When fishing the upper section, make sure your boat and gear are in working order. If your motor fails and you find yourself floating helplessly toward the falls, it makes for a long day.

Riverside Park on River Road in North Tonawanda and the NFTA Small Boat Harbor in Buffalo offer easy access. Try launching out of the ports in Lewiston to hit the lower Niagara.

CENTRAL REGION
Oneida Lake
Locals know that Oneida Lake is an awesome walleye fishery, but some folks are now starting to scratch their heads as they see increasing numbers of professional bass tournaments taking place on “their” lake. Thanks to Oneida’s growing populations of smallmouths and largemouths, anglers nationwide are starting to take notice.

A fairly large lake that’s some 21 miles in length, Oneida offers plenty of shoreline where anglers can spend a day. The shoals around the lake attract anglers from across the country. Walleye and bass anglers will be found fishing in the same areas. Shackleton Shoals off Shackleton Point, Dakin Shoals, Grassy Shoal and Pancake Shoal hold their fair share of fish.

If these areas aren’t working on any given day, troll slowly around the docks and flats closer to shore while you pitch jigs, crankbaits and topwater plugs.

Oneida Lake lies north of Syracuse off Interstate Route 81 at exits 30, 31 and 32. Routes 39 and 41 and other local roads surround the lake. Public launches are at Oneida Shores County Park, with state-operated facilities at Briggs Bay and Godfrey Point.

Honeoye Lake
I’m a walleye fisherman, but before my bait even hits the walleye’s strike zone, I often pull in several bass. It’s nice to get a big walleye on the line, but if you’re on the hunt for bass, Honeoye Lake is a good place to be.

“Early season” on Honeoye means early weeds. The key to catching bass on this lake consistently is to get there when the time is right. As soon as those weeds begin to grow, the bass begin to congregate on the edges and forage for food. This is the perfect time for trolling the weedlines at dawn or dusk, and then jigging them throughout the daylight hours.

Rocky bottoms, crystal-clear water, plenty of cover and food all make the St. Lawrence River one of the top bass-fishing destinations in northern New York.

Bass fishing on Honeoye Lake is often a matter of trial and error. If one tactic isn’t working after 30 minutes or so, don’t be afraid to tie on a new jig, or test a new bait of choice. Some days the fish are finicky, and it takes some patience and skill to bring these fish into the boat.

A good map will show you the various depths and bottom layout of the lake. California Point, Pickerel Point and Log Cabin Point offer some great gradients.

For information on lake conditions and recent catches, call Honeoye Lake Bait and Tackle on 4864 County Road No. 37 in Richmond at (585) 229-2266.

Silver Lake
Tucked in the hills of Wyoming County, Silver Lake’s abundant bass population is sometimes overlooked.

Joseph Evans, a biologist with the DEC’s Region 9 office, said that Silver Lake is 90 percent largemouths and 10 percent smallmouths.

“Most anglers target largemouths and catch smallmouths incidentally. There’s a good largemouth population, and catch rates are good.

“However, we don’t often see trophy-sized fish, although the lake is very productive. There is intense competition between largemouths, smallmouths, walleye and northern pike. There are lots of fish, but the big ones are elusive.”