The freshwater fishing season for many warmwater sportfish, including walleye, northern pike, pickerel and tiger muskellunge, opens on Saturday.

The opener includes catch and release fishing for black bass (largemouth and smallmouth bass) in many waters across the state. Bass anglers are encouraged by state Department of Environmental Conservation officials to check the New York State Freshwater Fishing Regulations Guide to ensure that the water they desire to fish is open to catch and release angling. Muskellunge fishing season and the regular season for black bass open on June 16.

Walleye are considered springtime targets, and fishing opportunities now exist in more than 100 waters throughout the state. As part of ongoing management and research programs, the DEC has stocked 56 waters with walleye fry or fingerlings over the last five years in almost all regions of the state.

Fishing opportunities also exist for yellow perch, sunfish and crappie, which are considered the most common throughout the state and provide easy fishing for even novice anglers.

A popular sportfish in southern and Midwestern states, channel catfish also flourish in many of New York’s larger lakes and rivers. Tips and locations for catching big channel catfish are available online at: www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/77432.html.

The DEC will continue with a number of bass studies this year, which include an effort to assess black bass populations statewide, the investigation of black bass movements following bass tournaments on Lake Champlain and a tournament monitoring program on Oneida Lake.

Anglers 16 years of age and older must have a New York State fishing license. Licenses are available on the web at: www.dec.ny.gov/permits/6101.html or by calling 1-86-NY-DECALS. Fishing licenses can also be purchased from the 1,500 license issuing agents located throughout the state as well as from town and county clerks, major discount stores and tackle and sporting goods stores.