Best Fishing Spots to Catch Walleye on Lake Ontario
Most fishermen have gained tons of knowledge in the past few years on what to use and how to fish it when pursuing “trophy walleye” in the eastern basin of Lake Ontario. The question most often asked in the last couple of years is “where do I go walleye fishing on Lake Ontario NY?” Perhaps it is time to review the best locations in Lake Ontario’s Golden Crescent.
Using Maps and GPS
Maps of the area are essential since there are many shoals and reefs and constant attention to your location is vital. With the GPS, you can identify exactly where you are while fishing in Lake Ontario’s Golden Crescent, which enables you to run your planer boards, in-line planers or downriggers right in the fish’s kitchen. Lowrance products have proven exceptionally dependable for me when walleye fishing.
Anglers have Great Success on the Oswego River
Starting with the Oswego River in Oswego, NY, anglers can find excellent walleye fishing, especially at night. The area from the Salmon River to Sandy Pond and north to Stony Creek, which is the normal brown trout fishery, produces many walleyes especially off of Colwell Pond, north and south Sandy Creeks and Drowned Island.
Stony Point is a Great Fishing Spot
Next would be Sawyer’s Bay, Clark’s Point, Ray’s Bay and Stony Point. The inner wall off Stony Point with its steep 50-160 foot depths sometimes holds a ton of bait which attracts many of the larger walleyes in the 8 pound to 13 pound class. Access to these areas can be gained from the state launch at Stony Creek.
Henderson Harbor, NY
As you head north to Henderson Harbor, some hot walleye fishing action can be found around Association Island, Six Town Point, Lime Barrel Shoal and Gull, Bass and Horse Islands. This is an area where your maps are very important because shoals come up quickly. The belly in the middle of Henderson Bay is about 30-35 feet deep and deep diving baits are a favorite. Access can be gained from the Henderson Harbor town launch, Wescott’s Beach State Park or the town launch in Sackets Harbor.
Cabela’s Master Walleye Circuit has made Henderson Harbor one of its stops as MWC Director Kristine Hautman was amazed at the amount of the 8-14 pound walleye here.
Black River Bay
Nationally known Black River Bay is one of those areas where you could go, close your eyes and pick a spot to fish. You can fish the deeper 30-60 foot belly in the middle or follow the shoreline in 8-20 feet of water with shallow runners and work until you find your “hot spot.” Water temperature is vital in this bay since you could have 45-degree water on the Sackets Harbor side and 58-degree water on the Pillar Point side due to the water flow.
Pillar Point
When you round the head of Pillar Point going north, there are four consistently good areas that are favorites to local fishermen; Everleigh Point, Bull Rock Point, Sherwin’s Bay and Reed’s Bay offer deep-water or shallow-water fishing using a combination of directions. The best access to these areas is the town boat launch next to B&J Bait Shop in Dexter and the town launch in Sackets Harbor.
Trophy Walleye Love Chaumont Bay
As you head north into Chaumont Bay with Point Peninsula on the left and Pillar Point on the right you are entering the largest freshwater bay in the United States. Along the east shoreline is Guffin’s Bay where some of the biggest trophies are taken near Adams Cove, Guffin Creek, Crab Island and Cherry Island. A good access point is Guffin Bay Resort.
Deep Water is an Anglers Paradise
You could spend a day fishing for walleye at some of the good spots around Chaumont Bay. Chaumont River, Johnson Shoal, Herrick Shoal and Three Mile Point, but again it is vital to pay attention to maps. Three Mile Bay, with the Carrying Place and Isthmus on the west end, and belly going towards Long Point State Park is a highly productive area. The deeper water in the belly of Chaumont Bay produces many big fish.
Shangri-la
One of the most consistent areas for trophy walleye in May and June is the deep water belly between Pillar Point and Point Peninsula in front of Shangri-la. Heading southwest out of Chaumont is Middle Shoal and a green buoy off Point Peninsula which is a hit or miss spot. When walleye are there it is really good spot to catch walleye, but you can spend a good portion of the morning finding out.
Fox and Grenadier Island Fishing
Heading north along the shoreline from Point Peninsula to Fox and Grenadier Island can be productive spot to catch walleye when things slow down in the bays. Working 15-30 feet depths are best.
Quality Over Quantity
When looking for hot spots to fish trophy walleye in the eastern basin (Golden Crescent) there are many to choose from. Over the season most anglers find out it is not a numbers fishery – it is a trophy fishery! Trophy walleye can be a frustrating fish to pursue since they are nomads and move frequently as the season progresses. Sometimes it can be unbelievably good for a few days than very slow for a few days.
Trying to Catch Walleye in Central New York is an Adventure
When looking for trophy walleye experiment with the many different areas to choose from. I get many clients who come with a notepad and ask questions about where, how and what to use. Have fun trying since there are lots of “Hot Spots” to spend the day. Good luck and take a kid fishing.
Original Article By Captain Bob Dick
About The Author
Captain Bob Dick owns and operates Moby Dick Charters out of Henderson Harbor on Lake Ontario. Captain Bob specializes in sport fishing for trophy walleye, browns, lake trout, king salmon, northern pike and smallmouth bass. He has lived and fished the eastern end of Lake Ontario and tributaries his entire life and is a member of the NYS Outdoor Writers’ Association.
