Brookies April 1

[Harper]

Will anyone be trying the Brookies on the 1st. I'm hoping to get out.

[beerbellybob106]

have to be careful about that about 99% of brook trout ponds are closed to ice fishing

[pruville]

Piece of cake #10 baitholder hook and a worm, be careful hiking in to ur favorite pond,good luck,don't forget to bring frying pan and warm clothes

[JJ]

Definitely not legal on pretty much ALL brook trout waters, there are only a couple open to ice fishing and they have more than brookies in them. I had a long talk with the head od Fisheries in Region 5 about this very topic. You can bet the wardens will be watching with this late spring.

[perchfilet]

Faun Lake near Speculator is closed to ice fishing. However, from April 1 on you can fish the lake. It holds native lake trout. Because the lake
is still usually covered with ice on April 1, you need to drill through the ice to fish there. It is legal to do this, but you may not use tip-ups. You may
use three jigging poles or other poles, but again, no tip-ups. I wonder if the same rules apply in brook trout waters?

[big_guy_13021]

I think ill be ice fishing opening dsy also they sure wont be up the creeks i dont think..as far as your question goes look in the guide or call your dec office

[JJ]

Faun Lake near Speculator is closed to ice fishing. However, from April 1 on you can fish the lake. It holds native lake trout. Because the lake
is still usually covered with ice on April 1, you need to drill through the ice to fish there. It is legal to do this, but you may not use tip-ups. You may
use three jigging poles or other poles, but again, no tip-ups. I wonder if the same rules apply in brook trout waters?

All trout waters are closed to ice fishing UNLESS the Regulations state otherwise; lake trout aren't considered as trout. Fawn Lake is one of few oddities in the regs that allows ice fishing only after April 1st, of course it doesn't have brookies. Many people probably don't know that ice fishing season ends on April 30th in NY.
 
Guess you didn't read my post right before yours. 

I'm surprised how many people don't know the regs or how to look things up, it's all on the DEC website, don't even need the book.

[perchfilet]

I found many lakes, county by county, where fishing through the ice is legal for trout. (meaning brook, brown, or rainbow) For example, the
Fulton Chain, Piseco and many others. I understand, that if they aren't listed they would be closed. However, the trout season does open
on April 1; does that mean only in waters not covered by ice. Remember, there is a difference between fishing through the ice and using
tip-ups.

[HybridHunter]

I found many lakes, county by county, where fishing through the ice is legal for trout. (meaning brook, brown, or rainbow) For example, the
Fulton Chain, Piseco and many others. I understand, that if they aren't listed they would be closed. However, the trout season does open
on April 1; does that mean only in waters not covered by ice. Remember, there is a difference between fishing through the ice and using
tip-ups.

You are seeing the regs on the Fulton chain and Piseco for lake trout which are not a trout. They are part of the char family amd often referred to as togue. We are talking about browns, rainbows, and brookies here.

[adkRoy]

When in doubt, contact DEC.  Its much cheaper to make a phone call or send an email than to receive a ticket.

Contact DEC

[JJ]

I found many lakes, county by county, where fishing through the ice is legal for trout. (meaning brook, brown, or rainbow) For example, the
Fulton Chain, Piseco and many others. I understand, that if they aren't listed they would be closed. However, the trout season does open
on April 1; does that mean only in waters not covered by ice. Remember, there is a difference between fishing through the ice and using
tip-ups.

Like you said, you found lakes where ice fishing is legal for trout, if it's not listed you can't ice fish, period. You should notice that none of the many brook trout only ponds are open to ice fishing, or the use of baitfish. Trout waters that are open usually have other species to fish for, like pike/pickerel, perch and/or panfish.

Ice Fishing

Ice fishing is permitted in the following waters:
•All non‑trout waters unless otherwise prohibited.
•Certain trout waters listed in the guide including Lake Champlain, Lake Erie, Niagara River, Lake Ontario, St. Lawrence River, Finger Lakes, Border Waters, most New York City reservoirs, and all other waters designated as ICE FISHING PERMITTED in SPECIAL REGULATIONS BY COUNTY. Read through the regulations pertaining to the water you intend to fish. Where ice fishing is permitted, fish may be taken in accordance with the seasons, minimum size and creel limits in effect in that water. Wherever ice fishing is permitted, no more than three hand lines and 5 tip‑ups may be used, except as noted in BORDER WATERS, LAKE CHAMPLAIN or SPECIAL REGULATIONS BY COUNTY. All tip‑ups must be marked with the name and address of the operator. The operator must be present when lines (tip‑ups or hand lines) are in the water. Tip‑ups may only be operated on waters of the state between November 15 and April 30.

Remember: Trout waters where ice fishing is permitted are specifically designated in this guide; ice fishing is prohibited in all other trout waters. If you are unsure whether a water is considered trout or non‑trout, contact the DEC Regional Office for that area.

