Physical Features:
Elevation: 247 feet
Area: 460 acres
Shoreline Length: 8 miles
Max Depth: 28 feet
Mean Depth: 13 feet
County and Town: Wayne County, Town of Huron
Aquatic Plant Life:
The bay shoreline is shallow with extensive beds of submersed, floating, and emergent aquatic vegetation. The nuisance invasive submergents eurasian watermilfoil, and curly leaf pondweed have been found in the bay. A mechanical harvester is operated annually by the Wayne County Soil and Water Conservation District to control the vegetation.
Access:
DEC operates a concrete ramp with parking for 28 cars/trailers at the south end of the bay on West Port Bay Road, and a concrete ramp with parking for 35 cars/trailers at the north end of the bay at the end of West Port Bay Road.
For more information on these launches including Google Maps driving directions, visit the Boat Launch Sites for Wayne County page.
Accessible Features
From the West Port Bay Road Parking Area at Inlet to Lake Ontario, wheelchair accessible features include the:
- Hand boat launch with dock and kayak slide; and
- Portable toilet (seasonal)
Visit the DEC Accessible Recreation Destinations web page for additional accessible recreation opportunities.
Fish Species:
Bowfin, Northern Pike, Channel Catfish, Brown Bullhead, Rock Bass, Pumpkinseed, Bluegill, Smallmouth Bass, Largemouth Bass, Black Crappie, Walleye, Yellow Perch.
Fishing:
From 1987 to 1993, Port Bay was annually stocked with fingerling walleyes raised from fry by cooperating angler associations, and from 1993 to 1997 it was annually stocked with fingerling walleyes from DEC hatcheries. Since 2003, the stocking policy calls for biannual plantings of fingerling walleyes. Assessment surveys have shown that these stocked fingerlings survive and grow to produce a fair adult walleye population. Good northern pike and yellow perch fishing through the ice exists when safe ice develops. In most years, the early spring fishing for yellow perch, brown bullhead, and white perch can be very good. Northern pike, chain pickerel, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, sunfish, and yellow perch can be caught during the open water season. A spinnerbait or stickbait, like a rapala, works well in shallow weedy water for the gamefish. For the panfish try worms fished under a bobber or small plastic tube baits or twister tails.
Ice Fishing:
Ice fishing is permitted on Port Bay.
