Got back out onto Keuka Lake starting at noon. Fishing here has been tough this season. I felt lucky last week - I hit a good area and capitalized on a bite-window, but I have a fair number of contacts/friends who ice fish a bit, and they've been reporting slow fishing here. The ice remains solid - I'd say Keuka is sporting a good 8" to 9" of good clear ice. The pressure crack just south of the boat launch is solid now.
As I drove by Penn Yan I could see perhaps 8 to 10 shelters out there. A friend fished it on Sunday (out of Penn Yan) and caught one laker. Action was slow. I'm not hearing about a lot of perch being caught either, but they may be. Branchport had a fair number of anglers - probably about the same number as Penn Yan. Guys leaving the area I was planning on fishing (and had fished last week) had decent action in the morning, but it had slowed down. My Vexilar was working better after I bought a new battery for it, but it certainly isn't a state-of-the-art unit. I believe I bought it back around 2006! It's hard to want to invest in new ice-fishing gear when the winters are so unpredictable, but last year Keuka Lake skimmed over nearly entirely, so who knows what the next decade will bring?
On the day I worked water from 160' in to 110'. Guys were fishing tip-ups shallower - right along the drop-off, and I did see one laker taken there. I appeared to be marking fish in most areas I fished, but they were not moving much at all - certainly not for my lures. Eventually I hooked one, which felt pretty darn small. It did get off before I could see it, but from the feel of the fight, I'd guess it was a dink - maybe 12" to 13" long, if that. Maybe 10"! Anglers were moving around and drilling all afternoon, which tells me that action was pretty slow.
Canandaigua and Owasco Lakes have about 5" of ice from what I've heard. Both lakes are reportedly fishing well. I haven't heard anything regarding Skaneateles Lake, but that is similar in size, depth and shape to Canandaigua Lake. As we all know, access is the big issue there.
There's no shortage of lake trout in Keuka Lake, but with the forage base pretty much non-existent, these fish can be lethargic. I've noticed that fish in "nutrient-free" environments tend to save energy, not expend it. I had friends out here (Branchport) last Thursday, Saturday (!), and Sunday, and all reported tough fishing - very slow. Once the ice is off the lake, I expect better action since I'll be able to move around a lot easier!
It appears as though we may get a break in the weather starting this weekend and stretching into next week. One or two of the days look "guidable" from the boat. Anyways, I am hoping to get back onto Seneca Lake for some salmon fishing - hopefully I won't have too many issues getting my boat out of the driveway! We still have a lot of snow on the ground and more expected. I also am hoping to ice-fish again shortly, but not on Keuka.