UTERWhite perch fishing in Lake Ontario
In Lake Ontario, white perch peak May–September and are around April–October, spawning in May, according to Fish Scouter's month-by-month season calendar. June: Downriggers on the temperature breaks; tubes on Henderson Harbor's shoals (check DEC's opener).
No note for October — see the months around it.
White perch in Lake Ontario, month by month
- JanuaryNot here
- FebruaryNot here
- MarchNot here
- AprilAround
- MaySpawning
- JunePeakKings go offshore; smallmouth season opens on the eastern basin. Downriggers on the temperature breaks; tubes on Henderson Harbor's shoals (check DEC's opener).
- JulyPeakOpen-lake kings and summer steelhead. Spoons and flasher-flies over the thermocline; steelhead high in the water column offshore.
- AugustPeak
- SeptemberPeak
- OctoberAround
- NovemberNot here
- DecemberNot here
Where to fish white 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.
What to use for white perch
- Grass shrimpTwo or three on a #6 hook under a small cork — the bream, crappie, sheepshead and mangrove snapper bait nobody sells.
- BloodwormsA piece threaded on a #2 to 2/0 hook on a hi-lo or fish-finder rig — the striper, spot, croaker and white perch bait of the Chesapeake and the surf.
- 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.
- Leader20–40 lb fluorocarbon
- Hook#1–4/0
- Jig head1/8–1/2 oz
- Braid10–30 lb
Feeds in 44–84°F water, best at 56–76°F.
Questions anglers ask
When is the best time to catch white perch in Lake Ontario?
Peak season is May–September, with fish spawning in May (often a closed or catch-and-release window — check the rule). White perch are in Lake Ontario April–October.
Where do white perch hold in Lake Ontario?
Look on fishing pier, bridge, creek / stream, river — around Niagara Bar, Olcott, Rochester, Sodus Bay, Oswego, Pulaski.
What is the best bait for white perch in Lake Ontario?
Live bait: grass shrimp, bloodworms, minnows (fatheads, shiners). Grass shrimp: Two or three on a #6 hook under a small cork — the bream, crappie, sheepshead and mangrove snapper bait nobody sells. Tackle: leader 20–40 lb fluorocarbon, hook #1–4/0, jig head 1/8–1/2 oz, braid 10–30 lb.
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