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RIVER REPORT

September 19th 2000- The people that are still plying the River are coming up with some nice Bass. Fishing Guides this last week or so are reporting great catches of Bass and Northerns. Bass fishing has been best in 15 to 25 feet. Near weeds has also been Key in finding Bigger Bass. Many people are drifting along the edges of the weeds as tight as they can and that has made a big difference in the size of the Bass. This as also yielded some dandy northerns. There is scattered weed beds all over the River But some Hotter Spots have been Backside Grindstone Island, Ironsides Island, Deer Island and Picton Island. Pike have also been concentrated near these Spots. Other spots to try for Pike would outSide of Eel Bay, Bluff Island and Hinkley Flats. Carleton Island area has also produced some Pike to the Trollers. Bass are being caught with Minnows and 4 inch worms. Small Bucktails (1/4oz.) and Rattle Traps are also raking them in. Pike have been hammering Bucktail Jigs(1/2oz.) and Yo-Zuri Sinking Minnows. Perch fishing is starting to pick up around the River also. Basically catching them all over from what I have heard. 20 to 35 feet for the bigger Perch. Minnows will work best. In particular I would suggest Pine Island, Buck Bay and Chippewa Point. Muskys have still failed to show there face yet. There has been little pressure on them so far. A few guys are out trying but many won't get hyped up til October. Walleyes are up and down still. They are still hangin around the Eagle Wings and the South Shore of Grindstone. Keewaydin State Park is also a good spot to fish for Walleyes this late in the year. They are catching a few Walleyes trolling the North Shore of Wolfe Island and up around Kingston. Stickbaits way back have best (150-200Ft.)

August 29th 2000- Things around the river lately have been busy. Fishing has really picked up the last week or so and the Bass and Pike are really on the hit. Bigger and Bigger Bass are being caught daily. These Bass are really not that deep for this time of year. The best Smallmouth fishing has been in 20 to 30 feet of water. Fishing near Deeper water and near current has produced the best on Big Bass. Places like Chapmans Shoal, Eagle Wings, Quebec Head and Bluff Island have been best. Crabs and minnows are reeking havoc on bass right now along with smoke colored tubes and 1/2 ounce Rattle Traps (Silver). Pike fishing has also been real good to some people fishing along the Palisades, Fishers Landing, Oak Island and Krings Point. Bucktail Jigs are the hottest as is CD-9 Rapalas and Sinking Yo-Zuris in natural colors. Look for Pike in 15 to 25 feet on the edges of the weeds and near structure. Early morning and Late evening has been best. Cape Vincent area around Carleton Island is also reporting good Pike fishing right now. Walleyes took a while to get to the humps around Clayton and Alex Bay but as of the last few days I think the walleyes have found them. Good catches of Walleye have been taken from Carleton Island to Fishers Landing. Some Guys this week were catching 4-8 Walleyes a evening. It has been consistent within the last few days so thats a good sign that this fishing will stay for a little while. The best thing to do now is grab a River Chart of Clayton to Alex Bay and hit the shoals and humps near the Channel poking a 5/8 or 3/4 ounce Dark colored Bucktail Jig with half a worm. Stay in 18 to 35 feet of water near STRUCTURE. Some guys are also catching Walleyes on Green Erie Dearies and Dixie Spinners. Musky fishing is coming near within the next couple weeks. Alot of the Guides are predicting a good year and maybe even a 50 pounder.

August 9th 2000- Things are starting to get stable on the River lately. Pike fishing has been steadily getting better and the Bass are also getting in their normal summer patterns. Pike are hitting the best on the backside of Wolfe Island near Holliday Bay and Oak Point, Round Island and around Canoe Point and Eel Bay. Bucktail Jigs and Live Minnows have been best. Water depth has ranged from 14 feet to 26,27 feet. Trolling has also been HIGHLY productive. Bomber Long A's in Black/Silver and Blue/Silver have been good colors. Yo-Zuris have also yielded Pike. The Bass are cooperating a bit better lately in anywhere from 15 to 35 feet of water near the Channel shoals. Crabs have been hot along with minnows and Tube Jigs. Some spots to try would be Quebec Head, 40 acres, Halfway Rock and Chapmans Shoal. Walleye fishing has been picky. 1-3 Walleyes are being caught regularly but haven't seen the big bite yet. Many of the guys fishing them are saying the Walleyes they are catching are BIG (8-10lbs.) Rock Island, Spectacles, and 40 Acres are producing the most action. Black 1/2 to 3/4 ounce Bucktails tipped with Nightcrawlers or Leeches have been best. Heard over the weekend that they were getting Walleyes trolling the 25 to 40 foot depth along the Palisades just West of Clayton. Largemouth have continued to keep people busy up around Wolfe Island and over around Kingston. Also try Chippewa Bay and the backside of Grindstone Island. Hot Baits have been Jig and pigs, Suspending Rogues(Clown) and White Spinnerbaits have really been tearing them up. Early Morning has been best. Topwater has also worked early and Late in the day.

