Cayuga Lake 3/21 – 3/22, Seneca Lake 3/23

After all that snow over the past couple months, we've been fortunate to kick off the spring with a week of terrific weather.  Fishing is generally good to excellent throughout the region.

Cayuga Lake out of Long Point 3/21 AM:  The lake level here is gradually creeping up.  People are now launching at Dean's Cove, Myers Town Park and a few have even gone out at Union Springs, though the lake may be too low for some boats over there.   On the right day the lake trout fishing has been superb.  We hit it well on Sunday.  We spent an hour in shallow water and Jeff managed to hook and almost land one nice laker on a bladebait.  He had a few other hits and follows.  I had Jake fishing a swimbait and he didn't have any action.

We set up deep for lakers and it was game on.  The guys managed to land 20+ fish over the next three hours.  A few were kept for the table.  They had an alewife or two in them.  The heavy feeding should be starting shortly, but for now the fish are hungry but large schools of bait apparently haven't moved in yet.

Some salmon are being caught around the lower lake and they have been nice fish.  Browns should be around as well.  Perch action has varied up north.  As always with perch (and most fish) some days are good and some aren't.

Cayuga Lake out of Long Point 3/22 AM:  Guided Bill for a half day starting around 9:30 am.  It was nice catching up with him - I hadn't seen him in a while.  We didn't spend any time shallow for obvious reasons.  We headed out deep and again, the fishing was terrific.  I think he wound up with around 14 fish or so landed.  We had one that was over 30".  All fish were let go today, so no insights on what they're eating.  Some fish up shallower have been stuffed with gobies.

Seneca Lake out of Watkins Glen 3/23 AM:  Guided Nate here starting at around 9:30 am.  He does a good amount of fly-fishing, mostly more traditional stream/river stuff although he does some bass fishing on Seneca Lake and elsewhere.  Everything fell into place today and he wound up having a great day fly-fishing salmon.   He wound up landing 5 nice fish up to around 19".  The first three came up with attached live lampreys which we were able to dispatch of.  Fish were fighting great.  He lost one bigger one as well.  The lake level here is good.

Very few boats are out perch fishing Seneca Lake this year.  I've seen a few people trolling for salmon/trout and one or two boats out casting but that has been about it.  After the trip I went out for around two hours.  The hot fishing had subsided.  I managed to land one 18"er on a streamer.  I had a handful of other hits and follows but that was it.

Owasco Lake is providing some perch action. Lake trout fishing was slow there for my buddy Mike who fished it on Monday.

The State Launch was opened up last Friday on Skaneateles Lake but it's my understanding that the docks are not in yet.  Hopefully we'll see at least one in soon.  That lake provides opportunities for early season smallmouth bass, perch and occasional rainbow trout, lake trout and landlocked salmon.

Keuka Lake (which is kind of out of my wheelhouse for guiding these days although I am open to doing an occasional trip there...) is providing some excellent lake trout fishing.  Fish there run much smaller than Cayuga's but they are all wild and superb table fare.  Angler Diary Cooperators are really needed badly over there.  One of the main contributors to the diary program - Keuka Bigfoot Charters retired from guiding last year.  He provided nearly 50% of the data to the state, so if you fish there for lake trout, please think about contacting Region 8 Fisheries and becoming a cooperator.