Dunkirk, NY Fishing

[Char_Master]

I realize this is a Lake Ontario forum, but considering the number of members here that fish all over the region, I'm hoping someone can give me some into. (Admins, if this topic would be better in a different subforum, please feel free to move it).

 

Anyway, we'll be fishing out of Dunkirk this Saturday on Erie's eastern basin for Spring Lakers and I was wondering if any of you have fished out of this port before. Mainly trying to figure out some good general zones to target Char but any info about the structure, depth, etc. offshore in this area would be much appreciated.

 

Thanks!

-Sean

Edited May 9, 2017 by Char_Master

[RD9]

Go west off Dunkirk. 30 to 60 ft off vanburen point. Should be lots of lakers. 

[Char_Master]

5 minutes ago, RD9 said:

Go west off Dunkirk. 30 to 60 ft off vanburen point. Should be lots of lakers. 

Thanks for the tip! I was looking at some contour maps and heading NW from the harbor seems to be the area with the most deep structure, as you said. They that shallow still? We've been getting PA Erie Lakers in 55-90 FOW the past few weeks. I'm assuming it's the eastern edge of the mountain. Should be fun to try, as we usually fish off North East PA on the western most part of the escarpment. Plus it seems like NY gets more Lakers planted out there than PA, so hoping to put a few nice ones in the net.

Edited May 9, 2017 by Char_Master

[jigstick]

I fish out of Barcelona for lakers all the time.  I usually head east out of the harbor, about half way to Dunkirk.  Hit 90fow and drag some cowbells / peanut flys along the bottom, or some Moonshine Glow spoons.  You'll be into them in no time.  At least this is my experience during the summer.  Right now the surface temps in the eastern basin are in the low 50s.  So the lakers may be a little more scattered in the water column.

[Char_Master]

1 hour ago, jigstick said:

I fish out of Barcelona for lakers all the time.  I usually head east out of the harbor, about half way to Dunkirk.  Hit 90fow and drag some cowbells / peanut flys along the bottom, or some Moonshine Glow spoons.  You'll be into them in no time.  At least this is my experience during the summer.  Right now the surface temps in the eastern basin are in the low 50s.  So the lakers may be a little more scattered in the water column.

Much appreciated man, thanks! I've got a few cowbells and gambler rigs, Dodgers, and spoons (stingers and moonshines) so I should be set it that department! I'm aiming to start out around 70-90 FOW Saturday and work in or out depending on the bite. I agree super scattered this year, we had 2 fish in 7 hours two weeks ago but 6 fish in 4 hours the week before that. Odd. Wait, you guys catch them all summer? Our PA Erie Laker bite usually shuts down after Memorial Day or so. I may have to make a few more trips to Dunkirk if they're doable in July/August!

[jigstick]

Dude I catch lakers all summer long on Erie. As soon as the walleye bite dies off in the morning I head out for lakers and steelhead.  We hook lakers non stop.  Actually gets annoying catching them.  Sometimes having 2-3 on at one time.  I usually cant keep my cowbells on the bottom for more than 10 minutes without picking one up.  the Moonshine spoon called "Oscar" is deadly on them as well.  If you can get your wire dipsys down to 75-80 ft youll pick them up on those as well. 

[Char_Master]

29 minutes ago, jigstick said:

Dude I catch lakers all summer long on Erie. As soon as the walleye bite dies off in the morning I head out for lakers and steelhead.  We hook lakers non stop.  Actually gets annoying catching them.  Sometimes having 2-3 on at one time.  I usually cant keep my cowbells on the bottom for more than 10 minutes without picking one up.  the Moonshine spoon called "Oscar" is deadly on them as well.  If you can get your wire dipsys down to 75-80 ft youll pick them up on those as well. 

Jeez! Good to know, I'll without a doubt be at Dunkirk 2-3 weekends this summer then :). No problem on the Divers, with wire at cowbell speed (1.5-1.8) I can get them down 80-100' no problem. I've yet to experience laker fishing where they're actually annoying (though that'd be impossible to me, as my favorite species), so hopefully I can find some over there this weekend.