July 31st 2000- Fishing over the last week or so has been productive. The Alex Bay section of the river has produced some real good catches of both Pike and Bass. Bass have been favoring crabs over minnows lately. he area around Manhattan Group and The mid channel shoals all the way to Chippewa Bay have produced some good Bass. Other local hot spots for Bass have been Black Ant Island, Quebec Head, Jolly Island and Swiftwater Point. Depths have ranged from 18 to 45 feet. Tubes and Grubs on a 1/4 or 1/2 ounce Jighead have produced some good fish also. The "TRICK" lately has been casting deep-billed crankbaits over deeper water for the active suspending Bass. Baits like a Rapala Risto Rap and Berkley Frenzy's have been killers. Pike have been a little more difficult. The hottest technique has been trolling with lead core line and a stickbait. Other people are getting them jigging near the edge of weedbeds and deep water drop-offs. Casting Rattle Traps and sinking Yo-Zuri's have also been good. Some spots lately for Pike have been Picton Island Channel, The area around Boldt Castle and Deer Island. The trolling has taken place around the Palisades and Round Island. The Walleyes have been caught jigging the last couple hours and the first 2 hours of the day. 1/2 to 3/4 ounce Jigs depending on the depth and current tipped with a worm have been best. Spots to try have been 40 acres, Pine Island and Eagle Wings. Anchor the boat on the shallow side of the humps and drag your Jigs along the face of the structure for the best results. Largemouth have been real slow the last 2 - 3 weeks but as of lately have really been turned on. The bays around Wolfe Island have been real Hot! Power Craws and Spinnerbaits have been best. The depth has ranged anywhere from 8 to 20 feet in and around the edge of the structure.

July 18th 2000- The Bass have started to head for deeper water. Fishing this last week has been the best near 20 feet. The Pike are also being hauled in at near 20 feet. Surface temperatures are now right at 70 degrees or there abouts. Crabs are starting to rule the hooks of the bait fisherman and on the artificial side its 3 1/2 inch Tube jigs fished with a 1/4 ounce jig head. For Pike its been Bucktail Jigs tipped with black worms. Some good spots for Bass have been Wolfe Island Cut, 40 acre Shoal, Chapmans Shoal, Ironsides Island and Jordstadt Island. Fish these spots from 15 to 25 feet. Pike have been hitting at Carleton Island, Palisades, Grasse Point(Vanderbilt Island), Krings Point and Cedar Island. Also try Spoons and Rapalas for the PIke. Pike have ranged from 12 to 30 feet with right around 20 the best depth. Perch are staying in 30 feet plus. You will catch smaller perch all over But in Excess of 30 feet is where you will find the Big load. Fish around the Iron Man at Carleton Island and Pine Island . The Walleyes are starting to get better. This past week has seen a increase in Walleyes being taken. Mostly right at dusk but with persistence you can catch them during the day. Fish in 18 to 30 feet around Rock Island, Little Round Island and the Eagle Wings. 1/2 and 5/8 ounce Bucktail Jigs in dark Colors tipped with a worm or leeches.

