Fish this Washington County lake in Argyle with minnows or small suckers to tempt tiger muskies on tip-ups!

Cossayuna Lake also has pike, bluegills, pumpkinseeds, and yellow perch.

Access is off Route 40 at the Hamlet of South Argyle, east on county Road 49 to East Shore Road.

Coho Salmon
Lake Ontario
This great lake gives up record-class coho salmon, Atlantic salmon, brown trout and rainbows.

Lake Ontario is also home to abundant steelhead trout, lake trout, Pacific salmon, walleyes, pike and smallmouth bass. One or more of those species may be taken all winter.

The shoreline is accessible via the region's numerous state parks. For a complete listing of them, simply visit http://nysparks.state.ny.us and select "Thousand Islands Region."

Northern Pike
Great Sacandaga Lake
This southern Adirondacks lake gives up king-sized pike, including the current state-record fish, a 46.2-pound lunker.

Great Sacandaga is also home to walleyes, bass, yellow perch, pumpkinseeds, black crappies, carp, rainbow trout and the occasional brown trout.

Access is off county Route 110 three miles northeast of Broadalbin, off Conklinville Road five miles north of Edinburg beside the Saratoga County Park, or via Route 30 in Northville.

FEBRUARY
Landlocked Salmon
Chateaugay Lake
Chateaugay Lake in Dannemora (upper) and Chateaugay (lower) has lake trout, rainbows, yellow perch and pike in addition to catch-worthy landlocked salmon.

Try live baits on a long leader, fished about 10 feet below the ice.

Ice-fishing is allowed from Nov. 15 through April 30 for most species. But this is one of many special-regulation waters that close March 15 for pike, pickerel, tiger muskies and walleyes.

Access is at Chateaugay Narrows on Route 374, one-half mile north of Merrill.

Walleyes
Lake Erie
It would be impossible to write about fishing in the Empire State without giving a bow to the "Walleye Capital of the World."

Access to the big lake is easy. Try the Buffalo Boat Harbor off Buffalo Skyway at Furhman Boulevard, or the Erie Basin Marina along Erie Boulevard Mall, both in Buffalo; or go to Sturgeon Point off Longshore Road about four miles north of Angola.

Splake
West Caroga Lake
West Caroga Lake in the town of Caroga is a great destination for splake. This hybrid, a cross between brookies and lake trout, grows faster than either parent species, providing quality opportunities for ice-anglers.

The lake is also home to yellow perch, pumpkinseeds and whitefish.

MARCH
Lake Trout
Fourth Lake
This Hamilton County lake offers excellent lake trout action and also holds plenty of rainbows, brookies, landlocked salmon, rock bass, yellow perch and pumpkinseeds. Try tempting big lakers with egg sacs.

Access is from Route 28 about 10 miles east of Old Forge, or through Alger Island State Campground eight miles northeast of Old Forge on South Shore Road.

Smallmouths
Seneca Lake
This big lake spans Ontario, Yates, Seneca and Schuyler counties and is an excellent two-tiered fishery that offers largemouth bass, yellow perch, pike, rainbows, brown trout and landlocked salmon.

Access is through Seneca Lake State Park in Geneva, or at Sampson State Park, Lodi Point State Marine Park and Severne Point about eight miles south of Dresden.

Bluegills
Brant Lake
This Warren County lake gave up the current state-record 'gill, a whopping 3.12-pounder!

The lake and Brant Lake Mill Pond, both in the town of Horicon, have plenty of hungry yellow perch, chain pickerel, pumpkinseeds, brown trout and rainbows to keep anglers busy, too.

Access is from Route 8 one mile northeast of the Hamlet of Brant Lake.