Fishing at Green Lakes

You can fish at Green Lakes State Park on Green Lake only, outside the swimming area. NYS Parks does not allow fishing on Round Lake, and no private boats are allowed on either lake, so you fish from shore or from a rented rowboat or kayak. The state Department of Environmental Conservation stocks Green Lake with rainbow trout: its spring 2026 plan listed 6,600 trout, 9 to 10 inches long, for the first week of April. Anglers 16 and older need a New York fishing licence.

Where You Can Fish

• Green Lake: yes, from shore along the Green Lake Trail or from a rented boat, anywhere outside the roped swimming area.
• Round Lake: no. NYS Parks: "No fishing on Round Lake." It is a National Natural Landmark. See Round Lake.
• Your own boat: no. NYS Parks bans all outside boats, kayaks and canoes on both lakes. See boat rentals.

Trout Stocking

DEC's spring 2026 trout stocking list for Onondaga County includes Green Lakes in the Town of Manlius: 6,600 rainbow trout, 9 to 10 inches, planned for the first week of April. DEC notes that actual numbers and timing can change with fish availability and weather, and that county sportsmen's federations help with stocking. The weeks after stocking are the best time to fish.

Why the Fish Stay Near the Surface

Green Lake is meromictic: its deep water never mixes with the surface and has no oxygen. The State Parks blog says the few fish in these lakes stay in the top layer of water, where there is oxygen. Fish the upper water, not the bottom. See why the water is green.

Licences

NYS DEC says you need a fishing licence if you are 16 or older. Children 15 and younger don't need one. Buy a licence from DEC online or from a licence-issuing agent before you go, and check DEC's current regulations for limits and sizes.

Fishing From a Rental Boat

In summer you can rent a rowboat ($15 an hour in 2026) or a kayak ($12 single, $20 double) at the north end of Green Lake. Rentals ran June 22 to September 7 in 2026.

Practical Notes

• Hours: dawn to dusk, like the rest of the park.
• Fee: $10 per vehicle from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. between Memorial Day weekend and Labor Day; no fee off season. See hours and fees.
• Stay off the beach area in swim season, and give walkers room on the lake trail.
• Steep banks: parts of the shore drop straight into deep water.

Good For

• Spring trout fishing close to Syracuse, without needing a boat.
• Kids' first fish, from shore near the trail's flatter stretches.

Maybe Skip If

• You want to launch your own boat. Try the Old Erie Canal, where NYS Parks lists fishing and canoeing, or Clark Reservation, whose glacial lake NYS Parks describes as good for fishing.