Things to do / Travel Guide
With the many bodies of water flowing around northern New York, it is an excellent region for fishing lovers to head to with bait and tackle in hand, or for the novice fisherman to take a lesson, charter a sport fishing boat, or join a guided tour. The many fish that swim the waters of the area include landlocked salmon, northern pike, lake trout, brook trout, pickerel, yellow perch, sunfish, and small- and large-mouth bass. In the winter months, the frozen waters of northern New York practically beg ice-fishing enthusiasts to bundle up, crack the surface, and toss in a line.
Anyone over the age of 16 is required to have a license, which can be obtained at bait shops, sporting goods stores, town offices, or from a regional office of the Department of Environmental Conservation's Division of Fish, Wildlife, and Marine Resources. There are limits on the amount of fish that can be caught and kept per day, along with some other various restrictions. As such, it's best to check the DEC website to ensure you are in compliance.
Fishing around Lake Placid
The Ausable River is a superb spot for fly fishing. The town of Wilmington, northeast of Lake Placid, is a good jumping off point to access the twisting and turning waters of the Ausable River. A number of different fisherman guides are available to take you around the waters they know well for a full day of guided fly-fishing.
The Ausable River and Lake Placid are two top spots in northern New York for fishing for rainbow trout. Lake Placid is also great for lake, brook, and brown trout fishing. Shops around Lake Placid have fishing equipment for rent and sale.
Fishing on and around Saranac Lake
Both the Saranac Lake Chain and the St. Regis Lakes have superb bass and pike fishing. Canoes and motor boats can easily access these bodies of water. Bass season opens in late June, though bass can potentially be caught year-round.
The St. Regis Canoe area, northeast of Saranac Lake, is a wilderness area set aside for non-motorized travel, and best explored by canoe. It is made up of many interconnected ponds and lakes. Most ponds in the St. Regis Canoe area have brook trout, as well as rainbow trout and splake.
Fishing in Saratoga Springs
The Saratoga Springs area is not home to as many bodies of water as other parts of northern New York, but anglers will still find locations to drop their lines. Saratoga Lake, on the outskirts of the town, is home to largemouth bass, northern pike, and pan fish. Local fishing outfitters and tackle shops offer boat and equipment rental, as well as instruction.
Fishing on Lake George
The 32 miles of clear blue waters of Lake George make for another ideal fishing location in northern New York. Lake trout, landlocked salmon, northern pike, pickerel, yellow perch, and bass are just a few of the fish that can be found in Lake George, where fishing charters for full-day, half-day, or evening jaunts await. Most companies provide bait and tackle, and run from April through the summer and fall months. Lake George houses a cold-water fishery for landlocked salmon and the occasional trout, as well as a warm-water fishery for bass, pike, and pan fish.
Fishing in the Thousand Islands
The St. Lawrence River in the Thousand Islands area offers excellent bass and muskie fishing. The waters in the Thousand Islands are also home to pan fish, such as yellow perch, smallmouth bass, walleye, and great northern pike. Those interested in casting, trolling, or bait fishing will all find a place on the waters in the area. Visitors can bring their own boat or rent one there. Half-day, full-day, and complete fishing packages are offered by local fishing services with plenty of marinas, boat launches, and bait and tackle shops dotted along the shores.
Fishing in the Champlain Valley
Lake Champlain, according to the Department of Environmental Conservation, is a prime spot for fishing for pickerel, northern pike, large- and small-mouth bass, lake trout, landlocked salmon, muskellunge, yellow perch, and sunfish. Charter companies along Lake Champlain offer fly fishing and/or spin-casting outings onto the lake's waters, for both cold-water and warm-water fish.
Ice fishing is also permitted on Lake Champlain, as well as taking any species of fish caught during their open season while ice fishing. The Lake Champlain ice fishing season usually begins around early December; the first to freeze are the bays and passages on the north end of the lake. As the colder weather sets in, the ice makes its way south along the lake, and as the deeper water freezes it's a great time to go fishing for smelt.
Lake Placid, Lake George, Saratoga Springs, Adirondacks and Northern New York
Fishing
Selkirk Shores State Park Beach - Richland, New York
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