Most people across the world view New York as one giant concrete jungle. Their thoughts go straight to streets bustling with people, celebrities, pizza, and non-stop traffic lights. Being a lifelong New Yorker, it sort of grinds my gears. There’s more to this state than just the Big Apple. Consider the mountain ranges and agriculture regions, to the plentiful green spaces, and more importantly, the many different water bodies chock full of fish. One of those amazing places full of giant fish and beautiful scenery is the Finger Lakes.
Although the Finger Lakes are surrounded by lavish wineries and agriculture, it’s still a place where outdoorsmen and women call home. I packed all my things and moved right to the heart of it. Now I have world-class fishing just minutes from my doorstep for a variety of species. Here’s a little bit about the Finger Lakes and what makes the waters so special. We are going to cover each lake, highlighting special features, fisheries, and attractions for the whole family.
About the Finger Lakes Region
Back in the last ice age, glaciers carved 11 beautiful lakes into New York’s landscape. Spanning from Syracuse to Buffalo, many of the lakes are deep, mostly oligotrophic bodies of water. Some are more productive and eutrophic than the rest. When looking at a map, geographers noticed all of these waters were shaped in a linear fashion — long and skinny — almost like a hand with fingers.
These lakes all run a north-to-south pattern, with many points and coves scattered throughout. Generally, these lakes are considered multi-tiered, as they have just about everything when it comes to structure and composition. The north and south ends are typically shallow, eutrophic areas, while the middle sections have steep drop offs and ledges (oligotrophic).
Filled with a variety of different habitats throughout all the lakes, you can find just about every species of fish that resides within the state. All of the lakes contain a variety of cold, cool and warm-water fish species. Whether it’s trolling for lake trout and Atlantic salmon, filling the freezer with delicious panfish, or chasing trophy largemouth and smallmouth bass — the Finger Lakes have something for everyone. None of the Finger Lakes are exactly the same. Each one fishes differently and has different characteristics, making it such a unique system. Here’s a breakdown of each lake from east to west.
Otisco Lake
- Location: Close to Syracuse. In Onondaga County, near the towns of Marcellus and Spafford
- Size: 1,877 acres, 5.4 miles long
- Max Depth: 76 feet
- Target Fish Species: Largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, panfish and tiger muskies
- Structures: Boat docks, milfoil beds, and rock causeways
The most easterly of all the Finger Lakes and eighth smallest in size, Otisco Lake sits just south of Syracuse, New York. Its close proximity to one of the state’s largest cities makes it overlooked by many, but I’m sure the local anglers don’t mind. The lake is split into two basins at the south end by a causeway. The top being very deep and clear, while the bottom being very shallow, turbid and eutrophic. Its weedy environment around the lake holds a variety of warm-water fish, including large and smallmouth bass, as well as many panfish species. According to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC), the lake is stocked annually with 11,000 tiger muskies and biannually with over 40,000 walleye, creating more angling opportunities.
The tiger muskies have taken a stronghold in the lake’s ecosystem drawing anglers from around the area to try and tangle with a 40-plus-inch giant. You can often find these predators hanging around the northern weedy flats or along the deep-weed edges of the many bays.
The lake also remains a dominant largemouth fishery. Local tournament results see some bags pushing the 20-pound mark, but the average weights are in the 15- to 16-pound range. You can find these bass in the lush vegetation or under the many docks surrounding the lake.
Skaneateles Lake
- Location: In Onondaga, Cortland and Cayuga counties. Near the towns of Niles, Scott, Sempronius, Skaneateles and Spafford.
- Size: 8,960 acres, 16 miles long
- Max Depth: 300 feet
- Target Fish Species: Largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, panfish, rainbow trout, lake trout, Atlantic salmon, and walleye
- Structures: Boat docks, shallow rock, rock piles, and ledges
Second in line of the Finger Lakes is Skaneateles Lake. Often referred to as one of the “richer” lakes in the area, the body of water doesn’t get tons of fishing pressure. It’s steep, house ridden shorelines and minimal boat ramp access make this lake overlooked. But there are some giants that live here.
Smallmouth bass and rainbow trout are the two most common predatory fish in this lake. When it comes down to bass fishing, be prepared to have sore arms at the end of a day’s fishing. This place is loaded with smallmouth, but many of them are on the smaller side (think sub 3-pound fish). Trout fishing on the other hand can be very rewarding, as well as extremely challenging. Since trout are extremely pelagic and this lake is almost all deep water, these fish are constantly on the move. If you follow the baitfish, you will catch the trout.
