Oquaga Lake anyone?

[hermit]

Hey all, I'll be at the north end of Oquaga Lake tomorrow and Thursday morning. Anyone ever fish there? I'm going to be limited to a float tube and a sit on top kayak that isn't a fishing rig. There isn't any public access so finding info online has been hard, but it sounds like there are some trout in there, maybe privately stocked rainbows? And native lakers... maybe I'll try the old float tube laker jigging. Can't even find a basic depth map though. Thanks for any pointers!

Alec

[lakerchaser]

The lake is private and is diffucult to get on unless you know someone that has a camp on the lake. Years ago the Chesnut inn used to give access but that is not the case anymore. Have caught a few nice lakers and whitefish out of there many years ago but again the fishing has gone down hill. I would try the deep hole of of the inn. Lakers are all native because the state does not stock it. Jigging would be my go to or lead core. It will be very interesting how you make out. Have a great day. that lake is in broome county. Either scotts or the chesnut has a huge lake mounted that came out of there.Have not fished it in 30 years.Be sure to post your results. Thanks.

[hermit]

So the deep spot is off the Chestnut Inn? Looks like it's closed now. Not sure if I can make it over there, I'll be up in the northeast corner visiting some family who rented a place for the week. Guess my current plan is head out towards the middle jigging along the way. Are there alewives in there or what kind of baitfish am I looking at? I'll report back even if I zero out.

Edited July 26, 2016 by hermit

[hermit]

Spent 1/2 hr in a float tube so far and got one 12" laker in say 60 fow. Good start anyway

[Sk8man]

Good luck and stay safe Alec

[hermit]

Thanks Les, it's pretty over here. I haven't seen water this clear in the summer since Tahoe. Can see the jig easily down 30. Trying to downsize everything. Back out in a canoe for an hour. No hits but a real nice ~6-7 lb. rainbow followed my lure back to the boat.

[hermit]

Back out for 1.5 hrs in the canoe at dawn, couple more 12" and 13" lakers. 3/4 oz. jig albino tail shortened to 3" total. Nice ~10" bluegill off the dock. Done for the day. Seeing that rainbow was great though, really got my heart pounding! Nice camp lake.

Edited July 28, 2016 by hermit

[stinger]

That lake does have some nice brown's in it. Don't know anyone that jigs them. They usually drag leadcore around. I don't have any details as to spoon size. Maybe jigging next to the drop off shelf can get you some.

 

Good luck

[hermit]

I can see why leadcore is preferred there.  Interesting place.  I'd probably bait fish it over trolling, it might take an hour to circle the whole lake (if you go slow) and you'd just be going in circles.

 

Small but deep, almost no weeds.  Very clear, spring fed.  Seems very low on the productivity scale but what fish do survive probably get big... I saw that huge rainbow.  I bet small lakers are the main forage for predators in there.  There were some bass around but with zero cover other than docks I can't imagine many.

[DurangoNY]

I first fished Oquaga Lake in 1976.  It is the last lake made by the Finger Lakes glacier and perhaps the southeastern extremity of native lake trout habitat.  Its water has always rated in the highest category of NY DEP evaluation. Some lowlife bass fishermen put largemouth in the lake about 1986;  they have thrived and eliminated the sawbellies which had previously provided forage for a very healthy brown trout population and good laker growth. Stocking in the last twenty years has been mainly rainbows.  Some survive to grow to good size, while others show why rainbow trout is one of the most effective Rapala models.  The lake is indeed private, though poachers like to ice fish and keep the trout they catch even though ice fishing for trout on Oquaga is illegal.  Others fish the lake and obey the law.  Whitefish and cisco may no longer exist in the lake.  Enjoy the lake and remember that a laker can live 40 years or more; the upper limit has not been determined.

[billc8081]

DurangoNY 

 

Who put the saw bellies in the lake there not native to water in that the Broome country.Maybe you mix up and thinking of the cannonsville reservoir. .The brown trout and rainbows would not be native as well to the lake. so calling the bass fishermen  a low lifes not very kind and show ignorance on your part. the whole ego system has been whacked starting with your state DEC many years ago introducing non native species. such as Brown and Rainbow trout to NY waters and the northern bush wolf which i'm sure you call coyotes. .     

[DurangoNY]

Hmmm.  Ok.  Not sure what billc8081's point is here.  I'm a bass fisherman so I'm not saying "bass fishermen are lowlifes"; I'm saying the people who introduced largemouth in substantial numbers to a wonderful smallmouth lake that had existed without largemouths for thousands of years are lowlifes.  What would you call lawbreakers who deliberately introduce (without permits) invasive non-native species?  Guess I'm just showing my "ignorance."

[back on eerie 2016]

Hmmm.  Ok.  Not sure what billc8081's point is here.  I'm a bass fisherman so I'm not saying "bass fishermen are lowlifes"; I'm saying the people who introduced largemouth in substantial numbers to a wonderful smallmouth lake that had existed without largemouths for thousands of years are lowlifes.  What would you call lawbreakers who deliberately introduce (without permits) invasive non-native species?  Guess I'm just showing my "ignorance."

I call them scumbags cause they do it for their own pleasure. I never became a bass fisherman because of there I'm better than you attitude. Tried to be friendly but they look at you like your below them.

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