July 10th 2000- The fishing has been fairly steady the last week or so on Bass and Pike. The alwives have finally come in to spawn and that has really spurred the fish into a feeding frenzy. Pike fishing especially has really bounced to life. With a bait fish spawn it gets the bass and pike to come into less than 10 feet of water especially in early morning and late in the day towards evening. Some good Smallmouth spots the last few days have been Oak Island, Krings Point, Deer Island, Canadian Channel, Backside of Grindstone Island and along the Palisades. Tube Jigs and 5 inch Kalins still continue to produce the majority of fish on the artificial side along with minnows and crabs. Nightcrawlers have also been highly productive. The magic depths have been from 5ft. out to 30 feet. Northern Pike fishing has been good at Heart Island, Ironsides Island, Blind Bay, Picton Island, Aunt Janes Bay and Carleton Island. Bucktail Jigs and Suspending Jerkbaits have accounted for many of the fish. Fish between 10 and 25 feet of water and watch for splashing bait if the conditions are right. Edges of the weedbeds has also been a major key to success. Perch fishing has been real steady at Cape Vincent. 15 to 40 feet of water depending on the day and conditions has produced alot of the fish. Carleton Island, Linda Island and Picton Island Channel has been the best fishing. The walleyes are just starting to hit a bit better this week. A few were taken at the Eagle Wings over the weekend just before dark on 1/2 ounce bucktail jigs tipped with worms in 22 feet of water near the deep water. Getting up on top of the humps and throwing to deep water was best. Also, Rock Island Light and Calumet Island yielded a couple also. This should start to pick up good in the next few days.

 

June 26th 2000- Bass Season has got off to a fairly good start despite some impressions that the bass are not spawning due to cold water. This past weekend there were many reports of Bass that have spawned out and the males are the only one fish left in the shallows. The best depth has been 20 to 30 feet. Some good spots have been Eagle Wings, Blanket Shoals, Maple Island, Fishers Landing, Deer Island and Krings Point. Minnows have worked best along with 5 inch Kalins and Rattle Traps. Largemouth fishing was also good the last 2 weeks. The majority of Largemouths seem to be in less than 10 feet of water. The hotspots have been most of the Bays around Grindstone Island, French Creek, Lake of the Isles and Chippewa Bay. Spinnerbaits, 7 Inch worms and Rapala Husky Jerks have taken the most fish. Northern Pike have been in some what of a transition from shallow water to deeper water over the last few days. Many of the pike being caught now are anywhere from 15 to 35 feet. Minnows have taken a big share of fish along with Bucktail Jigs and Spinnerbaits. Some spots to fish would be Chippewa Bay, Goose Bay, Picton Island Channel, Wolfe Island and Linda Island(Cedar Point). The water temperatures have finally started to warm and that has helped get the fishing goin a bit better now.

 

June 13th 2000- The 2000 bass season kicks off this Saturday June 17th in New York State. The way the spring has gone it looks like the bass are gonna be in real tight to shore in anywhere from 4 to 15 feet of water. The water temperature on the river has been ranging from 54 degrees in the channel to 63-64 degrees back in shallow water. Some real good opening weekend spots for small mouth bass are Chippewa Bay, Oak Island, Krings Point, Heart Island, Manhattan Group, Point Vivian, Cobb Shoal, Niagara Shoal, Fishers Landing(Reed Point), Bluff Island, Pine Island, Eagle Wings, Blanket Shoals, Quebec Head and Featherbed Shoals. Many people will be using minnows and crabs fished on the bottom. For artificials try 5 inch Kalins(smoke),Tube Jigs(smoke), Rattle Traps, Foxee Jigs and Rapalas(#5 or #7). For the Largemouth some good spots are Chippewa Creek, Goose Bay,Swan Bay,Lake of the Isles, Blind Bay, French Creek and Wolfe Island. These fish will too be in shallow water of probably not more than 12 feet. Some good artificials are Storm Chug Bugs, 7 inch Power Worms(Black), Smithwick Rogues and Spinnerbaits. The pike fishing remains good with many of the pike in less than 10 feet of water. The guys fishing now are producing the best near shore with either topwater baits or spinnerbaits(White) and the ones fishing a bit off shore are getting them on 1/4 or 3/8 ounce Bucktail Jigs. Some good spots lately have been Blind Bay, Eel Bay and Chippewa Bay. Perch fishing has just been great this past week or so. Most of the perch are being caught in 35 to 45 feet of water. Maple Island and Picton Island Channel have produced some of the best catches. June 24th is the opener for the Canadian Bass Season. Also Saturday June 17th is the Musky opener in New York.

