The largest of New York’s eleven Finger Lakes, Seneca Lake is a massive natural lake that spans 43,343 acres and stretches nearly 40 miles from north to south.
An incredible variety of fishing opportunities are available here.
Seneca Lake is a two-story fishery, with several species of trout and salmon making up the cold water part of the equation. Meanwhile, bass, pike and panfish offer options for warm-water anglers.
This article covers the best fishing spots, times of the year, and techniques to catch each of Seneca Lake’s major gamefish species.
As is typical of the Finger Lakes, Seneca Lake is long and narrow, about 3 miles wide at its widest point. And at 618 feet, it’s the deepest lake that lies entirely within New York state.
Steep, rocky drop-offs plunge precipitously along the east and west sides of the lake, punctuated by the occasional point or tributary mouth.
A narrow fringe of vegetation exists between the most of the shore and the first major drop, though more extensive shallow, weedy flats are available at the lake’s north and south ends.
Unlike most lakes in New York, Seneca Lake almost never freezes over. As a result, anglers can take advantage of open-water fishing year-round.
In the spring of 2023, invasive round gobies were found in Seneca Lake for the first time. The effects on the fishery remain to be seen, but they’re likely to become a major food source for larger game fish, as well as a direct competitor with many species.
Lake Trout Fishing at Seneca Lake
Lake trout are the most sought-after species in Seneca Lake. The lake has been dubbed the “Lake Trout Capital” of the world, and anglers come from all around to fish the National Lake Trout Derby on Memorial Day weekend every year.
In recent years, lake trout fishing has been on an upswing in Seneca Lake. Anglers started to notice that lake trout seemed fewer and smaller than ever before around 2015, with the most likely culprit being invasive sea lampreys.
But the DEC has worked hard to reduce lamprey numbers and increase lake trout stocking, and there’s strong evidence that the laker fishery is much healthier today. Lots of chunky 20- to 25-inch lake trout are available, along with some bigger, older fish.
The secret to catching them is finding the right temperature. Lake trout like it cold, and they’ll seek out water in the mid-40s if they can find it.
In winter and early spring, anglers can often catch lake trout from docks and piers. But throughout most of the year, lake trout are out in deep water, and trolling is the most reliable way to catch them.
Anglers use a wide range of lures to troll for lake trout, including Needlefish and Krocodile Spoons. Sutton Silver Spoons, locally made in Naples, NY, are regional favorites.
The best tactic is to troll the drop-offs up and down the length of Seneca Lake. Look for water close to 45 degrees, and focus on whatever depth you find it. Unfortunately, the steepness of the lake’s sides can make staying on track a challenge.
In summer, Seneca Lake stratifies, with a thermocline setting up anywhere from 60 to 125 feet. Look for lake trout in spots where the thermocline meets the bottom. When you find a large group of fish in a concentrated area, it’s a good time to switch from trolling to jigging.
Still-fishing with alewives (or “sawbellies” in local parlance) is also a good option.
When in doubt about the right depth to fish, consider 90 feet a default starting point.
The areas north of Long Point and off the shore of Sampson State Park are good areas to begin.
Seneca Lake Salmon Fishing
Landlocked Atlantic salmon have long been part of the DEC’s stocking program in Seneca Lake. These fish are known for vicious strikes and hard runs, making them some of the most enjoyable fish to catch.
They run a little smaller than lake trout, with salmon typically between 18 and 22 inches. Historically, they’ve been less abundant than lake trout in Seneca Lake, but they’ve been caught in greater numbers in recent years and are less likely than lake trout to be impacted by lampreys.
During the colder months, landlocked salmon are typically surface-oriented. As a result, anglers often catch them trolling spoons, plugs and Flatfish-style lures close to the surface.
Fly-fishing is also an option, though winds on Seneca Lake often make it challenging. On calm winter and early spring days, fly anglers take some beautiful fish on streamers in baitfish patterns. Flies in #2 and #4 sizes are just right.
Landlocked salmon can be caught closer to shore a bit later into the spring than lake trout, and anglers catch them from parks and piers all around Seneca Lake.
Salmon are generally more common in the southern half of the lake, while lake trout dominate farther north.
Once the water warms up into the mid to upper 50s, salmon head offshore, and are caught mostly by trolling. When active, they’ll often strike a lure trolled as fast as 2.5 to 3 mph.
The ideal depth varies quite a bit, but Atlantic salmon favor slightly warmer water than lake trout (around 55 degrees is ideal) and thus are typically caught a bit closer to the surface.
As salmon move around in pursuit of schools of alewives and smelt, your best bet is to cover water quickly.
Rainbow Trout Fishing
Seneca Lake supports a thriving population of rainbow trout.
