October 04, 2010
As you plan your 2008 angling vacation schedule, here's a look at 36 great fishing trips to consider. (February 2008).
By Sheila Grant
Empire State anglers have so many choices of where to fish and what to fish for, it would take several lifetimes to visit them all! Deep, cold mountain lakes offer good trout fishing, while the state's mighty rivers offer up pole-bending action for bass, pike and other warmwater species.
Miles of coastline offer access to the Atlantic Ocean for surfcasting or deep-sea charters. Exploring all the honeyholes in Lake Erie or Lake Ontario could take a lifetime!
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Here's a roundup of best bets for you to consider while planning your 2008 fishing vacation schedule:
JANUARY
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Tiger Muskellunge
Lake Lauderdale
Lake Lauderdale is well known for its great tiger muskie action, especially through the ice. The minimum length is 30 inches, and the daily creel limit is one fish.
Dangle lively minnows and small suckers near the edge of weedy areas for these voracious predators.
The lake also has black crappies, yellow perch, bluegills and pumpkinseeds. Access is off Route 22.
Rainbow Trout
Moreau Lake
Moreau Lake in Moreau is open to the taking of trout year
'round. The creel limit is five fish of any length.
Moreau Lake is also home to chain pickerel, pumpkinseeds and yellow perch. Access is off the Old Saratoga Road.
Landlocked Salmon
Lake Champlain
This big lake forms the borders of New York and Vermont. Fishing is excellent for a number of species, including landlocked salmon, lake trout, brown trout, walleyes and northern pike.
Lake Champlain may be accessed in the towns of Barcelona or Dunkirk, off Route 5. For more access, check out DeLorme's New York Atlas and Gazetteer, Map 97.
FEBRUARY
Northern Pike
Adirondack Lake
Adirondack Lake in the town of Indian Lake is a great ice-angling destination for pike. But get there soon -- the season for pike closes on March 15.
The daily creel limit is five fish of any length. When pike
strike, take up the slack and set the hook quickly! This is also a decent place to catch yellow perch and pumpkinseeds.
Access is off Route 28.
Splake
Limekiln Lake
Limekiln Lake in Inlet is open year 'round for the taking of all trout, including splake. The daily creel limit is five fish, with no length limit.
Access may be had southeast of Inlet off Route 28.
Chain Pickerel
Saratoga Lake
This Saratoga Springs lake is one of the state's better pickerel waters. Fishing is also excellent for walleyes.
The season on both species closes on March 15.
Access may be had at the north end of the lake adjacent to Route 9P.
MARCH
Lake Trout
Canada Lake
Canada Lake in Caroga is open 'year round for trout. Anglers may keep three lakers per day, with a minimum length of 21 inches.
Fish small baits or lures on or near the bottom in the shallows.
Brown trout may also be taken. For them, the daily creel limit is five fish of any length.
To access the northern end of the lake from Route 12, take Route 10.
Walleyes
Lake Ontario
The best walleye spots in this great lake are Irondequoit, Sodus or Braddocks bays. The eastern basin, including Chaumont and Mud bays, are also good. Lake Ontario is also home to lunker bass and pike.
Check out the Great Lakes fishing regulations before you go.
Access can be had at several points. Check DeLorme's New York Atlas and Gazetteer, maps 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74 and 83.
Chain Pickerel
Bashakill Marsh
Ice-anglers target chain pickerel this month at Bashakill Marsh, just south of Wurtsboro.
This water is open for the taking of pickerel 'year round, with a 12-inch minimum length and a five-fish daily creel limit. (Continued)
Access may be had four miles south of Wurtsboro. From U.S. Route 209, take Haven Road and then South Road.
APRIL
Brown Trout
Owasco Lake
Owasco Lake boasts some great spring fishing for brown trout.
Most of the Finger Lakes are two-story fisheries. Owasco Lake is no exception.
Anglers can look forward to abundant numbers of lake trout, rainbows, walleyes and smallmouth bass. During spring's high waters, anglers have the best luck taking browns from shore or by surface trolling.
Access to the northern end of the lake can be had from Route 38A.
Rainbow Trout
Lake Colby
This small Adirondacks lake in Franklin County is known for its excellent rainbow and brown trout fishery. The daily creel limit on trout is five fish of any length.
Lake Colby is also home to landlocked salmon, yellow perch and pumpkinseeds.
Access is off Route 86.
Landlocked Salmon
Boquet River
Each spring, landlocks are drawn to the Boquet. Fishing remains good here from mid-April to late May. Salmon crave baits or artificial lures that mimic their natural food items. Worms, spinning lures and streamers take the majority of spring salmon.
