A state launch area at McPherson Point off East Lake Road is operated by the state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, which charges boaters a modest access fee. There are three other public launches on the lake, including one at the south end in the Conesus Inlet Wildlife Management Area, which are suitable for small boats only.

The Livingston County Chamber of Commerce at (716) 243-4160 will point readers toward nearby accommodations.

SODUS BAY
For consistent catches of 4- to 8-pound northerns -- and occasional tussles with larger specimens -- it's hard to imagine a spot better than Sodus Bay. Catches of 10 or more such pike are frequently reported in the bay, and wallhangers of 15 to 18 pounds are caught each year.

During my last trip to Sodus in 2004, Byron guide Frank Tennity, George Fiorille of Auburn and I had less than three hours to fish. It was unseasonably cold, and a fast-moving storm system pelted us with rain, yet we caught several nice pike, the largest about 34 inches long. Most of our fish latched onto shallow-running stick baits retrieved just over the top of the weeds in 8 to 10 feet of water.

Sodus Bay is a V-shaped gouge in the Wayne County shore of Lake Ontario that spreads over 3,000 surface acres. It has a maximum depth of 44 feet, with extensive weedbeds, three large islands and numerous small coves and points to attract forage species and serve as ambush cover for hungry predators. The area between Thornton and Nicholas points at the south end of the bay is one well-known pike haunt.

Note that Sodus Bay pike are subject to Lake Ontario regulations. Anglers may keep five fish per day, as in most other state waters, but the minimum creel length is 22 inches.

The bay may be reached by driving east on the Thruway from Rochester or west from Syracuse to the Geneva exit. At the end of the exit ramp, head north on Route 14, which ends at Sodus Point. There's a public boat launch in that picturesque village.

For information on nearby lodging, contact the Wayne County Tourism office at (800) 527-6510.

SENECA RIVER/CROSS LAKE
The Seneca River begins as a canal outlet at the north end of Seneca Lake and then flows in a generally northeasterly direction for about 35 miles through the Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge and Cross Lake before meeting the Oneida River and forming the Oswego River near Phoenix.

Northern pike are present throughout its length, but some locations in the Seneca are definitely better than others. Hotspots include the upper canal east of Seneca Lake, the area around the Bonta Bridge Road boating access east of Weedsport, and especially the section in and around Cross Lake.

The river flows into Cross Lake's South Bay and then exits the lake on the opposite shore, on the back side of Big Island. Cross Lake spans 2,086 surface acres and has a maximum depth of 65 feet. It has dense weedbeds during the summer, especially along the south shore, and the edges of that jungle would be a logical place to cast or troll for northerns. Pike of 10 to 15 pounds are fairly common in Cross Lake.

Boaters may access the Seneca River at the Seneca Lake State Park in Geneva across U.S. Route 20 from the Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge, at the aforementioned Bonta Bridge and at Mercer Park in Baldwinsville, among other places.

Brochures on area accommodations are available from the Finger Lakes Tourism Alliance at (800) 530-7488.

OWASCO LAKE
While its south end is known for giving up big pike through the ice, Owasco Lake is overlooked by Esox lovers during the warm months of the year. I suspect that's mainly due to the abundance of other game fish in the lake, including brown trout, lake trout and smallmouth bass. Certainly the 8- to 15-pound northerns that enthrall Owasco's hard-water cadre do not disappear in the summer.