Monday marks the last Free Fishing Day of the year. Anyone can freshwater fish in New York without a fishing license.
The warm, sunny days were here and gone and when ice fishing season begins remains to be seen. The good news is there’s still good fishing to be had for multiple species during this “in between” season, especially with the variable weather New York has been experiencing.
Making their annual spawning run, brown trout are starting to pour into the Great Lakes tributaries. Steelhead are close behind and will begin to feed heavily on the eggs laid by both salmon and brown trout.
Given the recent stretch of warmer temperatures, northern pike and musky fishing is still going strong. Both species tend to feed heavily in anticipation of a long winter. As a reminder, the statewide musky season closes on November 30th, but in the meantime Chautauqua, Bear, Findley, Cassadaga, and Waneta Lakes are all good options to reel in a musky. Musky season continues through December 15th on Lake Erie, Niagara River, and the St. Lawrence River, which are great spots to catch a giant.
Shore fishing for walleye can also be very good this time of year. Hint: check out Oneida Lake. Yellow perch are another great option as they start to school tighter as we enter the colder months. Larger lakes such as the Finger Lakes, Lake George, Lake Champlain and the bays of Lake Ontario all offer excellent perch fishing.
Many local streams and rivers across the state provide exceptional fishing for trout, while largemouth and smallmouth bass can be caught in numerous waters as they begin to forage heavily prior to winter.
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