Unlike lake trout, which reproduce naturally in Seneca Lake but are also propped up by regular stocking, the rainbow trout population is entirely self-sustaining.
Much like landlocked salmon, rainbow trout roam open waters in summer, and are most comfortable at temperatures around 55 degrees. It’s common to catch both species at similar depths using similar baits and lures.
Rainbows are also likely to be in shallower water during the colder part of the year. They spawn in tributaries that feed Seneca Lake, and the annual trout run is a major event in the area.
Catharine Creek, which feeds the southern end of Seneca Lake in Watkins Glen, is the top spot for rainbow trout action, but many smaller tributaries also offer a solid spring trout run. Keuka Lake Outlet, which enters Seneca Lake’s western shore, is another good spot.
Rainbows often start to show up in the creeks as early as November or December. But the best spring trout fishing usually takes place from March into early May. Catch and release fishing is allowed year-round, but New York’s official trout season opens on April 1.
There’s also some excellent trout fishing on the main lake in spring while trout are on their way in and out of the tributaries.
Points and tributary mouths are also great places to find trout, and several parks offer springtime opportunities to cast from shore with spoons and spinners.
More: These rainbows and the trophy lake trout we talked about earlier, along with the occasional huge brown trout, are all reasons we’ve included Seneca Lake among the top trout fishing lakes in New York.
Also, learn the basics of trout fishing with these favorite techniques and tips.
Smallmouth Bass Fishing
Seneca Lake offers an excellent warm water fishery, too, with smallmouth bass being one of the most sought-after species. The bass fishing is arguably not quite as good as in neighboring Cayuga Lake, but there are a lot of big smallies here.
Catching a smallmouth over 5 pounds is always a real possibility on Seneca Lake. The lake has an abundance of rocky structure ranging from 10 to 40 feet, and there is great bass fishing out to the first major drop-off around much of the lake.
The north end of Seneca Lake, which offers a broad area of relatively shallow water around the city of Geneva and the mouth of the Seneca River, is one of the better places to fish for bass.
Jerkbaits like the Rapala X-Rap are some of the best lures.
The south end of the lake has some excellent smallmouth habitat too, and there’s a lot of quality structure up and down both sides.
Numerous small points jut out into the lake on either side, and they tend to be great places to target smallmouths.
The best months to find bass in shallow water are May into June and September into October. Smallmouths usually spawn right around June 1st, and catch-and-release fishing is allowed until bass harvest season opens on the third Saturday in June.
Anglers can often find smallmouths in less than 10 feet of water in spring, but come summer, the best fishing shifts to rocky structure 25 feet deep or more. Some of the best summertime spots are where rocks and weeds meet, especially around the weed line.
Try tube jigs or finesse soft plastics on drop-shot rigs to probe these deeper areas.
If round gobies proliferate in Seneca Lake in the coming years—and they almost certainly will—they’re likely to become smallmouths’ main food source at some point in the near future, as they have at neighboring Cayuga Lake. The latter rates an honorable among the best smallmouth fisheries in New York.
Seneca Lake Pike Fishing
Northern pike are widespread throughout the Finger Lakes, but Seneca offers some of the best pike habitat in the chain and has a proven track record for producing trophy northerns.
Lots of 4- to 6-pound pike swim in the weedy waters around the lake’s perimeter, and there’s always a chance that a 15-pound-plus fish will clamp its jaws onto your bait. Pike can be caught from Seneca Lake all year, though spring and fall tend to be the best seasons.
Unsurprisingly, the most reliable pike haunts are the extensive shallow areas at the north and south ends of the lake. The public fishing pier in Watkins Glen is a year-round hot spot.
Pike are commonly sighted from the pier in the lake’s shallow waters, especially in springtime.
Larger pike gravitate to deeper weed lines in 15 to 25 feet of water in summer, leaving mostly smaller pike in the shallows. However, those giants often return to the shallows again in fall.
October is quite possibly the best month for pike fishing, as the fish feed heavily in anticipation of winter. Casting spinnerbaits, plugs and soft jerkbaits around weed beds and other cover is a great tactic.
The hours right around dawn and dusk are when anglers generally hook into the biggest pike.
In addition to the northern and southernmost ends of the lake, Dresden Bay and Glass Factory Bay are a couple of good areas to find pike.
More: Seneca Lake made our list of the best northern pike fishing spots in New York. Where else can you catch these toothy fighters?
Other Fish Species
Seneca Lake is home to many additional fish species, and it’s common for anglers to catch a mixed bag on any given day. Don’t be too surprised to find something unexpected at the end of your line.
Yellow Perch
Seneca Lake offers a decent yellow perch fishery, though competition from alewives keeps perch from becoming as prolific as they are in some of the other Finger Lakes.
Seneca’s perch are known more for their size than numbers, with many fish measuring 12 to 14 inches.
