Lake Cayuga © BGS

About the Lake:

Hands down, Cayuga is still the best of the finger lakes. Cayuga is the largest of New York's 11 finger lakes. Named from the Cayuga Indians, one of the five nations of the Iroquois, this natural lake is 40 miles long and 3 miles across at its widest point. It is also very deep with depths approaching 400 feet on the southern end. Cayuga is also a part of the New York State Barge Canal System which connects it to the St. Lawrence Seaway. So if you don't like the fishing on Cayuga you can head through the locks and give it a go. Zebra Mussels have invaded the lake and have cleared the water dramatically.

When, Where and with What to fish:

The northern end of Cayuga is definitely home to the largemouth and the southern end the smallie. If you are targeting the largemouth up north I'd concentrate on flipping the boat docks, spinnerbaiting the big willow trees, and jigging and worming the massive weedbed flats. If you want to go after the smallies the jerkbaits, spinnerbaits and jigs work well. Rat-l-traps work good on the riprap near the railroad bridges. The topwater bite can also be impressive when conditions are right. In fact, Poe lure company made a topwater especially for the finger lakes region called the "Jackpot". This bait resembles the sawbellies which is the main forage in the lake. Smallmouth fishing is best from August to November.

Where to stay:

Contact the New York Dept. of tourism @ (800) 225-5697

Guide Service:

If you want a good guide, hire Bill Albright. Bill has been fishing Cayuga for years and runs his tournaments there. He knows the lake well.

Maps:
Visit the Maps page for a good Cayuga Lake map.

Want some additional information on the Finger Lakes including Lake Cayuga?...Click Here!