UTERYellow perch fishing in Lake Ontario
In Lake Ontario, yellow perch peak January–April and October and are around year-round, spawning in April, according to Fish Scouter's month-by-month season calendar. January: Salmon River, Oak Orchard and the Lower Niagara — egg sacs and beads; bay ice for perch.
No note for October — see the months around it.
Yellow perch in Lake Ontario, month by month
- JanuaryPeakWinter steelhead and browns in the tributaries. Salmon River, Oak Orchard and the Lower Niagara — egg sacs and beads; bay ice for perch.
- FebruaryPeakSteelhead in the rivers; perch through the bay ice. Drift beads in the Salmon River's pools; Sodus and Irondequoit bays for perch.
- MarchPeakSpring steelhead and the first nearshore browns. Browns in 8–12 feet off Olcott and the Niagara Bar on stickbaits; steelhead spawning upriver.
- AprilSpawning
- MayAround
- JuneAround
- JulyAround
- AugustAround
- SeptemberAround
- OctoberPeak
- NovemberAround
- DecemberAround
Where to fish yellow perch 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 yellow perch hold on.
What to use for yellow perch
- 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.
- Wax wormsOne or two on a tiny ice jig or a #10 hook for bluegill, perch and crappie, under the ice or a float.
- NightcrawlersWhole on a #6 to #2 hook under a bobber or on a bottom rig; threaded on a spinner harness drifted for walleye. The bait that catches everything in fresh water.
- Leader10–20 lb fluorocarbon
- Hook#2–3/0
- Jig head1/8–1/2 oz
- Braid10–30 lb
Feeds in 34–80°F water, best at 55–72°F.
Questions anglers ask
When is the best time to catch yellow perch in Lake Ontario?
Peak season is January–April and October, with fish spawning in April (often a closed or catch-and-release window — check the rule). Yellow perch are here year-round.
Where do yellow perch hold in Lake Ontario?
Look on lake, fishing pier, river — around Niagara Bar, Olcott, Rochester, Sodus Bay, Oswego, Pulaski.
What is the best bait for yellow perch in Lake Ontario?
Live bait: minnows (fatheads, shiners), wax worms, nightcrawlers. 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 yellow perch · Lake Ontario, the whole year