Winter is a great time to fish for perch here, as Seneca Lake has little to no ice cover most years.
The village pier in Watkins Glen is a favorite place to fish for perch from winter into early spring, and there’s excellent shore fishing at Sampson State Park as well.
During the warmer months, large adult perch move offshore and often roam rocky areas over 20 feet deep.
Seneca Lake perch anglers commonly employ double minnow rigs baited with shiners, as well as small jigs and jigging spoons.
Brown Trout
Brown trout have long been a part of the DEC’s stocking program in Seneca Lake, though this species isn’t as prevalent as the other salmonids stocked here. They’re often caught incidentally by anglers fishing for lake trout or salmon but are seldom targeted specifically.
Still, brown trout weighing over 15 pounds are occasionally hauled out of Seneca Lake. They’re known to strike live alewives, Floating Rapalas, and a wide range of spoons.
Anglers casting from docks and piers catch some big brown trout in spring.
The best time to find brown trout in a concentrated area is in the fall, when they head into tributaries like Catharine Creek to spawn.
The run usually begins in earnest when a good rain arrives and brings the creek levels up in October.
Live nightcrawlers are a favorite brown trout bait.
Largemouth Bass
Largemouth bass are secondary to smallmouth bass in Seneca Lake, but angler reports in recent years suggest that their numbers are on the rise. Some solid 2- and 3-pound largemouths are available, along with a few that are significantly bigger.
Spring and summer are prime times to catch largemouth bass in Seneca Lake.
Any area with some weed growth has largemouth potential. That includes weed beds at the north and south ends of the lake, along with marina areas and docks.
More: Find the best largemouth bass fishing in New York and learn how to catch them with the top bass fishing techniques, tips and lures to get the job done.
Panfish
Bluegill and pumpkinseed sunfish are some of the most abundant species in shallower parts of Seneca Lake.
They inhabit weedy areas and reliably bite with sunfish tactics such as small jigs and bits of nightcrawler, providing action for bank anglers and fueling many family fishing trips.
Rock bass are also abundant along rocky drop-offs and reefs throughout shallower portions of Seneca Lake, and some surprisingly big ones are caught by anglers targeting smallmouths.
Crappies are less common, but a modest population resides in the Seneca River. You will find lots more crappies in the NY’s top lakes.
Planning Your Trip
Seneca Lake is at the heart of one of New York’s major tourism regions, so you’ll find no shortage of options when it comes to dining, lodging and other amenities. Numerous camps, lodges and resorts are available, many of which cater to anglers.
Summer is the busy season, and boat traffic can be significant on warm weekends. However, the cooler months are relatively quiet.
The Finger Lakes are also known as a wine-growing region, and more than 25 wineries overlook Seneca Lake.
Getting to Seneca Lake
The north end of Seneca Lake is just off Exit 42 on I-90, and less than an hour from either Syracuse or Rochester. The south end is just over 30 minutes from Ithaca.
The long, narrow shape of the lake necessitates careful planning.
It takes about 40 minutes to drive from Geneva, at the north end of the lake, to Watkins Glen at the south end. Getting from one side to the other can take over an hour.
Bank & Boat Access
Anglers can take advantage of a wide range of access points on Seneca Lake. In addition to privately owned marinas (of which there are several), access is also available at public parks and boat ramps in the following areas:
Geneva
The city of Geneva offers some great public access, including Lakefront Park, which encompasses almost the entire northern end of the lake and includes a kayak launch, a fishing pier, and over a mile of public shoreline access.
Neighboring Seneca Lake State Park offers some additional bank access, modern boat launch facilities, and a full-service marina at the mouth of the Seneca River.
Watkins Glen
The primary access point at the south end of Seneca Lake is Clute Park in Watkins Glen, with public boat ramps and ample bank access, including a fishing pier and jetties.
Nearby Seneca Harbor Park offers additional access, docking and launch facilities.
West Lakeshore
Public access is somewhat limited on the west side of Seneca Lake. The state boat launch at Severne Point is the best bet on this side. It’s free to the public, and includes modest bank access and parking for 30 vehicles and trailers.
East Lakeshore
Several excellent fishing access options are available on the east side of Seneca Lake.
Heading south from Geneva, the first is Sampson State Park, a popular park offering campgrounds, fishing access, boat launch facilities and docking.
About 10 miles farther down the lake, Lodi Point State Marine Park provides excellent bank access along with boat ramps and docking.
Continuing southward, you’ll find boat launch facilities, 2,000 feet of open shoreline, and a family campground at Smith Memorial Park.
Fishing the Finger Lakes
There are 10 more Finger Lakes with good to outstanding opportunities to catch just about every major freshwater species that swims in New York. Be sure to check out our Complete Guide to Fishing the Finger Lakes.