Fishing Season Remains a Big Draw for CNY

A program by the Department of Environmental Conservation to boost the king salmon population has helped boost the number of the popular fish species

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

The fishing season for CNY is proving a good one.

“Salmon fishing has never been better at Lake Ontario,” said Chris Kenyon, lifelong outdoorsman and outdoor recreation writer. Kenyon also provides fishing reports on contract for the Wayne County Department of Tourism. “Fishing is good in the bays. The salmon fishing is astounding. Charter guys are going out on their limits. They take out four clients out and they come in early. They may do brown trout closer to shore and then go out for salmon.”

He anticipates a busy season for the Seneca River and other waterways as well.

A program by the Department of Environmental Conservation to boost the king salmon population has helped boost the number of the popular fish species. Wayne, Onondaga and Oswego counties raised in net pens hundreds of thousands of salmon beginning on April 11. Between these projects and the DEC’s standard fish releases, that’s a total of 1,122,840 salmon.

Of course, local anglers benefit from the salmon bonanza; however, Kenyon said that the surge of salmon also draws fishing tourism.

“A lot of people are from Pennsylvania, and they come regularly for their vacation,” Kenyon said. “They fish from 5 a.m. to 1 p.m. or 2 and then go to the restaurants. They might stay overnight. It’s a lot of tourism dollars.”

He added that the region’s fishing tournaments are “an excellent thing for tourism. They bring more people in.”

Tournaments may draw as many as 200 people each.

“They might dock their boat for a week, reserve spots to stay and go out to eat — and that’s dollars spent,” Kenyon said. “They might come in for a week.”

Places of lodging are one example of types of businesses that benefit from the influx of those who come to the region for fishing.

“Lake Ontario still provides an idea environment for fishing enthusiasts and while other activities and attractions might shine brighter for some tourists, the area is a wonderful place to cast a line and enjoy the views,” said Patrick Dong, owner of Sunset RV Park in Oswego. “It remains an iconic summer activity that many among our guests enjoy during their trips to the Oswego area.”

At The Comfort Zone Bed And Breakfast in Altmar, co-owner Cookie Green said that “fishing lodging is primarily what we do. From August through November, we’re busy for salmon. Until April, we have steelhead fishermen. Fishing is going well.”

Her husband, Lenny, is an avid fisherman and enjoys engaging guests with impromptu “fishing lessons” as requested so they can enjoy a successful outing.

Fishing also attracts many of the guests staying at Sunset RV Park in Oswego. Owner Patrick Dong believes that “Lake Ontario still provides an ideal environment for fishing enthusiasts and while other activities and attractions might shine brighter for tourists, the area is a wonderful place to cast a line and enjoy the views,” he said. “It remains an iconic summer activity that many among our guests enjoy during their trips to the Oswego area.”