Syracuse.com - March 12-16: Central NY ice fishing scene continues to be strong

[HuntingNY-News]

Some nice perch and lake trout are being taken on Skaneateles on minnows.

CNY FISHING REPORT

Bait stores (list and map).

**Reminder: The walleye, pickerel, northern pike, muskie and tiger muskie seasons end this Saturday and reopen May 5. Also, the deadline for getting permanent ice shanties off the ice is Saturday as well.

SALMON RIVER

Anglers fishing the deeper pools from Pineville to Altmar are still getting into steelhead. If float fishing or bottom bouncing, try egg sacs with blue, pink, white or chartreuse mesh or pink trout worms. Fly anglers have been using nymphs or single egg patterns.

OSWEGO RIVER

The cold temperatures have made fishing difficult during the past week on the river, so no new information.

ONEIDA LAKE

Anglers on snowmobiles or ATVs continue to catch nice perch north of Dunham's and Frenchman's islands. Others are cashing in about couple hundred yards off Williams Beach or Chapman Park. Panfish action on Big Bay continues to be slow. Nothing to report on the walleye bite.

CAYUGA LAKE

Lots of perch and pickerel being caught through the northern end. Try fathead minnows for the perch. Anglers are getting some nice brown trout fishing from shore at the old Milliken Power Station in Lansing using shiners. Anglers fishing from shore around Taughannock Park on the western side of the lake are also getting a few browns and Atlantic salmon. . Some anglers are also fishing the south end with 6 inches of ice being reported and getting some yellow perch there as well.

SANDY POND

There is 20-plus inches of ice being reported on the pond. Perch fishing has picked up on the pond and anglers using small minnows or jigs tipped with spikes are catching them. Anglers still need to sort through numbers of small ones to get keepers though. Pike are being taken on large minnows fished under tip-ups. Some black crappie are starting to be caught on jigs tipped with minnows or spikes, or just on minnows.

SENECA LAKE

The cold and windy conditions continue to make getting a boat out difficult, but some anglers going out of Severne in boats are getting perch in 20 to 30 feet of water.

OWASCO LAKE

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

OTISCO LAKE

There is 12 to 18 inches of ice being reported on the north end. Bluegill and pumpkinseeds are still being taken on the north end, but many are small.

SKANEATELES LAKE

Reports of some nice perch being caught on fathead minnows at both ends of the lake. Anglers are also catching a few nice lake trout, also on minnows. The bite appears to be the strongest just before dark.

SODUS BAY

There's 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 18 to 20 inches of good ice, and reports of some good walleye fishing north of the island on the west side. Anglers are catching them on fathead minnows and jigs, or medium shiners on tip-ups.

View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog