Cisco/Lake Herring in Upstate NY

[CommanderCisco]

Hello all -

I'm interested to hear where folks are catching cisco (aka lake herring or tullibee) in NY. We've already heard several reports of people catching them in Sodus Bay this year, and Port Bay as well. They can also be found in some inland lakes, like Tully Lake and Lake George.

I'm part of a group of USGS/Fish & Wildlife/DEC/Cornell folks working on cisco in Lake Ontario. We had a good year class of cisco in 2013 that are about 12" now that have been moving into bays around eastern Lake Ontario. Reports from you all are super useful, and help us figure out where to look in the fall when they come back to spawn.

And if you do catch them, they're delicious smoked!

So please, share your stories and photos! Here's one from Chaumont Bay this past December:



If you're interested in learning more about cisco, we post research updates & info on Twitter at @greatlakescisco.

[Nnyiceman26]

Lake Bonaparte harrisville ny caught a few of them 4 years ago

[bgaffney]

Millsite Lake

[RedWasp311]

st Lawrence river in Ogdensburg

[jt13077]

Tully lake, 2015.  I’ve caught 3

[New Old Guy]

Yo Commander,

 Thanks for putting a little background to the Cisco catch and I.D. controversy developing on another thread. Whimsically perhaps , I posted the Oh Poncho ... oh Cisco  TV trailer from the 50's when I was a mere lad. This was followed by a full blown video posted by my good friend Jperch. All is well .... if... it ends well. Such seems to be the case . You have given us all an education and appreciation of the species we would not have had not for your replies and postings.

You said you were interested in the catch locations and size of the Cisco catch. I briefly mentioned a good friend and I fishing for perch off of Cherry island in the fall of 2016 were beset by what must have been a running school of these dart like fish. I mention this as that is exactly how they appeared on our fish finder. While we were fishing for some larger sized perch in deeper  (45-50 fow)  the Cisco's would race in to take the bait both on the way down and on the way up, seldom on the bottom. This continued through out the afternoon to the point they were interfering significantly with our perch bite.

Through out a 4 hour period my partner and I encountered (19) such interventions varying in size from 12 inches all the way up to 20 inches. The average was over 16 inches, so I doubt they were the stocked Cisco's you mentioned in your other post, more likely native. Is that a good assumption? Further, this year, I did not have the same luck while fishing for larger perch at that same location, but did encounter  (2) 12 to 14 inch Cisco's during that same period during the 2nd week of October 2017.

Lastly, as you mentioned I did bring 2 of the Cisco's with the very intent of smoking them . I used a common salt brown sugar and cider brine to soak them over night, unfortunately, my smoker got more hot than generated smoke. They were too crispy (cooked) and i really didn't get  to enjoy the flavor or consistency of the species. I would note they are very boney. I will try again next season. Thank you for all your information on the Cisco fish populations in Lake Ontario and elsewhere. I hope this is the type of information you were looking for.

Boggey

[bigredonice]

Chaumont was loaded with them last year, no reason to believe it isn't this year also

[wnyicer]

16 inch sodus bay 1-20-18

[Clint S]

I got one today 14 inches or so at Sandy Pond

[T-Rok]

Tully lake is small but the Cisco can be pretty big. Deep water straight north off the parking area or to the left on the west side. There is a big hole over there that they hang in. I've never caught one in less than 20 fow. I've seen some caught in less. But it's rare.

[fishy1]

lake champlain has a good number of cisco and big ones to. some of the salmon trollers have caught them 16 inches long . i caught one trolling last year took a quick pic and released it had to be 15 inches. been trying to locate the pic to put it on the reply. also paradox lake holds some nice cisco. my mother used to pickle them back in the 1960,s and 70,s  very good. guess ill have to try them smoked.

[trapper2000]

herring at least ocean herring suck!  boney as can be ....and I wouldn't pickle a fresh watwe fish without freezing it first ....why waste your time on a big minnow ......only thing herring are good for is cut bait rigs

[fishy1]

herring at least ocean herring suck!  boney as can be ....and I wouldn't pickle a fresh watwe fish without freezing it first ....why waste your time on a big minnow ......only thing herring are good for is cut bait rigs

matter of taste i guess my mother pickled them and they were great. also had them out of the stores not bad either. 

[Longlegg]

I use to catch Cisco in Millsite but since someone put in smelt I haven't heard much about them. I do occasionally catch whitefish in Lake Ontario.

[T-Rok]

herring at least ocean herring suck!  boney as can be ....and I wouldn't pickle a fresh watwe fish without freezing it first ....why waste your time on a big minnow ......only thing herring are good for is cut bait rigs

Man, they would make some good cut bait I bet. I used to like using rudd for cut bait but I don't do much catfish fishing anymore. I never tried eating a herring or a bunker or any baitfish and I certainly wouldn't start by trying Cisco. They are something different to catch but I only get them on accident. I wouldn't bother targeting them.
 

[bigfish1212]

The next time I get some big ones they are supposed to be pretty good. They aren't actually a herring they are related to salmon and are supposed to be a really mild white fish.

[filetandrelease]

http://The term cisco is also specifically used of the North American species Coregonus artedi, also known as lake herring.
 

[trapper2000]

well if they taste like herring or like salmon ,I don't like  em ... i'll stick with perch and gills

[bigfish1212]

http://The term cisco is also specifically used of the North American species Coregonus artedi, also known as lake herring.

Yeah I was just stating that it is a bit confusing because they aren't actually a herring.

[Lucky13]

"Herring are forage fish, mostly belonging to the family Clupeidae.

Also, a number of other species are called herrings, which may be related to clupeids or just share some characteristics of herrings (such as the lake herring, which is a salmonid).

Freshwater whitefish - Lake herring (cisco) - Coregonus artedi Lesueur, 1818"   -Wikipedia

The herring from the Atlantic are different than Alewife in Lake Ontario, and I agree that Atlantic Herring pickled are great tasting, but you have to have a taste for pickled fish, and they are oilier than the perch and sunfish.   I've only had Whitefish once and it was not far from haddock in flavor, a kind of bland to sweet white flaky fish. Since it was in a restaurant, it could have come from anywhere, but I have heard that Cisco is similar.

[trapper2000]

alewives are not native to the great lakes they come from the alantic ocean

[Fontona19]

Man, they would make some good cut bait I bet. I used to like using rudd for cut bait but I don't do much catfish fishing anymore. I never tried eating a herring or a bunker or any baitfish and I certainly wouldn't start by trying Cisco. They are something different to catch but I only get them on accident. I wouldn't bother targeting them.

Ever eat smelt? The Rolls Royce of baitfish. Nature's fish stick!

[FishnChef]

St lawrence river massena 13"er

[T-Rok]

That's funny. I never really got into eating smelt. Tried them but not a big fan. But they make great bait. Especially pike bait...and laker bait. I used to catch them and freeze them. Also they are kinda pita to clean if you do want to eat them. I only tried Cisco once and didn't like it. Never tried eating any other baitfish.

[bigfish1212]

That's funny. I never really got into eating smelt. Tried them but not a big fan. But they make great bait. Especially pike bait...and laker bait. I used to catch them and freeze them. Also they are kinda pita to clean if you do want to eat them. I only tried Cisco once and didn't like it. Never tried eating any other baitfish.

Smelt are as easy as it gets snip off the head cut the belly and wipe out the guts. A pair of scissors is your best friend. And the tails are the best part like fish potato chips.

[Lucky13]

alewives are not native to the great lakes they come from the alantic ocean

True dat!

[Cornseed]

Got about a 16 inch Cisco in Tully fishing deep water a few weeks ago.

[fishy1]

Lake whitefish are similar in appearance to other whitefishes in the Coregoninae subfamily of the salmon family Salmonidae, such as the northern cisco (Corgenous artedi). As with all salmonids, they have an adipose fin.[4] To the distinction from cisco, the lake whitefish has a snout which overhangs the short lower jaw, so that the mouth opens in a slightly inferior position. Thus the fish can feed on the bottom of lake beds or grab food particulates out of the water or from the surface of a water body. The cisco in turn has a short snout with a lower jaw that extends beyond the snout. Both the cisco and lake whitefish are discernible from the mooneye due to the small posterior dorsal adipose fin.[5] Another notable feature of the lake whitefish is the presence of two small flaps in each nostril.[6] Their coloration is typically silver to white with an olive to pale-green or brown dorsal hues. The ventral fins are white and the tail has a dark posterior edge.[2] The tail fin of the lake whitefish is severely forked, making it a fast swimmer.

Lake whitefish from inland lakes can reach a weight upwards of 5 pounds (2,300 g) (the largest Lake Whitefish caught on rod and reel is 15pounds 6 oz from Clear Lake Ontario Canada on May 21, 1983 by Chris T. D. Webster according to the Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame in Hayward Wis USA]]).[7][not in citation given] On average, the lake whitefish weighs only 4 pounds. They can grow to 31 inches (79 cm) and commonly reach 20 inches (51 cm).[6]

Life history

[woodburn]

Want some really interesting reading. Try Death and Life of the Great Lakes. The history of the fishery alone is phenomenal. 

[jlaclair]

Not trying to hijack this thread, but i am interested in catching cisco. I read mention of millsite a couple times, i have been interested in fishing this lake and lake of the woods for several years now. Any suggestions? Thanks