Syracuse.com - Feb. 26 to March 2: Banner ice fishing year continues

[HuntingNY-News]

If you can stand the cold, most waterways have plenty of good thick ice to fish on.

CNY FISHING REPORT

Bait stores (list and map).

SALMON RIVER

The river is low. The frigid temperatures and snow continue to make fishing difficult, with slush ice forming on the river and shelf ice along the shore. Anglers braving the cold are still getting a few steelhead in the deeper pools in the upper river between Pineville and Altmar.

OSWEGO RIVER

Cold and snow continues to make fishing the river difficult. Nothing new to report.

ONEIDA LAKE

The entire lake is still frozen over, with ice thickness varying from a foot up to more than 18 inches in places. Anglers on snowmobiles or ATVs are catching nice perch north of Dunham's and Frenchman's islands. Others are cashing in about couple hundred yards off Williams Beach or Chapman Park. Big Bay continues to produce hot for bluegills, crappie and sunfish. Walleye fishing has slowed down recently.

CAYUGA LAKE

Ice thickness is a reported 8 to 10 inches at northern end. Lots of perch and pickerel being caught. Try fathead minnows for the perch. Anglers are also getting some nice brown trout fishing from shore at the old Milliken Power Station in Lansing using shiners.

SANDY POND

Reports of 20-plus inches of ice. Perch fishing has started to improve some with small minnows working well. Northern pike are hitting large minnows fished with tip-ups.

SENECA LAKE

The cold and windy conditions have made getting a boat out difficult, but some anglers going out of Severne are getting some perch.

OWASCO LAKE

Entire lake is frozen. Ice thickness around varies from 12 to 20 inches. Reports of nice lake trout being caught on shiners around Ensenore. Anglers are also taking some nice perch on fathead minnows. Some nice northern pike are also being caught at the southern end on big shiners.

OTISCO LAKE

Entire lake is frozen. There are 12 inches of ice being reported in front of the county park and on the north end. Bluegill and pumpkinseeds fishing action has slowed down on the north end over the last few weeks. A 43-inch tiger muskie was caught during a recent ice fishing derby.

SKANEATELES LAKE

Most, if not all the lake is frozen. Reports of some nice perch being caught on fathead of minnows. Anglers are also catching a few trout.

SODUS BAY

There's 14 to 18 inches or more of ice on the bay. Reports of some nice perch and bluegills being caught, along with a few northern pike.

ST. LAWRENCE RIVER

Lots of fishable ice, with some bays having ice up 36 inches thick. Popular spots continue to be Eel Bay, Lake of the Isles, Round Island , Chippewa Bay and all the nearby inland lakes. Continued reports of especially good perch fishing on Chippewa and Chaumont bays and the head of Round Island near Clayton. Anglers are also catching walleye in Mud Bay. Live bait (fathead minnows, shiners and spikes) continues to be the ticket.

WHITNEY POINT RESERVOIR

There's 15 to 16 inches of good ice, and reports of some good walleye fishing. Anglers are catching them on fathead minnows and jigs, or medium shiners on tip-ups.

View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog