New York State is home to some of the finest trout fishing in the East, and its large diversity of trout waters is unparalleled anywhere in the country.

Not many states can lay claim to more than 7,500 lakes and ponds, 50,000 miles of rivers and streams, plus two Great Lakes, both of which offer world-class trout fisheries.

Of course, not all these waters are classified as trout habitat or contain trout. But it's safe to say that no matter where you live or travel within the Empire State, from the steel towers of The Big Apple to the remoteness of the Adirondacks, prime trout water isn't far away.

And there's plenty of it!

GREAT LAKES AND PONDS . . .
Few places can match the allure and charm of the remote, pristine trout ponds scattered throughout the Adirondack region.

Brook trout have always been the kings here. While many populations have been lost due to acid rain and the arrival of non-native species, the New York Department of Conservation has several ongoing programs that may turn the tide.

Between 1989 and 2005, 53 "lost" Adirondack trout waters have been reclaimed and re-introduced with either heritage brook trout or Temiscamie X domestic hybrid brook trout.

Through the DEC's Heritage Strain Brook Trout Restoration Program, streams are reclaimed and restocked with brook trout where possible.

Certain waters continue to be limed to mitigate the efforts of acid precipitation on wild populations. Heritage brook trout brood stock is maintained at the Chautauqua Hatchery in northern Franklin County for future use.

Meanwhile, a brook trout expedition to the wilds of the Adirondacks remains an unparalleled angling experience. The same can be said of fishing New York's two Great Lakes for football-sized brown trout, rainbows and lakers. The trout fisheries on the big lakes are unparalleled anywhere in the East, and the DEC continues to monitor the high quality fishing that anglers have grown accustomed to.

For visiting trout anglers, New York State also boasts a host of smaller lakes with a great deal to offer. From the Finger Lakes to Lake Champlain to more than 20 reservoirs, all of which are stocked with trout annually, these inland waters produce some massive fish -- testifying to the DEC's successful management efforts and the high quality of habitat in New York's inland waters.

During the 2007 fishing season (the last season for which award records were available under the DEC's Annual Awards Category), Canandaigua Lake in Yates County produced a brown trout weighing 15 pounds, 12 ounces. Indian Lake in Hamilton County gave up a lake trout weighing nearly 16 pounds.

Skaneateles Lake in Onondaga County produced one weighing nearly 21 pounds, and Westchester County's Kensico Reservoir produced a lake trout that tipped the scales at over 23 pounds.

No other state in the Northeast has so many lakes that produce such large trout. Though trout of this size may be the exception rather than the rule, big fish are certainly nothing new to fishermen in this state.