 

June 2nd 2000- The river is starting to come alive with some good Pike action over the last couple weeks. During the Memorial Day weekend there was a fair share or fisherman who reported some good pike fishing along with some good catches of perch. The Pike hot spots were Blind Bay, Flynns Bay, Bayfield Bay, French Bay and Chippewa Bay. Minnows and Bobbers are still producing the best along with Rattle Traps, Bucktail Jigs and #5 Mepps spinners. Fish anywhere from 4 to 15 feet of water near the drop-offs to deep water and around the shoals. The weeds are starting to come up from the bottom and many of the Pike are being taken from near bottom. Perch Fishing remains good around Grindstone Island, Gull Island, Maple Island, Krings Point and Chippewa Point. Fish anywhere from 25 to 45 feet of water with perch minnows. Walleye fishing remains to be spotty all over are area right now. Bayfield Bay yielded a few this past week but has slowed the last 2 days. Bullheads have also been hanging in as there are still people reporting that they are getting a few on the overcast days. Leeches right now have been HOT!!!! The bullhead fishing will remain good for at least another week or so. Some spots that have produced are Eel Bay, Buck Bay, South Bay and French Bay.

 

May 19th 2000- Fishing over the last week has remained fair. The pike fishing has been getting better and the perch fishing is still rolling along. The pike remain to be in the shallow water near the drop-offs. Depths of 10 to 15 feet near drop-offs have produced some good catches of pike. Drifting with minnows along with casting Spoons, Jigs and Mepps Spinners have produced the most action. Other baits that have been good are Smithwick Rogues, Rapala Husky Jerks and Little Cleos. Some hot spots have been French Creek Bay, Flynns Bay, Bayfield Bay, Lake of the Isles and Chippewa Bay. Perch fishing has been good around Pine Island, Maple Island, Oak Island in Chippewa Bay and Chippewa Point. The depths have been anywhere from 25 to 40 feet of water near these spots. Depending on the day is what depth to fish. The overcast days have seen the perch in a little shallower water than the bright sunny days. The bullheads have slowed up a bit in the last couple days. We have had a great run of bullheads this season but I dont think it's over its probably just all the wind we have had. Some real hot spots have been Eel Bay, French Creek, South Bay and Chippewa Bay.

 
May 11th 2000- The pike fishing has got off to a real fast start for 2000. Many people reported good pike action over the first 10 days of the season. Some hotspots were Bayfield Bay, French Creek Bay, Eel Bay, Lake of the Isles, Chippewa Bay and Blind Bay. Some hot baits have been #5 Mepps, 3/8 Bucktail Jigs, Little Cleos and of course Pike Minnows under a bobber. The pike seem to be in less than 15 feet of water. Most of the pike are being caught in 6-8 feet of water. The perch fishing has also remained good. Many of the guys are fishing in and around the Picton Island Channel. Off of Rusho Bay and Maple Island has been best. The best fishing has come in 25 to 40 feet of water. You can also try Chippewa Bay, Bartletts Point and Behind Wolfe Island for perch. The bullheads continue to be cooperative all along the river. Many reports of GOOD bullhead fishing all over the area. French Creek has been good along with Blind Bay, Fishers Landing and Goose Bay. There was a few Walleye taken in and around the area. Chippewa Point gave up a couple 6 pounders as did Bayfield Bay which yielded a few more.

 

May 2nd 2000 - The Pike and Walleye opener is this Saturday 5/6/00 !!! Perch fishing continues to be steady in the areas of Grindstone Island and Chippewa Bay. Flynns Bay and the outside of Eel Bay are still producing some good catches of perch in 12 to 40 feet of water. The Picton Island Channel between Swiftwater Point and Canoe Point has also been good. Perch minnows are the ticket. The bullheads have really been on fire the last couple days. This warm weather has helped. Good spots have been Fishers Landing and French Creek. South Bay and Lake of the Isles is also worth fishing either day or night. Leeches and worms work the best. Pike season opens saturday along with walleye. Some good early season pike spots would be French Creek Bay, All around Grindstone Island, Eel Bay, South Bay, Blind Bay, Goose Bay and Chippewa Bay will be where you see the most boats and action. Lake of the Isles and around Keewaydin State Park should not be overlooked either. Any shallow bay along the main river or any of the islands should have northerns poking around in them. Bobbers and minnows are a norm on opening weekend but spoons and bucktail jigs will take a good share of fish. Tip the bucktail with a rubber worm for added action. The walleyes will be a little tougher to locate. They will be more apt to be near the tribs or shallow bays where they spawn. Some good places to try would be Bayfield Bay(Wolfe Island), Carleton Island and the shoals around Fishers Landing. Last season on opening weekend 2 fisherman caught 4 walleyes right in front of Foxy's (Fishers Landing) on bucktail jigs tipped ith a worm. There are walleyes around our part of the river early in the season. Try bucktail jigs, dixie spinners w/ worms or trolling stickbaits along the edges of shallow structure (14 to 25 feet). In Bayfield Bay try casting Cleos or Countdown Rapalas around the shoreline of the bay.

