I FISH NY family festival is Oct. 17 at Hempstead Lake

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation will hold its I FISH NY Fall Family Fishing and Children’s Festival on Saturday, Oct. 17, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Hempstead Lake State Park on Long Island. State Parks is the partner. Loaner rods and bait are free, along with fishing and casting instruction and fish cleaning. Children can enter a casting-for-pumpkins contest while the pumpkins last.

Anglers older than 16 do not need a fishing license during the festival. Admission and parking are free, and there is no rain date. State Parks is stocking South Pond and McDonald Pond with brook trout and rainbow trout ahead of the event. By Nov. 1, DEC plans to stock brown trout in Upper Twin Pond, Oyster Bay Mill Pond, Massapequa Reservoir, and 12 other Suffolk County lakes.

The department’s Oct. 2 release includes comments from DEC Regional Director Cathy Haas and Long Island State Parks Regional Director George Gorman. Call I FISH NY at (631) 444-0283 or the park at (516) 766-1029.

This is a The Gillnet news desk summary, not a reprint.

Source: NYSDEC — I FISH NY Fall Fishing Festival, Oct. 17 at Hempstead Lake State Park (released Oct. 2, 2026).