New York State Department of Health Updates Waterbody-Specific Advice for Eating Fish You Catch

New York State One of the First in the Nation to Adopt Updated PFOS Guidelines Based on Both the Risks and the Benefits of Eating Locally Caught Fish

New Advice for Bodies of Water in Dutchess, Putnam and Suffolk Counties; Updated Advice for Erie and Niagara County

ALBANY, N.Y. (May 29, 2025) - The New York State Department of Health today issued new advisories for eating fish caught in certain waterbodies throughout New York State with known elevated levels of perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS). The advisories are some of the first in the nation to be based on updated PFOS science and provide important health information to New Yorkers who enjoy eating the fish they catch.

"New York State has so many great waterbodies where people can fish. Each year, we review the latest data to make sure make sure people have the most up-to-date information on eating the fish you catch," State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald said. "The Department is proud to work with our partners at the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, the Environmental Protection Agency, and The Great Lakes Consortium, to offer health protective advice that is based on the latest science and considers the nutritious health benefits of eating fish."

Starting this year, new health guidelines have been used to develop advice to reduce exposure to PFOS - the most common type of polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) found in fish - from eating fish caught in New York State's waters. These guidelines consider both the health risks of PFOS as well as the benefits of eating fish and are protective for even the most sensitive populations, including pregnant people and children.

New York is one of a few states to update fish computation guidance that reflects the emerging science on PFOS. The guidelines were developed as part of the Great Lakes Consortium Best Practices Workgroup which includes New York, other Great Lakes states, Tribal Nation and the Province of Ontario.

New advice has been set for the following:

Updates have been set for:

The new PFOS guidelines are being used in combination with existing mercury and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) guidelines to protect against exposure to chemicals from eating fish.

These guidelines are used in combination with fish sampling data provided by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) to recommend fish consumption advice for waters across the state. As additional data becomes available from DEC, the Department continues to use these guidelines to update advice for additional bodies of water.

Reducing Exposure to Chemicals When Eating Fish You Catch

Some waters have specific advice because certain fish have higher levels of chemicals like mercury, PCBs, or PFOS. Check for waterbody-specific advice at www.health.ny.gov/fish. If the water is not listed, anglers should follow the Statewide Advisory or the Catskill or Adirondack advisories when fishing in those regions.

Lake Erie, Lake Ontario, Oneida Lake, and parts of the St. Lawrence River offer the most variety of healthy fish choices making them some of the best fisheries if you want to eat your catch.

Fishing is a popular activity and fish are an important part of a healthy diet. However, some fish contain chemicals at levels that may be harmful to humans. Each year, the Department updates its health advice due to concerns about contaminants in fish like mercury, PCBs, and PFOS. The goal is to help people make healthier choices about which fish to eat and which to avoid. People who become pregnant and eat contaminated fish may be at a higher risk of having children with developmental or learning delays. Children who eat a lot of contaminated fish may also have potential for negative effects on their development and long-term health.

In contrast, older adults may face fewer health risks from these chemicals, so the advice encourages them to enjoy eating these sport-caught fish more frequently.

The Department's health advice is based on a risk management approach and uses fish contamination data collected by DEC's statewide fish monitoring program . Each year, DEC performs several thousand chemical analyses on more than 1,000 fish samples and provides the results to DOH for use in setting consumption advisories.

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Amanda Lefton said, "Anglers from across the state and around the globe continue to enjoy world-class fishing opportunities in New York waterways, with many fishers enjoying their catch as an occasional meal. That's why it is critical to advise anglers of potential health risks from contaminants that may build up in fish tissue in certain bodies of water, so they can make informed decisions about the fish they eat. Using the latest science and data, DEC continues to work closely with our partners at the State Department of Health to track and remove harmful contaminants from the environment to help protect public health and our natural resources."

Visit the Department's website for Health Advice on Eating Fish You Catch, here.

Find Frequently Asked Questions regarding the updated fish advisory PFOS guidelines here.

Additional information about how the Department sets fish advisories is available here.

Order free fish advisory materials using the order form here