Syracuse.com - April 27-29: Lake Ontario brown trout fishing near shore remains hot

[HuntingNY-News]

Trout streams across the area have perked up lately due to the rain we've been having lately.

CNY FISHING REPORT

(A reminder that walleye, northern pike, pickerel and tiger muskie season closed on March 15 and the season reopens May 5. Also, all persons aboard pleasure vessels less than 21 feet long, regardless of age, must wear a personal flotation device until May 1.)

Bait stores (list and map).

INLAND TROUT STREAMS

Streams across the area have perked up lately due to the rain we’ve been having lately. Most area streams have been stocked. To find out how many fish are stocked in your favorite Onondaga County stream, call 689-0003. To hear the DEC’s weekly fishing report, which includes a list of what streams have been stocked in Region 7, call 607-753-1551.

LAKE ONTARIO

When the wind is not blowing hard, anglers are getting out and cashing in on brown trout and some chinook salmon along the lake shore by flat-lining (trolling lure behind the boat without any weight) with stickbaits and spoons. If you can find some off- colored water, fish around it. Good starting depths have been in the 5- to 25-foot range, and blue and silver and black and silver, and also copper, have been good colors. In the clear water areas, fishing with planer boards and dipsey divers have also worked.

SALMON RIVER

The middle and lower part of the river has been productive for steelhead, but many have already headed back to the lake. River is low. Try the deeper pools. Use egg sacs, trout beads and night crawlers.

OSWEGO RIVER

The river is up a bit. The fishing has been off lately, though, as many of the browns and steelhead have headed back to the lake.

ONEIDA LAKE

The lake level is coming up. Anglers continue to cash in on perch and bullhead, along with other panfish, particularly around the marinas. Some are also getting out on the Oneida River, catching bullhead and panfish.

CAYUGA LAKE

The lake is still low. Anglers trolling are getting lake trout, brown trout and Atlantic salmon. Lake trout are coming on flasher and fly rigs fished 100 to 125 feet down over 130 to 175 feet of water. Fishing stickbaits on the surface over 15 to 25 feet of water is working for the brown trout and salmon on the south end of the lake. They’re still getting a lot of perch at the northern end.

SENECA LAKE

Lake trout are being taken near bottom in 70 feet of water. Atlantic salmon and brown trout are hitting stickbaits fished near the surface. Yellow perch and black crappie fishing from the pier has been good with fish hitting minnows.

OWASCO LAKE

Anglers are getting yellow perch on the north and south ends with small minnows. The inlet was stocked with brown trout. Bullheads are also still be taken on night crawlers and crawfish.

OTISCO LAKE

Black crappies and yellow perch fishing has slowed, but some are still being taken in the shallows on small minnows. Reports of some anglers doing extremely well catching and releasing smallmouth bass.

SKANEATELES LAKE

Anglers getting out in boats are still catching some yellow perch in the north end of the lake on small minnows, but the perch are deeper, so look in the 20- to 30- foot range. Lake trout are hitting near bottom in 40 to 50 feet of water.

SODUS BAY

Anglers getting out in boats are still catching yellow perch in shallow water on small minnows. Fishing around the bridge continues to produce black crappie and bullhead.

SANDY POND

Black crappies are hitting around docks, and perch are being taken in the north pond. Some bullhead are also being taken.

ST. LAWRENCE RIVER

The perch bite is still going strong in Eel Bay and Krings Point. Try fishing anywhere from 5 to 20 feet of water, using fathead minnows. The bullhead bite continues to be good, particularly in the early morning and late evening.

WHITNEY POINT RESERVOIR

A reminder that all angling is prohibited in the Otstelic River from the mouth (where it enters the Tioughnioga River) to the Whitney Point Reservoir Dam, until opening of walleye season (May 5). Meanwhile, some crappies are being taken along the shoreline of the reservoir on small minnows. Bullheads are being caught after dark on the north end of the reservoir, and also off Keibel Road. The spillway area is closed until the walleye opener.

View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog