Catskill Region Fish Advisories

The Catskill Region has many cold water and warm water fishing opporunities. Anglers can access miles of trout streams and excellent fishing opportunities in the NYC reservoir system. However, all waters within the Catskill Region (which extends beyond the Catskill Park, see map) have been more affected by methyl mercury. Everyone should follow the advice below when fishing from waters without specific advisories in the Catskill Region (specific advisories are listed in the table below). Choose from the “best choice” and “good choice” categories for the whole family because these fish have lower levels of mercury.

Catskill Regional Advice

Image showing illustration of Catskill Regional Advice. This advice is available in table format below.
Catskill Regional Advice for waters without specific advice. The sensitive population refers to people who may become pregnant (under the age of 50) and children under 15. The general population refers to everyone else.
Category Fish General Population Advice Sensitive Population Advice
Best Choice Fish Bluegill Up to 4 meals/month Up to 4 meals/month
Brook trout Up to 4 meals/month Up to 4 meals/month
Pumpkinseed/sunfish Up to 4 meals/month Up to 4 meals/month
Rainbow trout Up to 4 meals/month Up to 4 meals/month
Good Choice Fish Black crappie Up to 4 meals/month Up to 1 meal/month
Brown trout Up to 4 meals/month Up to 1 meal/month
Bullhead Up to 4 meals/month Up to 1 meal/month
Carp Up to 4 meals/month Up to 1 meal/month
Chain pickerel less than 20 inches Up to 4 meals/month Up to 1 meal/month
Lake trout Up to 4 meals/month Up to 1 meal/month
White sucker Up to 4 meals/month Up to 1 meal/month
Yellow perch less than 10 inches Up to 4 meals/month Up to 1 meal/month
Any other fish not listed in this table Up to 4 meals/month Up to 1 meal/month
Eat less Chain pickerel greater than 20 inches Up to 1 meal/month Up to 1 meal/month
Largemouth bass Up to 1 meal/month Up to 1 meal/month
Rock bass Up to 1 meal/month Up to 1 meal/month
White perch Up to 1 meal/month Up to 1 meal/month
Avoid Smallmouth bass Up to 1 meal/month DON'T EAT
Walleye less than 19 inches Up to 1 meal/month DON'T EAT
Yellow perch greater than 10 inches Up to 1 meal/month DON'T EAT
Walleye greater than 19 inches DON'T EAT DON'T EAT

Advisory Tables

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Catskill Region Specific Advice

Don't see your waterbody listed in the table?
If there is no specific advice for a particular waterbody in the Catskill Region, follow the regional advice above.

Mapicon
Waterbody 1 (County)
fish icon
Fish
general population icon
General Population
Sensitive population icon
Sensitive Population
Chemical of Concern icon
Chemicals of Concern
Ashokan Reservoir
(Ulster)
Largemouth bass Up to 1 meal/month Greater than 15", DON'T EAT;
Less than 15", up to 1 meal/month
Mercury
All other fish Follow Catskill Regional Advisory Mercury
Cannonsville Reservoir
(Delaware)
Yellow perch Up to 1 meal/month DON'T EAT Mercury
All other fish Follow Catskill Regional Advisory Mercury
Chodikee Lake
(Ulster)
Largemouth bass Greater than 15", up to 1 meal/month;
Less than 15", up to 4 meals/month
DON'T EAT Mercury
All other fish Up to 4 meals/month DON'T EAT Mercury
Herrick Hollow Creek
(Delaware)
Brook trout Up to 1 meal/month DON'T EAT PCBs, mercury
All other fish Follow Catskill Regional Advisory PCBs, mercury
Hudson River See Hudson River & Tributaries
Loch Sheldrake
(Sullivan)
Walleye Up to 1 meal/month DON'T EAT Mercury
All other fish Up to 4 meals/month DON'T EAT Mercury
Neversink Reservoir
(Sullivan)
Brown trout Up to 1 meal/month Up to 1 meal/month Mercury
All other fish Follow Catskill Regional Advisory Mercury
North-South Lake
(Greene)
Largemouth bass Up to 1 meal/month Greater than 15", DON'T EAT;
Less than 15", up to 1 meal/month
Mercury
All other fish Follow Catskill Regional Advisory Mercury
Pepacton Reservoir
(Delaware)
Brown trout Up to 1 meal/month Up to 1 meal/month Mercury
All other fish Follow Catskill Regional Advisory Mercury
Rio Reservoir
(Sullivan, Orange)
Smallmouth bass Greater than 15", up to 1 meal/month;
Less than 15", up to 4 meals/month
DON'T EAT Mercury
All other fish Up to 4 meals/month DON'T EAT Mercury
Schoharie Reservoir
(Delaware, Greene, Schoharie)
Yellow perch, Black crappie Up to 1 meal/month Up to 1 meal/month Mercury
All other fish Follow Catskill Regional Advisory Mercury
Swinging Bridge Reservoir
(Sullivan)
Walleye Up to 1 meal/month DON'T EAT Mercury
All other fish Up to 4 meals/month DON'T EAT Mercury

The sensitive population refers to people who may bear children under the age of 50 and children under 15. The general population refers to everyone else.

1 The specific health advisories for the waters listed above also apply to tributaries and connected waters if there are no dams, falls, or barriers to stop the fish from moving upstream.

Regional Brochure

Link to view Catskill Region Brochure

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Advisory Waters Map

The map below highlights waterbodies with specific health advice for eating fish you catch. For more detailed maps that show health advice for public access waters, visit our maps page.

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Map of the Catskill Region