New York has no shortage of hardy ice fishermen, so it is fortunate that the state also has plenty of top-notch lakes to keep them busy. Chances are, no matter where you live in the Empire State, there’s a quality ice fishing lake somewhere within driving distance. But these are the top spots – lakes that you should consider any time you plan an ice fishing trip in New York this winter.
Lake Champlain
Sometimes referred to as the sixth great lake by enthusiastic local anglers, Lake Champlain is as productive as it is massive. Sprawling across nearly 300,000 acres, Lake Champlain has enough water to keep any fisherman busy all through the winter and well into next year. Ice fisherman typically target walleye, perch, lake trout, landlocked salmon and smelt on Lake Champlain, but northern pike, bass and brown trout are available as well. Ample access is available near Interstate Route 87. Once you are out on the ice, be careful to keep track of your location; Lake Champlain is a shared waterway, and you must have a Vermont license to fish in the Vermont section.
Saratoga Lake
One of the top fishing destinations in the Albany area, Saratoga Lake is located just south of Saratoga Springs. You can count on catching a mixed bag of fish here. Many shallow areas hold onto green weeds until February, and these areas can be great for pike and panfish. Jigging can bring in a healthy catch of bluegill and crappie, while pike readily strike live shiners under a tip-up. Walleye and perch are available as well, though they prefer to hang out near bottom in mid-depth areas.
Keuka Lake
Keuka Lake covers 11,700 acres, and is unique among the Finger Lakes for its Y-like shape. The lake is roughly equidistant from the cities of Rochester and Syracuse, and draws plenty of ice fishermen from both cities. Lake trout are the primary target species of many of these anglers; the trout reproduce naturally and grow fat on ample smelt and alewife populations. Other coldwater species include brown trout, rainbow trout and landlocked salmon. You can also catch pike, pickerel and panfish around the drop-offs at both ends of the lake. Access is available through Keuka Lake State Park, and from the municipal parking lot in Penn Yann.
Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario itself doesn’t freeze over, which obviously makes ice fishing impossible, but the lake’s many bays and backwaters offer some of the best ice fishing in the state. Chaumont Bay is one of the best places to start toward the northern end of the lake. The massive bay offers outstanding ice fishing for perch, walleye, bluegill and crappie around islands, peninsulas and submerged shoals and drop-offs. The bay is accessible through Long Point State Park, and from a public launch in the town of Chaumont. Farther to the south, Sandy Pond is a tremendous pike and perch fishery just north of the town of Pulaski. Farther still to the south is Sodus Bay, which offers pike, perch and bluegill off points, on drop-offs and around shallow weeds. Ample access to Sodus Bay is available off routes 14 and 414, and from the Route 143 Bridge.