What's Your Fishing Fancy?
by Doug Distler

Can you imagine a derby where eleven salmon weighed more than 40 pounds? These and many more almost as big were caught during the 1999 seventeen-day Fall LOC Derby. And believe it or not, this derby isn’t even unusual when it comes to great fishing along the 454-mile Seaway Trail.

Beyond the hundreds of square surface miles of Lakes Erie and Ontario there are countless streams, rivers, lakes and ponds just teeming with fish along one of the most beautiful scenic highway treasures in our nation. And, regardless of the season, the Trail is within easy reach of a place to fish.

Opportunities are endless. There is something for everyone, both beginners and experts. Wade a stream in quiet solitude. Or, sit in a lawn chair on a fishing pier and cast with the shore anglers for trout or salmon. Come winter, pack a couple of jigging poles, a sled and the kids and fish for panfish through the ice. When fair weather returns, launch your boat from any of the countless launch sites along the Trail or hire an expert guide. The choice is yours and the opportunities are but a “wish and a cast” away.

Angling Opportunities

Bass, walleye, northern pike, salmon, trout species and panfish are all available in the streams and lakes along the Trail. The New York Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has been stocking Lakes Erie and Ontario with trout and salmon for thirty years, which has catapulted these lakes and their tributaries to world-class fisheries. The regular statewide bass season does not open until the third Saturday in June each year. However, in the early 90s our DEC, recognizing the trophy bass angling opportunities in Lake Erie, established a “pre” seven-week season that begins the first Saturday in May.

The New York smallmouth record has been shattered five times since this new season was initiated. Lake Erie's great ecosystem, plus stocking efforts by the state and private fishing clubs, make it the number one walleye fishery along the trail.

Along the year Seaway Trail inlets, bays and ponds provide the most affordable, and perhaps the greatest, action angling of the entire trail–panfishing. The term panfish covers a wide variety of species: bullhead, yellow perch, crappy, bluegill and sunfish. For family fun, panfishing provides constant action and takes the least effort and expense. From the Pennsylvania border and into the mighty St. Lawrence River are numerous harbors, state parks, boat piers and jetties that provide ideal access for family fishing vacations.

Tackle is simple: an inexpensive rod, a decent reel loaded with light 4 or 6 pound test line, a few number 6 hooks and a bag of sinkers. Panfish will hit most any bait available. Worms are the favorite, but small minnows–and even bits of a hotdog–also entice panfish to bite.

Anglers targeting other species along this trail will require a bit more equipment in their arsenal to outwit larger, more elusive fish. If stream fishing brown and brook trout is your passion, the equipment needed is rather minimal. The New York DEC does an outstanding job of stocking streams in this state to supplement native populations.

A pair of chest waders is a must for any type of stream fishing; and if you are wading fast, slippery streams like the Salmon River, cleats are essential for safety. These can be rented at most bait and tackle shops. For the brookies, browns and rainbows, a lightweight five-foot graphite rod loaded with two or four-pound test line will do nicely.

Bait required often depends on the time of the year. Use bugs that are emerging from the stream during the season in which you’re fishing. But, the worm is always a sure bet for these little fighters.

Bigger fish (salmon, steelhead and trout) inhabit larger streams like the Salmon and Oswego Rivers, the Black River, Eighteen Mile Creek, Niagara River, Oak Orchard Creek, Maxwell and Salmon Creeks, the Genesee River and Sterling Creek. They require heavier tackle, rods, line and an assortment of lures or live bait.

Bait and tackle shops can be one of your best sources of "how to, where to" information. Some county tourism departments also have maps of their particular area loaded with boating/fishing information.

The Niagara, Oswego and Salmon Rivers are fast becoming year-round fisheries due to improved stocking methods; species mixing; and special projects like the Net Pen Program carried out by local angler groups. Salmon begin their annual spawning migration into all the Lake Ontario streams during late summer and continue through late fall. Their migration is followed by rainbow steelhead, which continues right through early summer. From late spring right through fall Lakes Erie and Ontario are the place to be for big fish, not only salmon and trout but walleye and bass as well.

All along the Seaway Trail there are numerous public and private boat launches and accommodations suitable for family fishing/sight seeing vacations. Each county tourism department along the Trail will readily provide the information you need. Additionally, many of the private marinas with launching facilities are listed in the membership portion of this magazine or have supplied us with informational ads.

Charter Fishing

A well-established fishing guide industry has emerged along both Lakes Erie and Ontario, possibly a result of the introduction of salmon and trout. However in the smallmouth infested waters of Henderson Harbor and the St. Lawrence River some guides are third generation. Considering the amenities like a big comfortable boat, all the safety and fishing equipment and the life-long fishing knowledge of your captain, a guided fishing charter may be the affordable option for a family day of fishing. As an option, the St. Lawrence River guides also regularly offer their famous Thousand Islands shore dinner as part of a guided trip.

Free Fishing & Licenses

Saturday June 24 and Sunday June 25 are free fishing days for everyone, resident and non-resident alike. Other times of the year a valid fishing license is required by all unless you are under 16 years of age. Complete licensing information is listed in the Regulations Guide and on the DEC web site: www.dec.state.ny.us 

Endless fishing opportunities along the Seaway Trail provide something for everyone. Great accommodations, the finest freshwater fishing in the eastern United States, and exotics found nowhere else—except perhaps Alaska—are minutes off this scenic byway. Whether it’s a morning outing, a weekend trip or a full-blown family vacation, fishing along the Trail is like nowhere else in this nation.

Fish Hatcheries

Chances are that the fish you catch were raised in one of twelve fish hatcheries operated by the New York DEC. Two of the hatcheries are open to the public on a regular basis and make great family outings.

Reported to be the biggest and most modern in the United States is the Altmar Salmon and Trout Hatchery, located approximately ten miles east of the village of Pulaski in the town of Altmar. Open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. seven days a week from April 1 through November 30.

Much of the success of the Great Lakes fishing industry can be attributed to the research conducted at the DEC's Cape Vincent Fisheries Research Station, located on Rte. 12E in Cape Vincent at the mouth of the St. Lawrence River. Open 9 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. seven days a week from May 15 through October 15.

Need More Information?

The New York DEC has a wide assortment of brochures related to fishing. Topics covered include: where to fish, when to fish, how to get there, fishing techniques, guide services, advisories on eating your fish and much more. All brochures are available by contacting your nearest DEC Regional Office. A few of the information-packed brochures are:

• “The Fishing is Great in New York: Ten Best Fishing Spots”
• “ Salmon and Trout Fishing”
• “ Great Lakes Fishing”
• “Fishing the Seaway Trail”
• “The Nautical Seaway Trail”
This comprehensive 120-page guide contains 52 nautical charts and details waterfront services on the NYS shoreline.

Outdoor writer Doug Fuegel is on the staff of many magazines including The New York Sportsman and Northeast Woods & Waters; and he is the outdoor columnist for The Palladium Times of Oswego. He is a past president of the New York State Outdoor Writers Association and a member of the Outdoor Writers Association of America.