Rules & Regulations
Cast net laws in New York
Legal with restrictions (location-locked)Informational only — this is not legal advice
Fishing regulations change, sometimes with little notice, and can vary further by county, water body, or season within a state. This page is a starting point for research, not a substitute for the law. Always verify current rules directly with your state's fish & wildlife agency or TakeMeFishing.org before you fish. BasicGear is not responsible for citations, fines, or gear seizures resulting from reliance on this page.
Last verified: 2026-07-08 — regulations are re-checked periodically; see the date above before assuming this is current.
Summary
Cast nets are legal only in the Hudson River below the Troy Dam — illegal statewide everywhere else in New York.
Size, mesh & licensing
- Max size
- 10 ft diameter (5 ft radius) — New York's rule states this as a diameter
- Mesh
- Not specified
- Water type
- Freshwater, Hudson River below Troy Dam only
- License
- Standard New York fishing license (no separate cast-net permit)
Recommended BasicGear net
Cast Net — Basic Series — Choose a 5 ft radius or smaller size — and confirm you're on the Hudson River below the Troy Dam, since it isn't legal anywhere else in NY.
Official source
NY DEC — Baitfish Regulations↗
High confidenceVerified directly against DEC's own gear table and footnote as a spot-check source for this project; cross-checked against DEC's Tidal Hudson River special regulations page with no disagreement found.
Last verified: 2026-07-08
See all 50 states, or shop the cast net lineup for New York.