IceShanty.com's Ice Fishing Community
New York => Ice Fishing New York => Topic started by: aklimbing on Nov 14, 2009, 10:05 AM
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I'm planning on moving to the Ithaca area this spring and was wondering if the Finger Lakes freeze over? I have never had the opportunity to ice fish DEEP water and would love the chance to be able to catch some big Browns or Lakers. If the lakes don't freeze over, I really hope there are other lakes close by that do freeze. I love ice fishing, but don't like to have to drive far. If not, I don't think I'll last long in the area!!! Thanks Guys.
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They don't completely freeze over,but the North ends of them do I think.I am going to try Seneca South end this year around the docks,seen some big pike in there the past spring!!! :o
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Like CP said the ends freeze but not the middle with Cayuga and Seneca. Try Owasco, Canandaigua, Keuka, they freeze over completely most years.
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Honeoye, Conesus, Hemlock and Canadice almost always freeze over completely. Keuka, sometimes, Canandaigua very rarely, Seneca and Cayuga almost never.
The boys to the East will have to fill you in on the others.
RG
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Good to know!! I'm sure I'll figure out the area once I get there, but just curious about the ice fishing potential. Thanks
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The ice fishing potential is huge. You'll have a hard time deciding where to go.
Make the rounds, read the reports and conditions and have fun. If you have any questions on specifics, PM me. I'll be happy to help.
RG
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I am exactly a half hour South of Ithaca,spend most my time on the Susky chasing walleyes/pike!!!!You get a taste of that you might not want to ever fish lakes again.... ;D
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I'm planning on moving to the Ithaca area this spring and was wondering if the Finger Lakes freeze over? I have never had the opportunity to ice fish DEEP water and would love the chance to be able to catch some big Browns or Lakers. If the lakes don't freeze over, I really hope there are other lakes close by that do freeze. I love ice fishing, but don't like to have to drive far. If not, I don't think I'll last long in the area!!! Thanks Guys.
if you want to icefish DEEP water go to beltzville. used to fish around the power lines. tiger muskys, brown trout, stripers
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Glad to be getting all this info back. I fished Beltsville a couple times, but it is not that great. All the guys I know have not been catching anything there in the past three years. But thanks anyway. Just reading about the potential the area (NY) has is getting the blood pumping. Thank you everyone for info.
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I live about 15 min north of ithaca in groton. when you get to town send me a pm and I can let you know some spots.
The south end of cayuga freezes over late and I see some people out there but I have never gone there so I don't know conditions. North end freezes good for perch, pickerel, gills. seneca doesn't do much from my understanding. owasco has good ice when it forms, lots of possibilities. Otisco freezes early on the north end for gills and tigers.
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Hemlock and Canadice will give you a shot at some good trout and usually freeze over every year. They are not far from the Wayland exit off I-390.
Good luck.
Norm
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Born and Raised in Ithaca, saw it freeze once, Cayuga lake that is, I think 1976-77!!! Great year round open water Fishery! Everybody I grew up with Fishes Owasco Lake for deep water lakers and a small lake called cayuta lake for perch and eyes, locals call it Little lake! Going to be a tough year getting Owasco frozen with the El Nino though! TONS OF FISHING in the ITHACA area!!!!!!! ENJOY!
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I would stick to the smaller of the Finger lakes they freeze totally and are smaller and easier to navigate
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WOW!!! Thanks for all the info guys! Now I can't wait to move to the area. Eyes are far and few between here and landing a big laker is almost impossible unless I'm willing to drive really far and even then they are supper tough to come by. Looking forward to the move. I will definitely PM the guys that offered. I love this site and think its time to become a member. :)
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I think that they all do freeze over. They are smaller than lake Winni and lake Winni is 75 square miles.
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Z shack, not true, area does not matter, it's depth! That why Lake Erie ices over but the other Great Lakes do not. Seneca Lake the deepest Finger Lake at over 800 feet does not freeze over!
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Seneca Lake max. depth is 618 feet and not over 800 as I reported previously. sorry for that mistake. It's mean depth is 291 feet!
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I think i remember reading a while back that seneca lake has only ever frozen over solid 2 times in a hundred years ..... I do know dec reports max depth at 618 feet but i have marked depths at 639 feet with my fish finder ... bottom line tournament series 3600 and I know its a pretty accurate machine .I also recall hearing a radio show done local with peoples stories of skating the length of the lake and crossing the lakes with horse and sleighs...back in the early 1900. Wish i could find the stories some place was really neat to hear them.
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This thread got me to looking around the web and i found this link
http://campus.hws.edu/NEW/pss/lake/lake-cs7.html (http://campus.hws.edu/NEW/pss/lake/lake-cs7.html)
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Good stuff!!! Most years the Lake is always open as far as the eye can see, 30 miles on a clear day! Get lake effect snow bands off it up on east hill, seneca too!!!!! Alot of steam, can't ice fish on Steam though!! Some very cold years like last year, get a mile of ice at south end if your lucky! It freeze's over good on the top end 35-40 miles north of Ithaca! Cayuga is well over 400 feet deep!!
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Yes they do and I fished Keuka Lake the first time the South end froze in 50 yrs. and slammed the Jumbo Perch!
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dont forget waneta and lamoka are down that way to i've heard a few rumors about some fish in those lakes
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I grew up near Dresden. Seneca lake has frozen over in certain areas 2 times in 100 years. My grandmother GOD rest her soul skated on it when she was a teenager. She was born in 1896. You do the math. Stick with the info here and you'll survive the season..... And maybe catch some nice fish. Good Luck..............
Kim :tipup: :icefish: