Where to Fish in New York City Parks?

Is there any fishing in NYC parks? New York City has five boroughs - Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, and Staten Island.

In Manhattan, the famous park is the Central Park. It is located and bounded from West 59th Street on the south side to 110th Street on the north side. On the west side is bounded on Central Park West and Fifth Avenue on the east side.  https://goo.gl/maps/h6cWKVWSweP2

 In Central Park, there are a few lakes to fish. Best to fish any of the lakes there is around dawn and dusk where there are fewer crowds. Largemouth bass, bluegills, and grass carps are common. Opening hours for Central Park are from 6AM to 1AM seven days a week. Since free parking is difficult to find around Central Park, it is recommended to use public transportation to get there. The A, B, C, D trains stop at 59th Street station, which is located on the west side and lower bound of Central Park. The B and C trains also make stops between West 59th Street and West 110th Street. There is the M10 bus that runs on Central Park West north and southbound. The R train stops at Fifth Avenue (5th Ave) on the east side and lower bound of Central Park. On the north side, the 2 and 3 trains stop at 110th Street. The M4 bus runs on Fifth Avenue going southbound along the east side of Central Park where you can take to go to the lakes in between the north and south sides of the park.

Here's a picture of one of the lakes:

In the Bronx, there is the Bronx Park also called New York Botanical Garden. The Bronx River runs through part of the Garden. There are also two lakes called Twin Lakes outside the Garden. I have not personally fished there but would like to explore and fish there to find out. Looking at the map, fishing looks promising since there are a variety of waterways - the lakes and the river.

In Brooklyn, there is the Prospect Park. The lake is located near the main entrance at the Grand Army Plaza. It is marked by an arch near the roundabout and the entrance of the park that can't be missed. Prospect Park is designed and built by the same designers for Central Park - Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux. The lake hosts largemouth bass, bluegills, and grass carps like Central Park. 
Here's a picture of Grand Army Plaza:

And the main entrance to the park:

There are some free parking alongside the park for those who preferred to drive. For those who prefer to take public transportation, the B and Q train stops at Grand Army Plaza station. 

Here's the map of Prospect Park:

Another spot for fishing is by the boathouse. It has a wooden deck to accommodate a number of anglers fishing side-by-side without snagging any tree branches or fellow angler's line. Here is a picture of a bass caught by the bridge overlooking the boathouse. 

Here's where the bass was caught:

A picture of the boathouse and another picture of young anglers fishing by the boathouse.

A video of the bass fighting.

There is ample parking since there is a huge parking lot for those who prefer to drive. To get there by public transportation, the 7 stops at 111 Street station. This park opens 24 hours a day - seven days a week. In other words, it never closes.

In Staten Island, there is the Willowbrook Park. In this park, you can find two lakes. The most accessible lake is the one closer to the parking area located on the right of the lake and on the main road called Eton Place. There is another smaller lake closer to Richmond Avenue. The bigger lake hosts bluegills, largemouth bass, catfish, and carps. 

Driving to this lake is preferable as the bus ride could be a long one. With that said, the only public transportation is by buses. The S59 bus stops near the entrance to the park at the corner of Richmond Av/Eton Pl.

Here's a picture of the lake with a largemouth bass caught:

 Here's the map on Willowbrook Park:

NYC parks offer places to fish if you are interested in venturing to find out.

And oh, if you are 18 years old or older, remember to get your NYS fishing license before you go fishing in New York. You don't want to be caught fishing without a valid NYS fishing license. It will cost you a fine for fishing without a valid fishing license. Otherwise, happy fishing!

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