Last free fishing day is on Veterans Day DEC last weekend hosted its annual ‘Healing Military Servicemembers and Veterans thru Fly Fishing’ weekend on the Salmon River for veterans and wounded service members. All 12 participants caught fish, including steelhead, coho, and some late-run Chinook salmon. (NYS DEC/NYS DEC)
New York State is waiving the $25 fee for fishing licenses on Veterans Day, Nov. 11, 2025. It’s the sixth and last free fishing day this year and applies to both residents and nonresidents.
“Fall is a great time of year to fish in New York’s pristine waters while honoring a veteran in your life,” Governor Hochul said.
The Department of Environmental Conservation also offers free and reduced fee fishing licenses for active-duty military members meeting certain criteria, and for resident veterans with a service-related disability.
While no license is required, all other freshwater fishing regulations remain in effect.
“Free Fishing Day is more than a tradition, it is an invitation for our Veterans, Service Members, and their families to connect with the healing power of nature, build community, and enjoy the beauty of our great state,” said NYS Department of Veterans Services Commissioner Viviana M. DeCohen.
DEC last weekend hosted its annual ‘Healing Military Servicemembers and Veterans thru Fly Fishing’ weekend on the Salmon River for veterans and wounded service members. All 12 participants caught fish, including steelhead, coho, and some late-run Chinook salmon.
Spawning Pacific salmon are still migrating up many of NY’s Great Lakes tributaries, along with steelhead and brown trout.
Trout fishing is a solid choice, as trout stream regulations are now catch and release, with only artificial lures allowed in inland streams through March 31.
The shore bite is hot on Oneida Lake, the state’s top walleye fishery. For up-to-date reports on what’s biting in Western or Central New York, check out the Lake Erie and Western NY Fishing Hotline and the Central NY Fishing Hotline.
Can’t find a spot near you? Visit DEC’s Places to Fish site for popular destinations statewide. Mapping tools to help you find boat launches, stream regulations, and are also available, like DEC’s Locator Interactive Map or the Tackle Box feature in the HuntFishNY mobile app to find a fishing spot near you with information on parking, boat launches, trout stream regulations, and more.
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If you, or someone you know, catches something—anything—on Free Fishing Day, send us a pic and we’ll make them famous.