 

April 26th 2000- Perch fishing remains to be real good along the river from Cape Vincent to Chippewa Bay. Lately the perch have been hanging in 20 to 35 feet. Some guys are catching them in less than 10 feet and others are catching them in over 40 feet so it depends on where your fishing. The hotspots this past week have been Flynns Bay, Eel Bay, Round Island, Maple Island, Krings Point and Chippewa Bay. The depths have varied. Bullheads have really picked up this past week. Some real good catches have been caught more at night so far than during the day. The water is not real warm yet so the bullhead fishing will continue to get better. Some good spots to bullhead fish would be Fishers Landing, Grasse Point, French Creek, Lake of the Isles, Goose Bay and Chippewa Bay. Worms work good but alot of people have had better luck on leeches. The crappie fishing has really slowed way down the last week. They were hitting real good in the middle of the month but since then they have got real tough to find. French Creek is still yielding a few as is the inland lakes (Butterfield and Millsite and Hyde). Minnows and bobbers is the best.

 

April 18th 2000- Fishing continues to be steady here for perch and bullhead. The last couple weeks has seen some increase in boats and bigger perch. Some guys are catching them in 4 feet of water and other guys are catching them in 40 feet of water. Both depths have produced roughly the same. Some hot spots lately have been Flynns Bay, Chippewa Bay, Eel Bay and Krings Point. Most generally they have been fishing in the 10 to 16 foot range with multiple hook set-ups tipped with minnows. Early morning has been a key at getting the bigger fish. Other spots to try would be Keewaydin State Park, Docks in Clayton, French Creek Bay and Cedar Point State Park. The bullheads have come on real srong the last few days with the warmer temperatures. The night fishing remains better than day fishing at the moment. Some good spots to bullhead fish would Fishers Landing, Grasse Point State Park, South Bay, Goose Bay and Lake of the Isles. Leeches are best to use But nightcrawlers are more popular. The crappies are starting to wind down a bit. They were hitting real good for the last 2 weeks and finally started to slow down the last couple days. This doesn't mean the runs of crappie are over they are just in a transition period from spawning to post-spawn. The crappies will continue to be lurking in and around the shoreline structure for another couple weeks or so.

April 3rd 2000- Perch fishing continues to stay steady in the area. With the somewhat warmer temperatures we have had, the fishing has been real good. From Cape Vincent Breakwall to Chippewa Bay everyone is scoring on good catches of perch. Some hotspots have been the Breakwall in Cape Vincent, Cedar Point, Bartlett Point, Flynns Bay, Rusho Bay, Fishers Landing, Eel Bay, Goose Bay and Krings Point. The depth has varied from 5 to 20 feet of water. The bigger perch have come from slightly deeper water. Minnows have once again been the main course. Perch eyes have also taken some good fish. The docks at Clayton, Keewaydin and Krings Point are also producing fish for shore angler. The weekdays are pretty quiet around the docks as far as fisherman. The crappies are still hitting in French Creek, Lake of the Isles and Crooked Creek. A lot of marinas also have crappies swimming around the docks. Perch minnows fished under a bobber has been the best. The bullheads are starting to get better day by day. The recent warm rain has got them active. Places like French Creek, Fishers Landing, Grasse Point, Goose Bay, South Bay, Eel Bay and Chippewa have all been producing bullheads. This past weekend was the best yet with some good catches reported up and down the river.

