Is it Safe to Eat Fish from the Hudson River?

But really, would you? Fishing has always been popular on the waterway, but years of pollution have made the question of the 'edibleness' of fish questionable at best.

According to the New York State Department of Health, there's not really a blanket answer to the question of whether Hudson River aquatic creatures pose a health risk if consumed. That alone should should be a red flag.

But that's not exactly a no. It all depends on the type of fish, size of fish, the amount of fish consumed in a given month, and where on the river the fish was caught. Gender and age (of humans) are also factors in health risks of Hudson River fish consumption.

Sounds complicated? Yes, but the health department does have maps and guidelines for different areas of the river that can help clear up the confusion. You may have gotten your hands on the pamphlet if you recently received your fishing license:

Waterbody 1 (County)	Fish	Men Over 15 & Women Over 50	Women Under 50 & Children Under 15	Chemicals of Concern
Hudson River, upstream from Corinth Dam (Palmer Falls Dam) (Warren, Essex, Saratoga, Hamilton)	All fish	See Adirondack Regional Advisory		Mercury
Hudson River, Corinth Dam (Palmer Falls Dam) to South Glens Falls Dam at Route 9 Bridge (Warren, Saratoga)	Carp, Channel catfish	DON'T EAT	DON'T EAT	PCBs
	All other fish	See Adirondack Regional Advisory		Mercury
Hudson River, South Glens Falls Dam at Route 9 Bridge to Hudson Falls Dam at Bakers Falls (Warren, Washington, Saratoga)	All fish	DON'T EAT	DON'T EAT	PCBs
Hudson River, Hudson Falls Dam at Bakers Falls to Federal Dam at Troy (Rensselaer, Albany, Washington, Saratoga)	All fish	Catch and Release fishing ONLY per NYS DEC regulations. Take No Fish. Eat No Fish.	Catch and Release fishing ONLY per NYS DEC regulations. Take No Fish. Eat No Fish.	PCBs
Hudson River, Federal Dam at Troy to Rip Van Winkle Bridge at Catskill 3 (Rensselaer, Albany, Columbia, Greene)	Alewife, Blueback herring, Rock bass, Yellow perch	Up to 1 meal/month	DON'T EAT	PCBs
	All other fish (including Striped bass and Walleye)	DON'T EAT	DON'T EAT	PCBs
Hudson River, Rip Van Winkle Bridge at Catskill to Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge2,3 (Ulster, Rockland, Dutchess, Westchester, Columbia, Putnam, Greene, Orange)	Crab or lobster tomalley and cooking liquid 2	DON'T EAT	DON'T EAT	PCBs, Dioxin, Cadmium
	Channel catfish, Gizzard shad, Walleye, White catfish	DON'T EAT	DON'T EAT	PCBs
	Blue crab meat	Up to 4 meals/month (six crabs per meal)	DON'T EAT	PCBs, Cadmium
	Striped bass, Bluefish, Brown bullhead, Carp, Largemouth bass, Smallmouth bass, White perch, Rainbow smelt, Atlantic needlefish, and Goldfish	Up to 1 meal/month	DON'T EAT	PCBs
	All other fish	Up to 4 meals/month	DON'T EAT	PCBs
Hudson River, south of Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge 2,3 (New York, Rockland, Westchester, Bronx)	Crab or lobster tomalley and cooking liquid 2	DON'T EAT	DON'T EAT	PCBs, Dioxin, Cadmium
	Channel catfish, Gizzard shad, White catfish	DON'T EAT	DON'T EAT	PCBs
	Blue crab meat	Up to 4 meals/month (six crabs per meal)	DON'T EAT	PCBs, Cadmium
	Striped bass, Bluefish, Carp, White perch, Rainbow smelt, Atlantic needlefish, and Goldfish	Up to 1 meal/month	DON'T EAT	PCBs
	All other fish	Up to 4 meals/month	DON'T EAT	PCBs

As you can see, different areas of the river have different rules. Basically all of the river has the risk of PCB contamination, with the exception of the northern part, where the fish may contain uncertain amounts of mercury.

In the Capital Region, it's very limited as to the type and amount of fish recommended. From the Troy dam to the Rip Van Winkle Bridge in Catskill, only a few fish are ok to consume, but not more than one per month. They include rock bass, yellow perch, alewife, and blueback herring. And that's only recommended for men over 15 and women over 50.

The further south down the river, the better it gets, but still has many restrictions in place. Ironically, New York City waters are surprisingly much cleaner than upstate.