[Crestliner1850]

On 5/10/2017 at 9:24 PM, jigstick said:

I fish out of Barcelona for lakers all the time.  I usually head east out of the harbor, about half way to Dunkirk.  Hit 90fow and drag some cowbells / peanut flys along the bottom, or some Moonshine Glow spoons.  You'll be into them in no time.  At least this is my experience during the summer.  Right now the surface temps in the eastern basin are in the low 50s.  So the lakers may be a little more scattered in the water column.

Hi jigstick, what's the average size for lakers in Erie? 

[Char_Master]

Our average size for Erie is 8-15 pounds and 26-32", but not sure if it's any different over in NY waters. Interested to hear as well.

[Crestliner1850]

11 minutes ago, Char_Master said:

Our average size for Erie is 8-15 pounds and 26-32", but not sure if it's any different over in NY waters. Interested to hear as well.

Just like you lakers are my favorite species. I'm from Montreal, I fished lake Ontario few times in the last two years, averaging 10 to 15 pounds. I fish a lot more lake Champlain (2 hours drive) and average 6 to 10 pounds. Lots of them in both lakes. Personally, I would take great care of it, I wish I had that kind of fishing closer from home. 

[Char_Master]

29 minutes ago, Crestliner1850 said:

Just like you lakers are my favorite species. I'm from Montreal, I fished lake Ontario few times in the last two years, averaging 10 to 15 pounds. I fish a lot more lake Champlain (2 hours drive) and average 6 to 10 pounds. Lots of them in both lakes. Personally, I would take great care of it, I wish I had that kind of fishing closer from home. 

Same here dude. Erie is the closest Laker fishery to me (about two hours north) and I'm up there probably 30-40 days a year on the bluewater and Tribs to feed the Char, Trout, and Drum addiction. I fished Lake O for the first time last July-August but we didn't find any lakers as we went out of Olcott (good Steelie fishing though). Aiming to fish Rochester for them 3-5 days this summer, that seems to be a good port for Lake Trout. Seems like I was the only guy up there last summer asking for Laker tips but putting next to no effort towards those Sammins' lol.

Edited May 12, 2017 by Char_Master

[Crestliner1850]

13 minutes ago, Char_Master said:

Same here dude. Erie is the closest Laker fishery to me (about two hours north) and I'm up there probably 30-40 days a year on the bluewater and Tribs to feed the Char, Trout, and Drum addiction. I fished Lake O for the first time last July-August but we didn't find any lakers as we went out of Olcott (good Steelie fishing though). Aiming to fish Rochester for them 3-5 days this summer, that seems to be a good port for Lake Trout. Seems like I was the only guy up there last summer asking for Laker tips but putting next to no effort towards those Sammins' lol.

Rochester basin is one of the best place for lakers on lake Ontario. Before you get there, get in touch with Gambler right here in LOU, he's the guy you want to talk to. He's from the area and has all the gear you need. He has a web site, google it gambler rigs.

[cabezon99]

41 minutes ago, Char_Master said:

Same here dude. Erie is the closest Laker fishery to me (about two hours north) and I'm up there probably 30-40 days a year on the bluewater and Tribs to feed the Char, Trout, and Drum addiction. I fished Lake O for the first time last July-August but we didn't find any lakers as we went out of Olcott (good Steelie fishing though). Aiming to fish Rochester for them 3-5 days this summer, that seems to be a good port for Lake Trout. Seems like I was the only guy up there last summer asking for Laker tips but putting next to no effort towards those Sammins' lol.

Both of these out of Olcott, right out front of 18 mile creek and about a mile east but it was in late April.  With the conditions on ontario I am going to pick up walleye fishing, 1st time for me as I am from west coast.  May do the same and swing out for some lakers if I am not catching anything as I am way more comfy fishing salmonids 

 

[Crestliner1850]

23 minutes ago, Crestliner1850 said:

Rochester basin is one of the best place for lakers on lake Ontario. Before you get there, get in touch with Gambler right here in LOU, he's the guy you want to talk to. He's from the area and has all the gear you need. He has a web site, google it gambler rigs.

Well just realized you already got all it takes ... garanteed success in Rochester with that. 

[Gill-T]

Agreed with what has been said so far.  I would add that when the DEC wants to net Lake Erie Lake Trout to study, they go out of Dunkirk, hit 90' and head west.  When I am two-timing i.e.. putting out baits that a walleye OR Laker would bite, I will run a silver-leaf spoon with a bait-holder style single hook tipped with a piece of nightcrawler.  