Be sure to check for additional regulations that may apply to this Lake Champlain tributary.
Much of the river may be accessed from Route 22. Check out DeLorme's New York Atlas and Gazetteer, Map 97.
MAY
Smallmouth Bass
Lake Erie
A special season on this Great Lake gives anglers an early shot at bass. The regular season opens during the third week of June. In Lake Eri
e, from the first Saturday in May until the arrival of the regular season, anglers can take one bass per day, with a minimum length of 15 inches.
Access Dunkirk Harbor from Lake Shore Drive off Route 5. Access to Buffalo Bay is off Route 5 south of Buffalo.
Walleyes
Conesus Lake
Conesus Lake is known for its excellent spring walleye fishing. In most New York waters, walleyes may be fished from the first Saturday in May until March 15, with a 15-inch length limit and a daily creel limit of five fish.
Conesus Lake is also home to excellent spring fishing for largemouth bass. Bronson Hill Road runs along the shore of the lake and offers several points of access.
Brook Trout
Mad River
The Mad River flows through Oneida County, offering anglers plenty of fishing opportunities for brookies and brown trout.
Access can be had at several points along the river. Try River Road off Route 13, or consult the DeLorme's Gazetteer, Map 76.
JUNE
Stripers
Montauk
This is one of the Empire State's best saltwater hotspots for stripers. When these fast fish strike, let them run for a count of six before setting the hook.
With Block Island Sound on one side of the peninsula and the Atlantic Ocean on the other, great saltwater action is as close as the next surf cast. Boat access may be had from Soundview Drive.
Excellent surf casting opportunities await at Montauk Downs State Park off Route 27.
Lake Trout
Skaneateles Lake
Skaneateles has a naturally reproducing lake trout population, as well as excellent fishing for rainbows and smallmouth bass. Access may be had from several points along routes 41 to the east and 41A to the west of the lake.
Largemouth Bass
Honeoye Lake
This Ontario County lake, 28 miles south of Rochester, offers up excellent bass fishing. Honeoye is also home to walleyes, chain pickerel and plentiful panfish. There's a boat launch at the southeast corner of the lake off East Lake Road.
Launch cartop craft and small trailered boats from Sandy Bottom Beach at the northwest corner of the lake.
JULY
Bluefish
Patchogue Bay
The town of Blue Point is a great base of operations for anglers heading into Patchogue Bay, or for those fishing from shore. Bluefish may be taken year-round with no size limit on the first 10 fish, and a 12-inch minimum length on the next five, with a daily creel limit of 15 fish.
Fish plugs or live bait, and be sure to use a wire leader.
Landlocked Salmon
West Branch Reservoir
A free Public Access Permit is required for this Carmel reservoir, which is owned by the city of New York. Anglers may take landlocks here year-round, with an 18-inch minimum length and a one fish creel limit.
Fishing is also good for lake trout, brown trout and bass. Access can be had from Route 301 off U.S. Route 6.
Lake Trout
Keuka Lake
Keuka is known for excellent lake trout fishing, and is also good for browns, landlocked salmon, smallmouth bass and yellow perch.
Access is plentiful. Keuka State Park is east of Branchport off Route 54A. Access can be had in Penn Yan off Route 14A. Cartop and small, trailered boats can be put in at Guyanoga Creek at the Route 54A bridge in Branchport.
AUGUST
Largemouth Bass
Greenwood Lake
This Orange County lake offers excellent largemouth bass fishing for anglers in New York and New Jersey. Try trolling or drifting live baits under a float rig. Smallmouth bass can be had here, too.
Access to the eastern shore is off Sterling Forest Road. Access to the western shore is from Route 210.
Summer Flounder
Shinnecock Bay
Summer flounder may be taken year 'round, but peak fishing runs from June through September.
The minimum length is 19.5 inches, with a daily creel limit of four fish.
A few miles offshore, anglers can try their luck around the Shinnecock Artificial Reef. Access is from several small harbors along Route 80 in South Hampton, from Beach Road.
Or check out the Shinnecock Bay Fishing Station and Marina at 22 Shinnecock Road in Hampton Bays.
Rainbow Trout
Lake Erie
Lake Erie is known as the "Walleye Capital of the World." But the big lake also offers excellent fishing for rainbow trout, steelhead and smallmouth bass.
Access can be had in several locations, including the Erie Basin Marina along Erie Boulevard Mall in Buffalo and Sturgeon Point off Longshore Road north of Angola.
For more access, check DeLorme's Gazetteer, maps 39, 40 and 54.