March 23rd 2000- The perch are hitting real good. The last few days has been real consistent. The main spots have been Round Island, The Docks in Clayton, Flynns Bay, Krings Point and Goose Bay. The boats are doing the best. They are fishing in 15 to 25 feet of water near the drop-offs. The boats have been scattered all over from French Creek Bay to Washington Island in front of Clayton. Perch Minnows have been the best. Some people are also saying that eyes have also been working. The only ice around is drift ice. The drift ice is very minimal though. Krings Point has just got free of drift ice and has just started to produce fish. Perch catches are getting better day by day with the warm temperatures. The bullheads have started to hit also. The last couple of nights has seen some good catches along the river. Fishers Landing, French Creek Bay and French Creek have all had good bullhead action. Goose Bay is just starting to get fired up. The crappies are hiting under the Route 12 bridge at Clayton. Small perch bait has been the best for them also. If the weather stays warm the fishing should get better has the week and weekend arrive.

March 6th 2000- The ice conditions are still more than favorable on the ice. Eel Bay, Goose Bay and Lake of the Isles still has about 12 to 15 inches of ice. Chippewa Bay, South Bay and French Creek Bay has 8 to 10 inches of ice. The big run of perch seems to be in Eel Bay right now. They are catching quite a few perch here with some big ones mixed in the bunch. Last week was real hot here with many people catching perch. Lake of the Isles has also been productive on the panfish. Bluegills and crappies are the main course here. The crappies have been up and down this past week but the bluegills have really turned on with the warm weather. Small jigs tipped with spikes for the bluegills has been best. For the crappies tip the jig with a minnow. There is also a report of some decent perch taken in Goose Bay. The pike fishing this past weekend was real good in Blind Bay, Spicer Bay and Eel Bay. The ice in front of Clayton is gone except for some floating chunks that is making it difficult to cast from shore. Look for this to be accessible by the end of the week. Krings Point also has some ice left in front too. Hopefully with any kind of favorable wind this will be open by the weekend. The weather is supposed to be real warm til friday.

February 23rd 2000- The Fishers Landing Fire Department is having a derby this weekend (2/26 & 2/27). The weigh-in and awards will be at the fire hall. It should be a good weekend to fish as the temperatures are expected to reach near 55 degrees. There is still plenty of ice in the area. Most spots on the river are still reporting 18 to 24 inches. The best pike fishing this past week were Eel Bay, Goose Bay and Clayton. They did well at these spots for most of the last few days. With no school this week there has been many people fishing with the warm temperatures. Lake of the Isles and Chippewa have also seen some traffic going in and off the ice. The perch fishing has been fair. We seem to be in that lull between the winter fishing and the time these fish prepare to spawn. Some guys are just starting to report that they are getting some 8-10 inch perch now. Places like Eel Bay and in front of Clayton are a couple good spots along with Krings Point and Keewaydin State Parks. They also get some real big perch this time of year at Chippewa Bay. Lake of the Isles will also see the best of the crappie fishing from now till the end of march. Bluegills will also cooperate better from here on out. The derby mentioned above will be the last one for the year so get out while the weather is good.

 

February 14th 2000- Fishing the last few days has improved somewhat. Pike fishing this past weekend got a bit better. The wind finally took a break on saturday and allowed many people to stay and fish the majority of the day. The days are longer and it warms up now a little quicker so people are spending more time ice fishing. This past weekend they caught some good numbers of pike at Lake of the Isles, Goose Bay and Eel Bay. Some guys reported as many as 15 to 20 pike CAUGHT. Some nice fish have also been taken this past week. Other spots where the pike were active were South Bay, Grasse Point, Chippewa Bay and French Creek Bay. There is still a solid 18 to 22 inches of ice in many or all these spots. The perch fishing has also been real steady. Spots like Bartletts Point, Chaumont Bay, Clayton Village Docks and Krings Point have all been decent perch fishing. Eel Bay has also been pretty good. Many of the guys are using minnows and eyes. Some are using spikes, depends on the day and there mood. Besides Eel Bay, the guys are trying to fish the 15 to 25 foot depths right on the bottom. With snow on the ice now, these spots you can fish close to shore to save alot of wasted time trudging thru to get way out. The temperatures are supposed to stay near 30 all week. This should be a good week for guys and gals to be able to fish as long as the wind gives us a break.

