Experienced fishermen from the Niagara River to the St. Lawrence River are betting on another bonanza year for Lake Ontario.

In case you haven't heard, salmonid fishing had a dramatic turn-around two years ago, especially for chinooks, and spectacular fishing continued through last season.

An important factor in the resurgence of salmon and trout is an adult alewife population in good condition, according to Dan Bishop, the New York Department of Environmental Conservation's fisheries manager stationed in Cortland.

Reporting at the annual State of the Lake public meeting, Bishop said that the lake's smelt population was making a comeback, which also improves the forage base, although the supply of scuds -- important to small fish -- has declined drastically.

The food supply for salmon and trout is an ever-changing equation, but thanks to a strong alewife population, fishing is about as good as it gets.

Weather conditions -- always a concern of spring fishermen -- have been pretty good across the lake for the last couple of years, and that has improved catch rates. Last May, for example, was warm with no storms, and the DEC's boat census revealed a catch of more than 14,000 salmon, nearly twice the previous record for May.

Pen rearing of fingerlings and deep water releases of both pen-reared fish and hatchery fish have also boosted fish populations in the lake. Both techniques provide protection for newly hatched fish from inshore predators, such as perch and rock bass. Natural reproduction from the lake's tributaries is largely an unknown factor, but in the Salmon River, where improved flows throughout the year have been enforced, researchers have found significant numbers of wild fish. And, cormorant control in the east end of the lake is believed to have helped improve fishing.

The early season is an ideal time to hit Ontario, as the warmer water along shore attracts both bait and fish. You may strike silver nearly anywhere you can get on the water, but the following are some popular fishing centers.

NIAGARA RIVER BAR
With the lake coming off a record year for chinooks, west end fishermen are expecting another sensational year, according to Bill Hilts Jr., Niagara County's fishing specialist. (Cont'd)

"As long as the weather holds, great fishing should continue into 2006 and beyond," he reported.

Most springtime fishermen hit "The Bar," a huge pile of rock and rubble deposited by the Niagara River over many centuries. The main channel of the river is at least 75 feet deep as it enters the lake, but the bottom swoops up to about 18 feet in front of Fort Niagara, and the bowl-shaped reef extends out into the lake for approximately three miles, Hilts explained. A green buoy makes a good target for fishermen, and excellent fish-holding structure runs along both sides of the marker.