UTERLandlocked Atlantic salmon fishing in Lake Ontario
In Lake Ontario, landlocked Atlantic salmon peak April–May and September–October and are around April–November, spawning in October, according to Fish Scouter's month-by-month season calendar. April: Troll shallow for browns; drift the Bar for spring kings from late April.
Tail of the salmon run; browns and steelhead follow; St. Lawrence muskie. Brown trout and steelhead behind the spawning kings; big muskie on the St. Lawrence and the Niagara.
Landlocked Atlantic salmon in Lake Ontario, month by month
- JanuaryNot here
- FebruaryNot here
- MarchNot here
- AprilPeakBrowns and coho nearshore; Niagara Bar kings arrive. Troll shallow for browns; drift the Bar for spring kings from late April.
- MayPeakNiagara Bar kings; browns and coho everywhere shallow. The Bar and the river mouths — spoons and plugs in the warmer brown water.
- JuneAround
- JulyAround
- AugustAround
- SeptemberPeakThe Salmon River run peaks. Pulaski — egg sacs and flies in the pools; Atlantics in the run too.
- OctoberSpawningTail of the salmon run; browns and steelhead follow; St. Lawrence muskie. Brown trout and steelhead behind the spawning kings; big muskie on the St. Lawrence and the Niagara.
- NovemberAround
- DecemberNot here
Where to fish landlocked Atlantic salmon near Niagara Bar, Olcott, Rochester
The trophy salmon lake: the Niagara Bar's spring kings, open-lake trolling for kings, coho, steelhead and lakers, the Salmon River at Pulaski with the biggest run on the lakes, the Oswego and the Lower Niagara for winter steelhead and browns, and the eastern basin's smallmouth around Henderson Harbor and the St. Lawrence.
Fish Scouter charts 31 lake spots in the Lake Ontario map area — the kinds landlocked Atlantic salmon hold on.
What to use for landlocked Atlantic salmon
- Minnows (fatheads, shiners)Hooked lightly through the lips or behind the dorsal on a #6 to #2 hook under a slip bobber for crappie, perch and walleye; a big golden shiner on a 2/0 to 4/0 for largemouth, pike and stripers.
- Leader10–20 lb fluorocarbon
- Hook#2–3/0
- Jig head1/8–1/2 oz
- Braid10–30 lb
Feeds in 36–64°F water, best at 46–58°F.
Questions anglers ask
When is the best time to catch landlocked Atlantic salmon in Lake Ontario?
Peak season is April–May and September–October, with fish spawning in October (often a closed or catch-and-release window — check the rule). Landlocked Atlantic salmon are in Lake Ontario April–November.
Where do landlocked Atlantic salmon hold in Lake Ontario?
Look on lake, river — around Niagara Bar, Olcott, Rochester, Sodus Bay, Oswego, Pulaski.
What is the best bait for landlocked Atlantic salmon in Lake Ontario?
Live bait: minnows (fatheads, shiners). Minnows (fatheads, shiners): Hooked lightly through the lips or behind the dorsal on a #6 to #2 hook under a slip bobber for crappie, perch and walleye; a big golden shiner on a 2/0 to 4/0 for largemouth, pike and stripers. Tackle: leader 10–20 lb fluorocarbon, hook #2–3/0, jig head 1/8–1/2 oz, braid 10–30 lb.
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All about landlocked Atlantic salmon · Lake Ontario, the whole year