[Slob slammer]

Jj actually has a point here.     "" Brookie waters"" are not open just because it's April 1st.    If your out and get caught the joke will be on you.     I asked a couple of dec officers ( forgot there names) that where on lake George this past weekend and they said that only a select few trout waters were open to ice fishing      Lucky for me he named a couple but those lakes hold other fish besides brookies   

[jiignut]

Over the winter when trout are out of season, the DEC has a few trout lakes open, special regs.  The rest cant be fished due to non season for trout. When trout season opens you can fish them from shore, boat, open water, around edges of ice. No reason you cant stand on the ice and fish through a hole. Same lakes have been x-country skied upon, skated, snowmobiled and whatever, so its not like your not allowed on there. If its trout waters, and trout are in season, Im taking advantage of the late ice and fishing some trout ponds through the ice.
Whats so confusing?

[JJ]

You guys really like to make this difficult. From the Conservation Law:

§10.4 Ice fishing and use of tip-ups
(1) No person shall fish through the ice in any water inhabited by trout except those waters specified in this Part.

Can't get any simpler or less confusing than that. People have been ticketed for this.

[bird21s]

Not trying to add fuel jj but the heading reads ice fishing and the use of tip-ups . The word and indicates both must be true. ( rules of logic ) so with that said, the law reads no tip ups in trout waters.

wouldn't it still be arguable about a jig rod during the open season. 

[JJ]

Not really, I've spoken to biologists and DEC officers about this. NO fishing.

That is just the heading for the section, doesn't mean it all only apply to tip-ups. Just like the part about the tip-up season, mentions tip-ups specifically but doesn't say anything about handlines.

And no problem bird, at least you are having a civil discussion.

[perchslappinmy]

Might be wrong but I believe you can fish through a hole in the ice as long as it's a hole not made by man...like if you're fishing from shore and cast out to said hole. Not sure if that pertains to standing on the ice. Think we need an Encon officer to clear this up 

[bird21s]

Are there any specifics on there reasoning.  Or is this a " just the way it is " situation. Something to do with oxygen or anything.

[cmart28]

Or you can get a white kevlar suit, paint your tip-ups white, and buy night vision equipment to catch stockies on jabe pond at night lol!

[perchfilet]

I hate to be a nit-picker, but brookies are most closely related to lake trout. In fact, they had been crossbred to develop splake. Also, brookies
and lake trout are the only "trout" species native to New York waters. Browns and rainbows are imports. Again, years ago when Fawn Lake
was closed to fishing when the regular trout season was closed, you could fish for them through the ice starting April 1. However, you
couldn't use tip-ups because the lake wasn't opened to "ice fishing", but you could "fish through the ice." In fact, one DEC officer said you
had to fish through natural holes, you couldn't drill holes of your own. That was completely crazy because if holes had melted through the
ice it won't be safe to fish on. Again, in Fawn Lake we are talking about lake trout, but if they are in the char family so are brookies. I guess
the question I am trying to ask, and I have digressed too much, Is there a difference between "ice-fishing" (with tip-ups and such) and fishing
through the ice after April 1?

[bcons]

ITS SIMPLE!      NOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!
or get a ticket.
Geee with all the people saying they're gonna this year I wonder where the DEC will be looking?

Good luck with that 

[beerbellybob106]

ITS SIMPLE!      NOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!
or get a ticket.
Geee with all the people saying they're gonna this year I wonder where the DEC will be looking?

Good luck with that 

sometimes its just tough for people to understand the law that's been around for years its not like it was just put into place this year.

[IcemanADK]

With all of the funding cuts to the state's stocking programs, they are going to be protecting the remaining trout populations with vigilance.
I wouldn't recommend trying half of the 'logic' that has been discussed in this thread. If you won't trust someone like CaptJJ, a licensed NYS Guide and charter captain, then you deserve to be ticketed. Read through his posts: he has a demonstrated track record of being generous with information, not withholding information for his own good.

All that being said, it will be an electric first couple weeks on the ponds - once it is legal that is. At this rate it might be mid-may, but it will be fun either way.

[JJ]

Thanks Iceman and the other guys that know the regs.

[JJ]

Are there any specifics on there reasoning.  Or is this a " just the way it is " situation. Something to do with oxygen or anything.

Good question, the answer why brook trout waters are closed to icefishing was given to me by Rich Preall, DEC Fisheries Biologist. He said brookies are too susceptible to overharvest through the ice. DEC actually did a study, one of the biologists was Ernie Lantiegne, who now runs the well respected Fish Doctor Charters on Lake Ontario. They caught all the fish in a pond, with nets I think but not sure, and tagged them; 2 of them managed to catch nearly every one in only a few days.

Another reason, especially why tip-ups are prohibited, is to prevent the introduction of baitfish into the waters.