Toxic: New York Department of Health Issues New Fish Advisories

The New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) has released their 2024 fish advisories for New York state.

While residents across New York are encouraged to fish in nearly every lake, stream, and river, eating their catches can be a different story all together. Depending on the area, mercury, PCBs, or other toxic chemicals may make many catches inedible.

Pollution in New York's Hudson River

The Hudson River, which runs nearly the entire length of New York, was once famous for its pollution. Thanks to activists ranging from Hudson Valley legend Pete Seeger to the ultra-athlete who swam the entire Hudson River in 2023, much progress has been made. Still, several Hudson Valley areas have fish advisories (map below).

Fish Advisories in the Hudson Valley, NY

According to the NYSDOH, fish caught in the Hudson River south of the Rip Van Winkle Bridge in the Hudson Valley, as well as the Schoharie Reservoir in Greene County, NY fall under advisories for PCBs and mercury, respectively. In fact, the entire Catskill region has a specific advisory (below).

Fish Advisories in New York's Catskill Region

Residents in the Catskill region are advised to only eat fish like brook trout, rainbow trout, bluegill, and sunfish up to four times per month, with sensitive groups advised to only eat most other local fish only once per month. No one is advised to eat walleye over 19 inches (see the full list of warnings for every county here).

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The Adirondack region, which contains a majority of upstate New York, has its own unique set of advisories, and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) is working hard to stock local waterways with fish that are safe to eat, sometimes in the funniest way imaginable. Check out how Hudson Valley, NY eagles hunt for fish below.