[Char_Master]

7 hours ago, Crestliner1850 said:

Rochester basin is one of the best place for lakers on lake Ontario. Before you get there, get in touch with Gambler right here in LOU, he's the guy you want to talk to. He's from the area and has all the gear you need. He has a web site, google it gambler rigs.

Glad to have that confirmed, seems like it's the summer Lake Trout Mecca of the lower Great Lakes. And yup I'm all geared up, got a couple cowbells/gamblers off of him last summer, In fact the "confusion" one caught my second largest fish of the season two weeks ago in 80-90 FOW in PA waters.

[Char_Master]

7 hours ago, cabezon99 said:

Both of these out of Olcott, right out front of 18 mile creek and about a mile east but it was in late April.  With the conditions on ontario I am going to pick up walleye fishing, 1st time for me as I am from west coast.  May do the same and swing out for some lakers if I am not catching anything as I am way more comfy fishing salmonids 

 

Nice ones! Yeah from what the locals were telling me there's tons of them April-mid June and again later in the Fall off Olcott, but they seem to congregate around the "Rochester basin" in the summer.

[Char_Master]

1 hour ago, Gill-T said:

Agreed with what has been said so far.  I would add that when the DEC wants to net Lake Erie Lake Trout to study, they go out of Dunkirk, hit 90' and head west.  When I am two-timing i.e.. putting out baits that a walleye OR Laker would bite, I will run a silver-leaf spoon with a bait-holder style single hook tipped with a piece of nightcrawler.  

Good to know, thanks! Can't say I fish eyes too much, though I certainly don't mind a bycatch one every week or two as dinner for the night :).

[jigstick]

Im not sure how much the ones we catch weigh.  Because I don't weigh them.  Heres a few that I actually have pictures of from over the past few years.  You can definitely have a good time on Erie fishing for lakers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

these were all caught in the Eastern basin, fishing between Barcelona and Dunkirk

Edited May 12, 2017 by jigstick

[Char_Master]

^ Nice ones! Looks like there's a good bit of Superior strain fish in NY waters, it's mainly Finger Lakes and Champlain fish in PA. This was our nicest fish last year, borderline central basin, 36" and around 23-25 pounds Michipicoten strain from 100' on the dot.

[GAMBLER]

Char Master, come to Sandy Creek in June. The laker fishing is insane. I can put you right on the fish when you come up.


Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United

[Char_Master]

13 minutes ago, GAMBLER said:

Char Master, come to Sandy Creek in June. The laker fishing is insane. I can put you right on the fish when you come up.


Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United

Much appreciated! Though I'll likely be busy all of June (in a good way). Doing some wreck diving the first couple weeks, maybe a day or two of Drum trolling, then a few days in NCPA wilderness for wild Brookies and finish out the month with a trip to Lake Superior for some offshore Laker fishing.

 

Is that area any good between mid July and early August? That's likely when I'll be able to make it up to Lake O this year. No matter when I have a feeling you'll be able to provide some excellent guidance, you seem to be the best Laker angler on this entire forum from what I've seen!

Edited May 12, 2017 by Char_Master

[GAMBLER]

All season that area is great.  Late August, the Sandy to Braddock Bay area has produced some huge lakers.  My boat took a 34.06 in 2012 and another 35lber was caught there two years ago. 

[Char_Master]

Thanks for the help, guys, we got some great fish today!

 

Rods in at 7:15, fish on in about 90 seconds on the green/blue/copper bells. 30" long I'd guess around 13-14 pounds (all fat fish today!). An hour went by before the next one but he was worth the wait, on the same rig, 33" and 18 pounds, our biggest fish of the season so far. Great fight, almost had him tangled in the wire Dipsy line though couldn't put the breaks on him, took a good 5 minutes to land after he was already behind the boat. Another fish on 5-10 minutes later, 28" on a dodger. Took three hours for the next fish, a nice 29" also on the dodger, well worth it. Bite shut down after that but it was an exciting morning and we'll be back to Dunkirk in July or August! For now, it's time for some PA Lakers for the next two weeks. Looking for that 30# record!

 

33" and 29" below

[Decoy Hound]

Nice fish Char_Master!