November 22 - December 6, 2024
Dock Removal for the Season
As a reminder, docks at DEC boat launch sites are being removed in preparation for winter. Before venturing out, boaters should contact DEC's Regional Operations Offices for the most current schedule of when docks will be removed for the season.
As of November 21, the Seneca River Port Byron boat launch is closed, Mud Lock dock, Otisco Lake dock, and boat launch sites within Madison County have had the docks removed for the season. The Skaneateles Lake dock will be pulled on Monday (11/25) and the Onondaga Lake dock will be pulled on Tuesday (11/26), along with Hayes Road dock on Seneca River.
Eaton Brook Reservoir
The launch will be inaccessible until further notice due to a water draw down of four feet for scheduled dam maintenance.
Salmon River
As of November 19, the river is at 244 cubic feet per second (CFS) and the dam release is at 195 CFS. Anglers are reporting good numbers of fish running upstream but the fish are not biting as well on some days. Low water levels are playing a role in the low catches. Angling pressure throughout the river is low. Floating beads, eggs, sponges, or flies prove to be effective on the river. Keep an eye on flows and dam releases before going to the river.
Oswego River
As of November 19, the river is at 2,490 cubic feet per second (CFS). Mostly brown trout and steelhead are being caught in the river. Salmon are being caught in the river on eggs, plugs, and beads. For walleye, try large stickbaits or jigs.
Important Note: Leto Island cannot be used to access the dam. The dam can be accessed from the West side (Brookfield side).
Remember there are mandatory personal flotation device (PFD) zones on the river. For more information on PFD zones and life jacket loaner programs, visit the Oswego County Tourism website.
Little Salmon River
Jellystone Campground is closed for the season, so fishing is no longer allowed at this site. Steelhead have been seen in the river with a few being caught.
Grindstone Creek
Anglers have been targeting and successfully catching steelhead. The number of Kings in the stream has decreased.
Little Sandy Creek
Anglers are having a difficult time catching fish as water levels are low and there are not as many fish in the stream. However, steelhead have been seen traveling up the stream.
Skaneateles Lake
Look for yellow perch in 15 to 40 feet of water. Lake trout can be caught in about 60 to 100 feet down, trolling or vertical jigging. Rainbow trout can be found in 75 feet of water 25 feet down. Look for walleye in 15 to 30 feet of water and use methods such as jigging, bottom bouncing, or trolling. Try trolling in areas where there are perch and using a larger hook to catch walleye. Bass can be caught in 10 to 20 feet of water on drop shots, stickbaits, or crankbaits. View Fishing for Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass for helpful tips and techniques on how to catch bass.
Cayuga Lake
Look for lake trout in 80 to 150 feet of water, vertical jigging or trolling. Rainbow trout can be found in around 40 to 80 feet of water jigging or trolling. Landlocked salmon can be found in around 20 feet of water near tributaries in the lake. The yellow perch fall bite has begun, you can find them near shore in 5 to 20 feet of water on small jigs or plastic grubs. For largemouth bass try drop shots, tube jigs, senkos, or stickbaits.
Oneida Lake
The fall bite for perch and walleye is hot right now. Walleye seem to be biting in 5 to 15 feet of water, and are also biting well casting from shore at night. Good baits to try are stickbaits, crankbaits, blade baits, jig/worm or worm harnesses, and buck tails in perch pattern. Bass can be caught on rattle-traps, jerkbaits, spinnerbaits, chatterbaits, swimbaits, and dropshots. Smallmouth bass can be found around 7 to 20 feet of water. Panfish can be found on the outside edges of weed beds in 10 to 20 feet of water or on drop-offs. For panfish try small jigs, small bright colored spinners, or #4 hooks with a nightcrawler.
Otisco Lake
As water temperatures cool, the bite for all fish begins to increase in the lake. Look for tiger musky in the shallow north end, Lader Point, Turtle Bay and along the causeway using spinnerbaits, chatterbaits, swimbaits or large stickbaits. For walleye, try trolling in the 15-to-20-foot depth range with stickbaits or spoons. Bass can be caught on drop shots, crankbaits, tubes, and buzz baits. If you are looking to fish Otisco lake and do not have access to a boat, try fishing from the causeway near the southern end of the lake.
Whitney Point Reservoir
For walleye, try crankbaits, stickbaits, jig/worm or worm harnesses. Walleye can be caught by jigging or trolling. Channel catfish and bullheads will bite on nightcrawlers, cut-bait or dead minnows. Get tips on Fishing for New York’s Big Cats.
Susquehanna River
Nightcrawlers under a bobber with a sinker work well for bluegill, rock bass, and smallmouth bass. Smallmouth and largemouth bass, as well as musky and tiger musky, bite well on silver spinners with a yellow body and red dots. A tip for fishing the Susquehanna is to use lighter weight lures due to the shallow nature of the river. Using 1/8-ounce or 1/16-ounce lures should work well.
