DEC ice fishing locations, conditions, an intro to ice fishing.
Conditions– Learn more about Conditions
Fishing hotline – 855-fish (3474) or 679-erie (3743).
NOTE- conditions below vary by day- see Learn about conditions to learn about current conditions.
Buffalo Harbor
The inner harbor has a base of 6 inches of clear ice. Anglers typically catch good numbers of smaller yellow perch and sunfish with a few or more keepers per outing. Crappie, northern pike and smelt are other available species. Anglers should access ice from the boat launch. Walking on, or any other use of slip docks is not permitted.
Chautauqua Lake
Anglers have been fishing the entire lake and report varying base ice of 5-8 inches. Depending on location, the slush layer on top is frozen or in process of freezing. Yellow perch are readily available and caught lakewide. Shallower weedy areas in 5-15 feet of water are typically better for catch numbers and average size. Bluegill and pumpkinseed are available around the weed beds too. Walleye can be found around weed edges lakewide and around deeper flats of 20-40 feet of water in north basin. Jigging with jigging rapalas (or similar) and vertical spoons tipped with a minnow is a good active technique. Tip-ups with “bass” golden shiners catch the occasional walleye as well. Walleye catches are typically better the few hours before sunrise and the few after sunset. Visit the Chautauqua Lake page for more fishing information.
Honeoye Lake
Ice is upwards of 8 inches thick and anglers have recently been fishing the entire lake. Bluegill, crappie, chain pickerel and largemouth bass are available in shallow weedy areas. Deeper sections are typically better for yellow perch. The bonus walleye catch is possible in both shallow and deep water. Visit the Honeoye Lake page for more information.
Silver Lake
Silver Lake has over 7 inches of clear ice lakewide. Shallow weedy areas typically produce fair catches of bluegill with some yellow perch mixed in. Shallower areas are also a good bet for northern pike on tip-ups with shiners. Yellow perch catch numbers are better in deeper areas of 20-34 feet of water, though they tend to run small. Deeper zones also produce the occasional keeper crappie and suspended northern pike. Visit the Silver Lake page for more information.
New Albion, Case and Harwood Lakes
Case, Harwood, New Albion, Allen, Red House and Quaker Lakes all have good ice and provide fishing opportunities for a variety of warmwater fish. Anglers also have the chance to catch large broodstock trout (14″-28″), as each lake was stocked with broodstock trout in the fall. Some holdover spring stockies are also available. See the Places to Fish pages for more information.
Loon Lake
Loon Lake has 6 inches of ice.
| Water | Township | Species | Regulations | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beaver Island State Park Marina | Grand Island | Yellow Perch, Smelt, Sunfish, Northern Pike, Largemouth Bass | Special Fishing Regulations for Upper Niagara River | Owned and operated by OPRHP. Sheltered marina is located within Beaver Island State Park, on south end of Grand Island. |
| Big Six Mile Creek State Marina | Grand Island | Yellow Perch, Sunfish, Northern Pike, Largemouth Bass | Special Fishing Regulations for Upper Niagara River | Owned and operated by OPRHP. Protected inlet off the Upper Niagara River, located off Whitehaven Road. |
Ice Fishing Regulations Reminder
Introduction to Ice Fishing
Chapter 9 of the I FISH NY Beginners’ Guide to Freshwater Water Fishing is an Introduction to Ice Fishing. This chapter is a great read for people new to the sport of ice fishing. The chapter covers the following topics:
- Ice fishing gear
- When to fish
- Where to fish
- What to fish for
- What to wear
- Ice safety
Read Introduction to Ice Fishing
