Lake Ontario

Lake fishing New York · 05:29 - 20:56

Lake Ontario is a lake in New York. The fish here are ranked by weather, water temperature and season, see the likely catch below.

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Conditions right now

Weather

Partly cloudy

Water temp (est.)

67°F

Air temp

56°F

Wind

11 mph

Pressure

29.7 inHg → stable

Clouds

66.0%

Water temperature is an estimate based on weather and season.

Updated 2026-06-17 14:55

Best times today

Dusk 19:41–21:41 Night 21:41–04:44

Local time at the spot, from the most likely species' daily rhythm.

Next hours

08:00

56°

09:00

55°

10:00

56°

11:00

56°

12:00

57°

13:00

58°

14:00

58°

15:00

58°

16:00

59°

17:00

60°

18:00

61°

19:00

61°

Likely catch now (17 species)

Common Carp

Common Carp

Cyprinus carpio

14%

Active through the night, water near its preferred 19 degrees, peak season.

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Flathead Catfish

Flathead Catfish

Pylodictis olivaris

14%

Active through the night, peak season.

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Blue Catfish

Blue Catfish

Ictalurus furcatus

14%

Active through the night, water near its preferred 19 degrees, peak season, a fishy ripple on the water.

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Channel Catfish

Channel Catfish

Ictalurus punctatus

13%

Active through the night, peak season, a fishy ripple on the water.

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Walleye

Walleye

Sander vitreus

9%

Active through the night, water near its preferred 19 degrees, overcast lifts the bite.

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Muskellunge

Muskellunge

Esox masquinongy

5%

Slow during the night, water near its preferred 19 degrees, peak season, a fishy ripple on the water.

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Smallmouth Bass

Smallmouth Bass

Micropterus dolomieu

4%

Slow during the night, water near its preferred 19 degrees, peak season, a fishy ripple on the water.

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Largemouth Bass

Largemouth Bass

Micropterus salmoides

4%

Slow during the night, water near its preferred 19 degrees, peak season.

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Brook Trout

Brook Trout

Salvelinus fontinalis

4%

Slow during the night, peak season.

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Brown Trout

Brown Trout

Salmo trutta

4%

Slow during the night, peak season.

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Striped Bass

Striped Bass

Morone saxatilis

3%

Slow during the night, water near its preferred 19 degrees, a fishy ripple on the water.

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Black Crappie

Black Crappie

Pomoxis nigromaculatus

3%

Slow during the night, water near its preferred 19 degrees.

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Northern Pike

Northern Pike

Esox lucius

2%

Slow during the night, a fishy ripple on the water.

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Bluegill

Bluegill

Lepomis macrochirus

2%

Slow during the night, water near its preferred 19 degrees, peak season.

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Rainbow Trout

Rainbow Trout

Oncorhynchus mykiss

2%

Slow during the night.

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White Bass

White Bass

Morone chrysops

2%

Slow during the night, water near its preferred 19 degrees, a fishy ripple on the water.

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Lake Trout

Lake Trout

Salvelinus namaycush

1%

Slow during the night.

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About the fishing here

Lake Ontario is a lake in New York.

Popular catches here include Common Carp, Flathead Catfish, Blue Catfish, Channel Catfish, Walleye and Muskellunge.

Common Carp fishing is usually best around Jun-Aug. The best windows are usually dusk and night.

A state fishing license is required to fish here. Napp ranks the species above from the live weather, water temperature, season and time of day, so the order changes through the day.

Tips right now

Technique Start with a ledger bait for common carp, the most likely catch right now.

Timing This is a prime window for common carp at night. Fish hard now.

Lure Ledger bait for common carp: Boilies or corn.

Colour Clear water and good light: try natural, gold and bronze for common carp.

Depth The water temperature suits the fish. Fish actively at normal depths and edges.

Fishing permit

A state fishing license is required to fish here. Licenses are issued by each state:

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About this water

Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north, west, and southwest by the Canadian province of Ontario, and on the south and east by the U.S. state of New York. The Canada–United States border spans the centre of the lake. On the Canadian side, the major cities are Kingston, Mississauga, Toronto, Hamilton, and St. Catharines. On the American side, the major cities are Rochester and Watertown.

Read more on Wikipedia →

Map

More waters nearby

Oak Orchard State Marine Park New York · 27.5 mi away Conesus Lake Boat Launch New York · 67.6 mi away Canandaigua Lake State Marine Park New York · 69.2 mi away Big Six Mile Creek Marina New York · 71.2 mi away Mexico Point Boat Launch New York · 87.7 mi away Lodi Point State Park New York · 95.2 mi away Conewango Creek Pennsylvania · 141.7 mi away Conewango Creek Pennsylvania · 143.4 mi away

Common questions

What fish can you catch at Lake Ontario?

Popular catches here include Common Carp, Flathead Catfish, Blue Catfish, Channel Catfish, Walleye, Muskellunge, Smallmouth Bass and Largemouth Bass.

Do you need a fishing license at Lake Ontario?

Yes. A state fishing license is required; see the link on this page for the state's rules.

When is the best time to fish Lake Ontario?

Common Carp fishing is usually best around Jun-Aug. The best windows are usually dusk and night.

What is biting at Lake Ontario right now?

Right now Common Carp is the most likely catch, at about 14%.