Walleye were illegally introduced into the lake in the late 1970s as anglers wanted to catch their favorite fish in a lake close to home. These fish soon took hold and now are naturally reproducing in the lake. According to the NYSDEC, to limit the growth of the walleye population in Skaneateles Lake, the following regulations went into effect April 2022: No daily possession limit, 12-inch minimum size limit, plus open year-round. This is the only water in New York that has this sort of walleye regulations. The walleye are challenging to catch, similar in their pelagic movements to the trout species.
Owasco Lake
- Location: In Cayuga County, near the towns of Fleming, Moravia, Niles, Owasco, Scipio and Venice.
- Size: 6,665 acres, 11.1 miles long
- Max Depth: 177 feet
- Target Fish Species: Largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, panfish, rainbow trout, lake trout, Atlantic salmon, brown trout and walleye
- Structures: Boat docks, weed beds, shallow rock, rock piles, ledges and break walls
Next in line is Owasco Lake. This is more of a local hidden secret lake. And the locals really want to keep it that way. Why? Because it’s loaded with giant fish. Every fish species runs large in Owasco, from the bass, the lakers, even the rockbass run XL size here. Just because there are big fish doesn’t mean they are easy to catch.
Owasco is full of a variety of structures, ranging from thick weed flats, to offshore deep ledges, to rock reefs. The habitat in this lake is suited for a multitude of fish species. As a rule of thumb from the locals, stay away from any kind of vegetation you can easily find. In this lake, most of the fish, including the largemouths, relate to some sort of hard structure. Whether it’s wood or rock, hard structure holds more fish than anything else.
Cayuga Lake
- Location: In Thompson, Cayuga, and Seneca counties. Near the towns of Covert, Fayette, Genoa, Ithaca, Lansing, Ledyard, Ovid, Romulus, Seneca Falls, Springport, Ulysses and Varick.
- Size: 42,956 acres, 38 miles long
- Max Depth: 435 feet
- Target Fish Species: Largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, panfish, rainbow trout, lake trout, Atlantic salmon, brown trout, chain pickerel, northern pike, freshwater drum, channel catfish, and longnose gar
- Structures: Boat docks, weed beds, shallow rock, rock piles, ledges, bridges, marinas, reeds and cattails
When anglers think of the Finger Lakes, this is the first lake that pops into their minds. Of the 11 lakes in the system, Cayuga Lake is the most popular fishing and outdoor recreation lake. My friends and I always joke that Cayuga is great for everything, including the amazing duck hunting on top of the great fishing.
Spanning 38 miles through many towns in central New York, the lake features different ecosystems. Its northern section is extremely eutrophic and weedy. As you move farther south, the water gets extremely deep, cold and clear, then shallows back up on the south end. This is what makes it suitable for many different species to survive and thrive in this lake.
Cayuga is most known for its amazing largemouth bass fishing. Anglers travel from all parts of the country to take part in trying to tangle with a northern giant. In fact, the New York State record largemouth was caught here in 2024 by Jim Britenbaugh, which weighed 12.36 pounds. For a northern-strain largemouth, this is an absolute giant fish. Not many water bodies can produce largemouths this size — the main reason is because of depth. With it being so deep, Cayuga Lake does not freeze. That creates more light penetration which helps the growing season last longer.
Other notable fisheries within this lake are the yellow perch and lake trout. The perch fishing is world class, with many fish topping out in the 15- to 16-inch range. Anglers are able to fill limits in no time. The lake trout can be caught year round and offer an excellent fight, especially when jigged up from the depths. (For more, check out my coverage of lake trout jigging.) Don’t just visit the lake thinking you are going to bass fish; it’s an amazing lake for a multitude of fishing opportunities.
Seneca Lake
- Location: In Ontario, Yates, Seneca and Schuyler counties. Near the towns of Geneva, Lodi, Romulus, Milo, Hector and Watkins Glen.
- Size: 43,343 acres, 39 miles long
- Max Depth: 618 feet
- Target Fish Species: Largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, panfish, rainbow trout, lake trout, Atlantic salmon, brown trout, chain pickerel, northern pike, freshwater drum and channel catfish
- Structures: Boat docks, weed beds, shallow rock, rock piles, ledges, bridges and marinas
Seneca Lake is the largest Finger Lake in the region. At almost 44,000 acres and 39 miles long, it definitely has a lot to offer. Unlike its neighboring lakes, Seneca doesn’t have a large littoral zone where plants like to grow. The lake is filled with steep shorelines that drop right into deep water. Along those drops, the bottom is covered with rock reefs that are teeming with different fish species.
Since Seneca is the deepest of all the Finger Lakes, it’s dominated by cold and cool water fish species. Trout rule the roost here, but close seconds include yellow perch and smallmouth bass. Seneca used to be one of the best trout fisheries in the Finger Lakes, but with the decline of the alewife populations, the trout numbers have been dwindling.
