Syracuse.com - CNY shoreline hotspots: The Caughdenoy Dam on the Oneida River (third in a series)

[HuntingNY-News]

Just below the dam is good for bass, perch, walleye, catfish and freshwater drum.

Mike Greenlar/The Post-StandardKyle Crego of Pennellville casts off near the Caughdenoy Dam in the town of Caughdenoy.

Land just above and below the Caughdenoy Dam on the Oneida River, which is used to regulate the water level on Oneida Lake, is a great spot to fish from shore.

“Above the dam is a great place for catfish, particularly at night,” said Al Daher, co-owner of Mickey’s Bait and Tackle Shop in North Syracuse.

“Below the dam is good for bass, perch, walleye, catfish and freshwater drum,” he added.

The dam is run by the state Canal Corporation and has more than a half-dozen gates that control the release of water. Fishing is prohibited on the dam, said Ambrose Barbuto, canal engineer for the Syracuse division of the Canal Corporation.

“Sometimes you get some strong currents when the water is released. It can be a dangerous situation,” he said.

Most anglers get access on the north side of the river, off Route 12. There’s a gravel parking lot with a couple of picnic tables and a trash can, Barbuto said. He added that many anglers just pull off the side of the road and park.

Daher said the area around the dam sees a lot of fishing pressure because there’s not a lot of public access to the Oneida River. Most of the land is privately owned, he said.

“Also, as a general rule, it tends to fish best in the spring and fall,” he said.

On a side note, occasionally, anglers catch a sturgeon there. They are designated by the state as a species of “special concern” and it’s illegal to target them.

If you happen to hook a sturgeon, the best thing is not to play it out, but to break it off as soon as possible, said state Department of Environmental Conservation officials. Undue stress of spawning females will “put them off “ for that year’s spawning.

View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog