Lake trout fishing kicks off along the shore in April and May -- still-fishing from docks is possible at some locations, and small boats can ply the bays and island channels.

Lakers have usually headed for cooler water by June, however, and will frequently be found 40 to 50 feet deep or more. After the thermocline sets up, trout will hang under the temperature break.

CAPE VINCENT
The point where the lake becomes the St. Lawrence River is a popular destination for lake trout fishermen because it offers an abundance of structure and bait.

The International Boundary runs through this area, and fishermen who choose to fish both New York and Ontario waters should know that two licenses are required, and different regulations apply.

Trolling around Grenadier and Fox islands should be a good bet, especially on the west sides where the bottom drops off abruptly to about 50 feet. Navigation charts reveal a number of named shoals, including Dooda, Allen Otty and Charity, that frequently hold lakers at this time of year.

There are a couple of cautions about fishing the open lake off Cape Vincent. Westerly storms can kick up wicked swells in a hurry, so check the forecasts. And remember that you're in the middle of an international shipping channel, so watch for heavy boat traffic. Cape Vincent is reached by taking Route 12E from Interstate Route 81 (Exit 47) at Watertown. Marine and tourist facilities are in the village, and a public launch is at Burnham State Park, on the river east of Cape Vincent.

HENDERSON HARBOR
This is the best-known location on Lake Ontario for lake trout fishing, at least among the old-timers who were trophy anglers many years before salmon were introduced.

Trout gather off Henderson Harbor in spring and fall, and it's believed that the area's rocky shoals and islands (with their steep dropoffs into deep water) were their primary spawning areas when lake trout ruled Lake Ontario.

Stony Point has always been a hotspot, even during summer. It's a 100-foot cliff offshore known as "The Trench." You should also target water around all the nearby islands, such as Stony, Calf, Galloo and the infamous Little Galloo, where a cormorant colony has buried the island under nests and excrement.

Henderson Harbor is a boating-sailing Mecca in the eastern lake, with marinas and launches in the harbor and around Stony Point. This area is southwest of Watertown on state Route 3, which runs along the lake. Approaching from the south, exit I-81 at Adams (Exit 41). Take Route 178 west to Route 3 and the Henderson area.