If you’re looking for a lake to catch jumbo yellow perch, this is the place to go. But it comes at a cost, finding them is extremely challenging. It’s not like normal perch fishing where you find them scattered near a weed flat or rock pile; these fish are nomadic and roam in large schools. Finding those schools is the hard part, but when you find them, it’ll be like you hit the jackpot. Utilize your side-scan fish finders to help eliminate water and find the fish a little faster.
Keuka Lake
- Location: In Yates and Steuben counties. Near the towns of Penn Yan, Branchport and Hammondsport
- Size: 11,584 acres, 19.6 miles long
- Max Depth: 183 feet
- Target Fish Species: Largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, panfish, rainbow trout, lake trout, brown trou and chain pickerel
- Structures: Boat docks, weed beds, shallow rock, rock piles, ledges and marinas
Known as the “Y” of the Finger Lakes for its shape, Keuka Lake is located within the heart of wine country. But within all the grapes lies a fantastic multi-tiered fishery. It has the best of both worlds with deep rock, points and ledges as well as shallow weed flats and loads of docks. There’s plenty to cater to all anglers whether you’re a bass head or a trout nut, Keuka has it all.
The lake isn’t known for a particular species, but its variety is what draws people. You can go out and catch all warm-water species, then switch over and jig for lake trout or rainbows. Lake trout are extremely abundant in the deeper depths, but in comparison to the rest of the Finger Lakes, the size isn’t as big. Lakers average in the 18- to 22-inch range with a 24-inch trout being a big one. Bass anglers find this lake to be fruitful as many of the fish are located in the shallow dock-filled shorelines. Pitching jigs and plastics under docks is what causes the most strikes from both largemouth and smallmouth. You can access the lake from different boat ramps around the lake. Try the town boat launch in Penn Yann, the NYSDEC boat launch in Hammondsport, or the ramp at the Keuka Lake State Park in Branchport.
Canandaigua Lake
- Location: In Ontario and Yates counties. Near the towns of Canandaigua, South Bristol and Woodville.
- Size: 10,558 acres, 15.5 miles long
- Max Depth: 276 feet
- Target Fish Species: Largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, panfish, rainbow trout, lake trout, Atlantic salmon, brown trout and chain pickerel
- Structures: Boat docks, weed beds, shallow rock, rock piles, ledges, bridges and marinas
Canandaigua Lake is located to the southeast of the city of Rochester. With that comes a vibrant vacation destination for people to escape the city. The shorelines are lined with houses and docks, making for a very busy lake in the summer. But don’t let that discourage you as this lake is a sleeper fishery for many fish species.
With its steep shorelines and plentiful docks around the lake, it’s a bass fisherman’s paradise. The lake holds some rather large bucketmouths around these docks, but otherwise the lake has very little structure. The south end of the lake is also weedy right before it flows into the West River, so go here if you’re looking to flip, pitch or frog fish for largemouth.
Trout fishing is what’s big here. Trolling for lake trout, browns and big rainbows are what keep anglers coming back year after year. Trolling with spoons and plugs is the best way to cover water. The main forage for all fish species in this lake is alewives, so using baits that mimic the baitfish is the key to success. There are two main boat ramps on the lake. One is located within the town of Canandaigua and the other is on the south end in the town of Woodville.
Honeoye Lake
- Location: In Ontario County, near the town of Richmond
- Size: 1,7752 acres, 4.5 miles long
- Max Depth: 30 feet
- Target Fish Species: Largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, panfish, chain pickerel and walleye
- Structures: Boat docks, weed beds, shallow rock and drop offs
Nestled in the quaint little town of Honeoye, the lake is full of fishing opportunities that many anglers might drive right past. Honeoye Lake is the tenth-smallest Finger Lake in size at 1,773 acres and 4.5 mile long. It has a max depth of 35 feet making it an extremely eutrophic lake, with aquatic vegetation surrounding the entire thing.
The NYSDEC classifies this spot as one of the state’s trophy panfish lakes. This lake in particular produces above average bluegills and crappies. In the past few years, the state has upped its size limit to 9 inches on bluegills and 10 inches on crappies, making for some amazing fishing. If you’re looking to take a kid fishing, Honeoye is the lake to do it — they will have a blast catching fish all day long.
Both largemouth and smallmouth bass inhabit the lake, with a lot of numbers and a few big ones. Generally, most of the bass are on the smaller size, but there are some giants in there. Every small club tournament held on that lake in the summer always has a 5-pound-plus largemouth landed, so don’t think it’s just a numbers lake. Most of the bites come from fishing weed edges or in the heart of the vegetation.