 

February 9th 2000- The Clayton Derby drew many people to the area last weekend. The winner was a little over 15 pounds. The top 5 or 6 fish were all over 11 pounds. They did well on the pike at French Creek Bay, Cape Vincent area, Perch Lake and Lake Ontario. The pike fishing at Lake of the Isles, Goose Bay, Eel Bay, South Bay, Chippewa Bay and Black Lake was filled with some good fishing on saturday and with the COLD weather on sunday it dropped right off. The pike fishing this winter has stayed pretty consistent. There is real good ice all over the river and lake. Many spots have in excess of 20 inches. The leased amount of ice that I have heard of has been around 10 inches. Closer to the river channels are obviously alot thinner. The perch fishing has been real good the last week or so. They seem to be doing the best at Chaumont Bay, Bartlett Point (Clayton), Krings Point, Round Island (Clayton), and Spicer Bay (Clayton). They are using perch minnows. Some guys are reporting good luck with perch eyes. The bluegills and crappies have hitting well at Goose Bay and Lake of the Isles. Small jigs tipped with spikes have been the best. Dark jigs has also been a bit better. Again, early morning and evening has been the peak times to catch them. Perch Lake is still open with some good pike and perch fishing. The crappies have also been cooperative at times here too. If you plan on coming up to jig perch, They have been reporting that the BIG perch have been getting shallower and shallower every day.

 

February 3rd 2000- This weekend is the famous K of C derby here in Clayton. The ice is very thick which will allow anglers to spread out all over the St. Lawrence River and Lake Ontario. The fishing has been real good for pike. This past weekend the Alex Bay derby was held and the winning pike was 11lbs.7ozs. The pike fishing has been real consistent in pretty much all the bays. Goose, Chippewa, Eel, South and French Creek Bay have all seen some good pike action. There has also been a good amount of some larger pike being taken. Somedays they have been averaging 4 pounds. There is probably 14 to 18 inches in all these bays. The perch fishing has been getting better as the ice season continues. Some hotspot have been Bartlett Point, Round Island, Washington Island, Chaumont Bay and Guffins Bay. They are mainly fishing the 15 to 20 foot waters with minnows. Spikes and eyes have also produced some perch but minnows continue to be the hot bait. Bluegill fishing in Lake of the Isles has been fair. They really pound them for a few days ...then it dies out. It has been up and down all winter. The Pike are also hitting here. The guys that fished it last weekend reported some real good flag action. The crappies have been tough lately. Early morning and late evening has been the best. Use small teardrop jigs tipped with spikes or mousies for your best chances. Perch Lake has got 15 inches of ice. The pike fishing continues to be good along with some nice catches of perch and crappies. There has been some people fishing here but the word is the number of anglers is down a little from the last couple years.

 

January 17th 2000- The conditions are drastically improving by the minute. The ice in most of the spots are now in excess of 14 inches. The spots on Lake Ontario now have 8 to 10 inches of ice with more to be expected by tomorrow. Goose Bay, Chippewa Bay, South Bay, Eel Bay and Lake of the Isles all have roughly 12 to 16 inches. The reports from the weekend said that alot of the places were 10 inches and with last night (-14degrees) and today (0) there will be plenty of ice to fish most of your favorite places. The fishing has got a little better now that people have been able to spread out a little now. This past week there was some catches of pike that came from Lake of the Isles, Eel Bay and Chippewa Bay. Goose Bay had a good weekend with alot of action. Perch fishing has really fired up on Chaumont Bay. There was about 70 shacks off Pt. Salubrius over the weekend with alot of perch being caught by everyone. The fishing is getting real good here. With this added ice, Eel Bay had some good perch fishing over the week now that they can get out into the deeper water. With the water down it was tough to stay on the bigger perch in that shallow of water. Black Lake has 12 to 15 inches of ice and they are getting some crappies up in Milearm Bay. The pike fishing has also been good. Perch Lake has also got about a foot and they are also taking some nice pike out of here as well. The panfishing in Lake of the Isles has been a day to day thing. They have been fairly consistent early in the morning and later in the afternoon. The middle of the day has been kinda touchy though. Some days they hit all day and then other days they just quit hitting all together. With alot of good ice here now it makes it easier to spread out to find them.