SEPTEMBER
Smallmouths
Canandaigua Lake
Canandaigua is a two-story fishery and is home to smallmouth and largemouth bass, yellow perch, lake trout, brown trout and rainbow trout. Fish the deeper holes here for bronzebacks.
This long lake stretches across Ontario and Yates counties, and access can be had in both. See DeLorme's Gazetteer, Map 58.
Steelhead
Cattaraugus Creek
Cattaraugus Creek, a tributary of Lake Erie, is well known for its incredible steelhead fishing, yet angling pressure has traditionally been light.
Excellent fall runs of steelhead occur, as well as good fishing for smallmouth bass and walleyes.
A special permit is required to fish the portions of the creek that flow though the Cattaraugus Indian Reservation. Access to the river is off Route 438.
Brown Trout
East Koy Creek
East Koy Creek, known for excellent brown trout fishing, flows through portions of Wyoming County.
About 13 miles of the creek are stocked with brown trout, and there are also wild browns here. Public easements on 13 miles of the creek make all that great fishing easier for anglers to access!
For a map of access sites, phone the DEC's Region 9 fisheries office at (716) 372-0645, or you can log on to www.dec.ny.gov/docs/fish marine_pdf/eastkoycreek.pdf
OCTOBER
Largemouth Bass
Hudson River
The Hudson is renowned as an excellent warmwater fishery. Fish for largemouth and smallmouth bass around tributaries and near submerged logs and pilings. The fishing is also good for northern pike.
Special regulations apply on this big river, so be sure to check this year's rulebook before heading out.
For access sites, check DeLorme's Gazetteer, Map 36.
Pollock
Lower New York Bay
Pollock may be taken year-round with no bag limit, but there is a 19-inch minimum-length limit.
There are several points of access to Lower New York Bay, including a sandy beach area with a hand launch at Coney Island Creek Park on Bay View Avenue, or Kaiser Park on Neptune Avenue, where anglers have access to a pier, as well as shoreline fishing at sandy and rocky beach areas.
Exploring all the honeyholes
in Lake Erie or Lake Ontario
could take a lifetime!
Muskellunge
St. Lawrence River
The St. Lawrence River is the main outlet of Lake Ontario, offering 1,200 miles of excellent warmwater fisheries before making its way to the Atlantic. Muskies, northern pike, walleyes, bass and panfish are plentiful.
Several access points to the American channel of the river may be found along Route 12 in St. Lawrence and Jefferson counties.
NOVEMBER
Tautog
East Bay
Tautogs are in season from Oct. 1 through May 31. The length limit is 14 inches, and the daily creel limit is 10 fish.
Tempt hungry tautogs with bottom rigs baited with crabs or clams.
Access to miles of rocky shoreline and Jones Beach State Park may be had off the Meadowbrook State Parkway.
Black Crappies
Peconic River
The Peconic River provides 15 miles of warmwater fishing in Suffolk County.
Crappies, largemouth bass, pickerel, bullheads, white perch and sunfish are plentiful here.
From the Long Island Expressway (Route 495), take Exit 71. Access for hand-carried boats may be had on South River Road, one-half mile east of Route 24.
Muskellunge
Niagara River
The upper Niagara River offers great fall fishing for muskellunge. Enjoy it now, because the season closes Nov. 30. The minimum length limit is 30 inches, with a daily bag limit of one fish.
The upper Niagara also offers excellent fishing for walleyes, northern pike and bass.
Access is off Route 384.
DECEMBER
Black Sea Bass
Smithtown BayMarine fisheries slow down in December, but good numbers of black sea bass are still available.
These fish school around wrecks, reefs and jetties, making the Long Beach area of Long Island an ideal destination.
Just a few miles offshore is the Smithtown Bay Artificial Reef. Try fishing on the bottom, using squid or clams for bait.
Lake Whitefish
Eagle Lake
Eagle Lake, in the towns of Crown Point and Ticonderoga, offers ice-anglers an opportunity to pull lake whitefish up through their auger holes.
Eagle Lake is also home to largemouth and smallmouth bass, and pike. Access is off Route 74.
Yellow Perch
Carry Falls Reservoir
Yellow perch are fun to catch and provide fast fishing action on those days when other species are not biting. Blake (Carry Falls) Reservoir in St. Lawrence County offers 6,458 acres of prime warmwater fishing.
In addition to perch, the reservoir is home to smallmouth bass, northern pike and walleyes. For access, take Stark Road off Route 56, and then turn right onto Carry Falls Road.
Find more about New York
fishing and hunting at
NewYorkGameandFish.com