The Forgotten Finger Lakes
Canadice Lake
- Location: In Ontario County, near the town of Canadice
- Size: 649 acres, 3 miles long
- Max Depth: 95 feet
- Target Fish Species: Largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, panfish, rainbow trout, lake trout, brown trout and chain pickerel
- Structures: Weedbeds, shallow rock, rock piles and ledges
Hemlock Lake
- Location: In Ontario and Livingston counties. Near the towns of Livonia and Canadice
- Size: 1,800 acres, 7 miles long
- Max Depth: 91 feet
- Target Fish Species: Largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, panfish, rainbow trout, lake trout, brown trout and chain pickerel
- Structures: Weed beds, shallow rock, rock piles and ledges
Of all the Finger Lakes, I think these two get forgotten the most. There are three things that separate these two from the other 11 lakes. One is that they are both horsepower restricted lakes. Owned by the city of Rochester, they supply potable drinking water across the city and its suburbs. Very Similar to the way NYC does it with their extensive reservoir system.
Secondly, these are some of the only water bodies in western New York that have a boat size and outboard motor horsepower restriction. Boats that fish these bodies of water cannot be over 17 feet in length and have no bigger than a 9.9-hp outboard on the back. Third, these are the only two Finger Lakes with undeveloped shorelines. The NYSDEC has managed wildlife land surrounding both of these lakes which are open to the public for fishing, hunting and other outdoor activities. This makes for a serene fishing experience just 35 minutes south of the bustling city of Rochester.
With that being said, the fishing pressure is limited to smaller vessels and kayaks, which makes covering these bodies of water challenging. But, that also leaves room for great fishing for both cold- and warm-water fish species of all kinds. Both lakes are full of all species of trout and Atlantic salmon, as well as the full army of warm-water species. Both of the lakes are so small, you could easily shake things up and target multiple species in a day.
Both lakes are known for their large offshore pelagic smallmouth. In deep clear lakes like these, the bass end up acting like trout. What I mean by that is when there are steep banks that lead right into deeper water, the smallmouth and largemouth have nowhere to go but deep, which is where all the baitfish are. Smallmouth in these lakes don’t relate to structure as much as they do baitfish. Usually when you find the trout— especially the rainbows — you find the smallmouths.
Conesus Lake
- Location: In Livingston County, near the towns of Livonia and Geneseo.
- Size: 3,420 acres, 8 miles long
- Max Depth: 66 feet
- Target Fish Species: Largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, panfish, northern pike, tiger musky, and walleye
- Structures: Boat docks, weed beds, shallow rock, rock piles, ledges, bridges, marinas and offshore humps
This lake is often overlooked for all fishing scenarios, mainly because it is seen as a party lake. Sitting 20 minutes south of Rochester, this lake is lined with houses and developments every square inch. It’s where many of the city folks go for the summer to live the lake life. But underneath all the boat traffic lies easily one of the best bass fisheries in the area.
Sitting at around 3,500 acres, 8 miles long with a max depth of 66 feet, this lake sets up perfectly for both species of bass. Steep dropoffs with perfectly defined milfoil edges, rock piles, creek mouths, and spawning flats — everything you could ever want for a bass lake. It’s a place where you can do a little bit of everything and catch fish doing all of it.
This lake sits near and dear to my heart as it’s within walking distance of my house. Growing up fishing Candlewood Lake my whole young life, targeting extensive milfoil beds was my bread and butter tactic. Now I can do the same thing, except minutes from my doorstep. There’s just something about slinging around a big jig or Texas-rigged plastic, and then not knowing whether you will hook a smallmouth or largemouth. It’s one of the coolest things about fishing vegetation north of the Mason Dixon line.
Why Should You Fish and Visit the Finger Lakes?
The Finger Lakes region of New York offers fantastic fishing opportunities for all species within its 11 lakes. But it’s not just a fishing destination. Let’s face it, getting away from our families for a few days of fishing can be extremely difficult. Soccer practice, piano recitals, schoolwork and countless other obligations — getting a few days free can be hard. Finding a destination that can be good for the family, while getting time to fish is the most ideal situation, but not all places have those attractions. The area offers a great balance of attractions to entertain people of all ages. Whether it’s wineries, breweries, parks, or even go-kart tracks — the finger lakes region has it.
One notable place to check out if you’re visiting the region is the Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge. Open to the public, they have a walking and driving trail to view wildlife that the state has to offer. They also have various viewing sites for different parts, as well as guided tours and different events for visitors. A large portion of the state’s waterfowl move through this refuge, and if you time it just right, you can witness a spectacle of many different species migrating through the area.
Whether you’re a bass fisherman, trout guru, or a guy just wanting to fill the freezer with beautiful fillets, the Finger Lakes should be on your bucket list of places to visit. Trust me, once you experience it, you’ll never want to go home.
