New York's 2004 Fishing Calendar
JULY
Largemouths
Honeoye Lake Some lakes grow bigger bass, but few bodies of water in New York hold more 2- to 3-pound largemouths than Honeoye Lake. The 4 1/2-mile-long lake in Ontario County seems to have a lunker behind every clump of coontail or hydrilla.
Honeoye Lake is southwest of Canandaigua via Route 20A. For help with accommodations, contact the Finger Lakes Tourism office at (800) 530-7488.
Lake Trout
Henderson Harbor Fishermen who visit Henderson Harbor in the northeast corner of Lake Ontario can stay close to shore and fish for perch and smallmouths or troll in the deep water off Galloo and Little Galloo islands for lake trout that frequently top the 20-pound mark.
Bass
Saranac Chain of Lakes The world discovered what Essex County fishermen already knew when the ESPN network staged its Great Outdoor Games bass tournament at the Saranac Chain of Lakes in 2000, 2001 and 2002. Participating pros had no problem hooking limits of 2-pound largemouths and smallmouths.
AUGUST
Walleyes
Chippewa Bay During the 1990s, anglers tapped a trophy walleye gold mine at the upper end of the St. Lawrence River in the vicinity of Carleton Island, but in the last several years, the fishery has spread downstream.
The hotspot last August was Chippewa Bay, about 10 miles east of the village of Alexandria Bay. It was frequently good for limit catches of 20- to 23-inch 'eyes. Look for them this summer in the 30- to 50-foot depths.
Contact the 1000 Islands Bait store in Alexandria Bay at (315) 482-9903 for recent reports from the river.
Tiger Muskies
Otisco Lake Little Otisco Lake in southern Onondaga County is home to some of New York's largest tiger muskies. A 30-pound, 5-ounce specimen was pulled from the lake in 1997.
In August, Otisco tigers suspend at the deep end of weedbeds and are inclined to hit jointed plugs trolled at a fairly rapid pace.
Smallmouths
Unadilla River Smallmouths averaging 1 1/2 pounds will attack live hellgrammites or crayfish drifted through the pools of the Unadilla off Route 8 in Chenango County. The stream is small enough to wade wet.
SEPTEMBER
Chinook Salmon
Salmon River The premier big-game fishery in New York without a doubt is the Salmon River, where any duffer has a reasonable chance to reel in a Pacific salmon worthy of hanging on a den wall. In mid- and late September, kings weighing 30 pounds or more are routinely caught from Port Ontario all the way up to the boundaries of the state salmon hatchery in Altmar.
Other Lake Ontario tributaries also have significant runs of chinook salmon, but none can match the Salmon River for sheer numbers. Naturally, the crowds of anglers are dense, too.
Bring an 8- to 10-weight fly rod when you fish the Salmon and stock up with a supply of imitation egg patterns made of tinsel chenille in red, yellow and chartreuse.
Largemouths
Saratoga Lake One of the more underrated bass waters in New York is Saratoga Lake, which is a short cast from the world-famous horse track in the village of Saratoga. Its weedy shoreline is a steady producer of 2- to 4-pound bucketmouths.
Smallmouths
Chemung River A recently developed "river trail" linking canoe launches in and around Corning, makes the Southern Tier's Chemung an ideal site for a fall float trip. The DEC office in Avon at (585) 226-2466 can supply a list of ramps.
OCTOBER
Brown Trout
Wilson Harbor If you yearn to hook a trophy-size brown in prime colors, take a spinning rod and an assortment of lures to the Niagara County village of Wilson. The municipal piers put you in proximity of 5- to 15-pound browns staging for their spawning run up the east branch of Twelvemile Creek. The Niagara County tourism unit at (800) 338-7890 will supply an area fishing map.
Chinooks
Niagara River Only one thing keeps the Niagara from challenging the Salmon River's standing as New York's top trophy venue: its easy-access shore-casting spots. The fishing platform at the New York State Power Authority headquarters off the Robert Moses Parkway in Niagara Falls is one place where you can keep your feet dry while tussling with a 30-pounder.
The Greater Niagara Hotspot map, available from Niagara County Tourism at (800) 338-7890 pinpoints some other shore-fishing locations.
Landlocked Salmon
Fall Creek Several tributaries of Cayuga Lake attract small runs of landlocked salmon in the fall, but the most picturesque is Fall Creek, which flows past the grounds of Ithaca High School. Flyfishers catch 5-pounders at the base of the creek's namesake waterfall.
NOVEMBER
Muskellunge
Thousand Islands This could be the year that some determined angler catches a 60-inch muskellunge in the upper St. Lawrence River. Numerous 50- to 58-inch brutes have been boated in recent autumns. November is the right time, and the colder and wetter the weather the better.
Because Thousand Islands muskies are moody and widely scattered, it's always wise to hire a guide for your first visit. A complete list of area captains is available from the 1000 Islands International Council at (800) 8-ISLAND.
Steelhead
Cattaraugus Creek You'll need to obtain a Seneca Indian Nation license to fish the mid-portion of Cattaraugus Creek, the major New York spawning ground for Lake Erie steelhead. The "Cat" offers about 50 miles of fishable water between Springville and Sunset Bay and holds thousands of big steelies in November.
Brown Trout
Oak Orchard Creek Sight-fishing with egg flies or artificial nymphs is the standard drill at the Archery Hole on Orleans County's Oak Orchard Creek. The Oak attracts an impressive run of Lake Ontario browns.
DECEMBER
Rainbow Trout
Catharine Creek Throngs of anglers start the trout season with an April Fool's Day visit to Catharine Creek, but the creek at the south end of Seneca Lake is virtually deserted in December. Ironically, the rainbow-spawning tributary is likely to hold more fish in a wet autumn than it does during a dry spring, and many nice catches have been recorded between Christmas and the end of the season on New Year's eve.
The fall run consists mainly of young male 'bows of 15 to 18 inches, but it would be no shock to catch a 4- or 5-pound hen in one of the deep pools between Watkins Glen and Montour Falls.
Walleyes
Susquehanna River Because it curls along the state's southern border, the slow-moving Susquehanna is usually ice-free through December, and anglers who probe deep pools like the one below the Rock Bottom dam in Binghamton can count on strikes from wintering walleyes.
Bluegills
Dryden Lake Only 100 acres in size, Dryden Lake in northern Tompkins County is beloved by Ithaca-area anglers because it is loaded with bluegills and it usually freezes over before New Year's Day.
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