Photo by Vic Attardo

By Vic Attardo

Winter is alive and well in New York and no one gets more of a kick from the Empire State's frozen season than its legions of ice-anglers. From the Adirondacks to the Catskills and from the Finger Lakes to the Great Lake shores, New York fishermen are known for their addiction to ice-fishing and for good reason.

The Department of Environmental Conservation stocks many of the state's best lakes with ice-fishing favorites, including walleyes, lake trout, landlocked salmon, rainbow trout and brown trout. In addition, the agency's Web site offers weekly updates of ice conditions and catches for districts 7 and 8, where much of the state's ice-fishing attention is centered. There are also telephone hotlines for certain DEC districts, as well as some counties across the state. With these numbers in hand (noted below), it is easy to keep current with the state's best ice-fishing opportunities.

There are small ponds and mammoth lakes that offer excellent ice- fishing opportunities. Here are 10 outstanding waters you should consider introducing to your auger and tip-ups.

Oneida has a substantial population of walleyes and yellow perch and it isn't bad for largemouth and smallmouth bass, either. Of course, don't forget that there are northern pike, crappies and bluegills available as well, and these are also good ice-angling targets. Recent stockings included over 103,000 juvenile walleyes and another 161,886,000 walleye fry.

Early in the season, walleyes can be found in Oneida's numerous shallow bays. When the ice first forms, walleyes will be found in 8 to 15 feet of water near the remnants of summer weedbeds. The action is usually best in the eastern end of the lake. By February, the walleyes will have moved into deeper water. In the shank of the season, anglers fish for Oneida's walleyes in over 25 feet of water and the action will have moved to the western end of the lake over open water.

As for the plentiful yellow perch, the same migratory routine is in play. However, look for both species to begin their return to shallow water as the season winds down. This can make the tail end of February a dynamite time on Oneida Lake.

For my February money, I like the water out of Constantia on the north shore. There are shoals about a third of the way from the shore. These include Grassy Shoal, Pancake Shoal and Dakin Shoal. The dropoffs next to the shoals are generally good for winter walleyes and perch, but you'll need a snowmobile or ATV to reach these places. The Constantia marina is usually open through the winter and provides services for ice-anglers. On the south shore, Shackleton Point offers an easier way out to midlake late-winter hotspots.

Checking the Region 7 weekly fishing report at www.dec.state.ny.us can reduce some of the guesswork regarding ice conditions.

Oneida Lake is easily reached from Syracuse in the north or Binghamton in the south. Interstate 81 crosses the western end of the lake and Route 49 runs along the north shore, while Route 31 is along the south shore.

For information on accommodations, contact the Oswego County tourism office in Oswego at (800) 248-4FUN.

At 6,665 acres, Owasco Lake is one of the mid-sized bodies of the western Finger Lakes. Its substantial depths and excellent forage base of alewives and smelts make it an excellent choice for anglers targeting lakers and brown trout, as well as rainbows and landlocked salmon. The 11-mile lake averages 100 feet in depth, with a maximum of 180 feet.

There are no surprises in the structure of this card-carrying glacial lake. It is typically shallow at its northern and southern ends, while off the east and west shorelines the dropoffs are steep and deep. In winter, these dropoffs are excellent places to find Owasco Lake's trophy trout.

Two areas of the lake that are good for February ice-angling are Ensenore Point on the western shore and Seward Point on the eastern shore.

Owasco Lake is south of Auburn in DEC Region 7. Route 38 traverses the west side of the lake, while Route 38A continues as Rockefeller Road and runs along the eastern shore.

Check the weekly fishing report for ice conditions at www.dec.ny.us., or call the regional sub-office in Cortland at (607) 753-3095.

For more information, contact the Cayuga County tourism office in Auburn at (800) 499-9615.

There were no crappie or perch contests in 2002 (you obviously can't always count on safe ice on this 3.5- mile manmade impoundment), but last year's derbies went off well. The lake also has largemouth and smallmouth bass.

Whitney Point is only 3/4-mile wide and runs along a north-south axis and resembles a typical glacial lake. However, its 1,200 surface acres were not built by nature but by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers when it impounded the Otselic River.

The derbies are staged from the main parking area at Dorchester Park on the east side of the lake, a good place for anglers to start their calico cruising.

To reach the reservoir, follow I-81 to the Whitney Point turnoff (Exit 8). Go through town and turn north on Route 26. In addition to the facilities at Dorchester Park, anglers will also find some services at Upper Lisle Park.

The reservoir is in Region 7, so check the DEC's Web site for conditions or call the Cortland sub-office.

For a list of accommodations and other services, check the derby Web site at www.crappiederby.com, or call the Broome County Chamber of Commerce in Binghamton at (800) 836-6740.