New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Amanda Lefton today announced the 15th Annual Great Hudson River Fish Count will take place at multiple sites along the banks and piers of the Hudson River on Saturday, August 1, 2026.
“The Great Hudson River Fish Count offers an opportunity for New York families and visitors to participate in a hands-on community science project and learn about DEC’s conservation efforts to protect and restore the Hudson River,” Commissioner Lefton said. “We encourage New Yorkers to ‘Get Offline and Get Outside’ to discover the wide variety of fish species found in the estuary ecosystem.”
Participants from the Capital Region to New York City are invited to explore the variety of creatures usually hidden below the river’s surface. Freshwater upriver, salty at New York City, and brackish in between, the Hudson River Estuary and watershed are home to more than 200 fish species, including several that migrate into the river from the Atlantic Ocean each spring to spawn.
During the annual Fish Count, participating organizations encourage visitors to help collect fish using seine nets, minnow traps, or rods and reels.
Seining involves pulling a 30-foot net through the water and checking out the fish, crabs, and other river life caught in its mesh. Participants may watch from shore or, at some locations, use available waders to help pull in the net. The fish are released after everyone has a chance to experience them up close.
Catches at all sites are shared and posted on DEC’s website. Comparing notes builds an understanding of the diversity of fishes and habitats in the Hudson, the vitality of the estuarine ecosystem in urban and rural settings, and the influence of salinity and tides.
All Fish Count programs are family-friendly and free of charge. Governor Kathy Hochul’s “Get Offline, Get Outside” initiative promotes physical and mental health by helping New York’s kids and families to put down their phones and computers, take a break from social media, and enjoy recreation and outdoor social gatherings. The event is sponsored by DEC’s Hudson River Estuary Management Program in partnership with other environmental organizations.
Participating public Fish Count sites from south to north:
Brooklyn:
Brooklyn Bridge Park, Pier 4 Beach: 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Brooklyn Bridge Park
Manhattan:
Hudson River Park, Pier 51: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Rockland County:
Piermont Pier, Hudson River Field Station, Piermont: 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University
Putnam County:
Little Stony Point Beach in Hudson Highlands State Park, Cold Spring: 9 a.m.
DEC Hudson River Estuary Program
Note: Meet on the beach
Dutchess County:
Power House at Mills Norrie State Park, Staatsburg: 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
DEC Hudson River National Estuarine Research Reserve and Hudson River Estuary Program
Albany – Capital District:
Peebles Island State Park, Cohoes: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
DEC Region 4 Fisheries
Note: Display will be at the Second Street bridge along the rec trail
For more information, visit Hudson River Estuary Management Program.
Watch a clip about seining in the Hudson River.