 

January 10th 2000- The ice is still hanging in there. There was alot of people fishing this past weekend all around the area. Goose Bay had a good number of guys pike fishing. The action was good in the morning with quite a bit of flag action. Lake of the Isles also had a good number of guys fishing.The ones that fished here said the pike fishing was steady all day long. They did manage to start getting a few panfish. Chippewa was the same way with some people getting a few pike and some decent sized perch and a few bluegills. Eel Bay also seen some action over the weekend with some fish being pulled thru the ice. The perch fishing has been getting better everyday here. Most all these spots still has at least 4 to 5 inches of ice. The ice good and black. Chaumont Bay has been fished too. They are fishing close to shore around Point Salubrious and in the 3 Mile Bay area. They are getting some good catches of perch in both places. Haven't heard any news about Perch Lake. Not to sure what is going on over there. It is real handy to have a machine here so maybe that is why no reports are coming in from over there.

 

December 30th 1999- The Ice is Here!!!!!  The ice is now socked in around the bays on the river.  Lake of the Isles has 7 inches has does Eel Bay , Goose Bay and Chippewa Bay. The ice is black with absolutely no snow in it at all. The action has been real hot. First ice is normally the best and so far it has lived up to the billing. At Lake of the Isles the panfishing has been real good. Bluegills have hit the best mixed in  with a few crappies in the early morning and evening hours. Small jigs tipped with spikes or mousies has been the best. The pike fishing has also been good. There was a few guys in the other day that had 30 flags and caught 11 northerns. Another group had 9 yesterday in by Dewolfe Point. Goose bay has also produced some good pike action. Alot of flag action with 5 to 6 pike being taken here and there. The perch are also biting here off to the right of the town launch. Mixed in with the perch has been a few bluegills. Again, small jigs tipped with spikes has been best, but the bigger perch were hitting minnows. Eel Bay has had good perch fishing along with a few pike. The perch fishing has been the best off to the left of the parking area. Some guys have gone as far as the Nature Center and said there was a solid 6 to 8 inches of ice out there. Down at Chippewa the pike fishing has been real good. First ice here is always the best anyway. Many pike being pulled thru the ice here. They are getting a few perch here but nobody has fished them too hard yet. South Bay also has ice on the inside but the wind has prevented the ice from stretching out to far. Chaumont Bay (Lake Ontario) is froze over but has yet to get real solid so its a little early to venture too far out here. It is calling for it to be cold again for the next few nights so the ice is only gonna get thicker.

December 24th 1999-   The perch fishing has been real good. The main hotsots have been around the docks in Clayton and at Krings Point. The last week has really picked up. Many bigger perch have moved in to the shallow water. Minnows have still been the best. Some are also being caught on perch eye's. The pike fishing has also been good. The area around Krings Point and  has produced some good catches of pike on bucktail jigs. There is also 3 inches of Ice on Goose Bay. There is 2 to 3 inches on Lake of the Isles and Eel Bay has 3 to 4 inches. Chippewa Bay has 3 inches also. The guys that have been ice fishing say the action is real fast as far as Pike are concerned. The guys that fished Eel Bay Wednesday 12/22 said there were a ton of perch swimming around under their pike bait. There was also a report of some bluegills being caught in Goose Bay.

December 7th 1999- The musky season came to an end the 30th of November and many of the fishing guides believe that it was a great year for big muskys. Many of the  muskys caught were over the 44 inch minimum. With deer season winding down to just a few days, the attention is going to turn to perch fishing.  The perch fishing has been real good the last week or so around Clayton. The guys that are still using their boats are doing the best just offshore in 20 feet of water. Minnows are also the preferred bait this time of year. They have been catching perch in Cape Vincent, Mud Bay, Chaumont Bay and Krings Point State Park. The docks in Clayton have seen little pressure with some good catches of perch being taken. Fishing here can be done right from shore at either end of Riverside Drive. The docks in Clayton or the docks at Krings Point will be the better spots to fish from shore until we get colder weather and we get ice. With this warm weather that we have had we have seen some pike fisherman. The pike are starting into the shallow waters of places like Goose Bay, Chippewa Bay and French Creek. Greg Coon hit a bunch of pike in Goose bay on 1/4 ounce black and blue bucktails fished in about 8 feet of water. Some other guys hit some bigger pike in Eel Bay on bobber/minnow combos. Some of their fish were near 7 pounds. They caught those fish in 6 feet of water near the nature center. The pike fishing will get better before the ice comes. All of the shallow water bays along the St. Lawrence from Cape Vincent to Morristown will have pike in them. Minnows will work along with bucktail jigs for the best action. Tip your bucktail jig with a 5 or 7 inch worm for better results.

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