Background
Anglers who frequent Lake Ontario have most likely heard about the fabled crazy Brown Trout fishing that occurs in the springtime on the shorelines of Mexico Bay. Those anglers who do not yet know of this, should. The NYS DEC regards Brown Trout in Lake Ontario to be a very key aspect of its famous fishery. Recreational anglers and charter captains alike target these fish as early as March and proceed to target them all the way throughout the summer. In 2022, the NYS DEC stocked 80,900 Brown Trout into the waters of Lake Ontario between Oswego and Mexico Point. Their goal is to provide the Eastern Basin of Lake Ontario with a quality Brown Trout fishery throughout the open water season. So far, the efforts of the NYS DEC have been noticed and angler satisfaction on the Eastern end of Lake Ontario has increased!
Why is Spring the best time for Brown Trout fishing on Lake Ontario?
During the months of March-May on Lake Ontario, anglers can find success catching Brown Trout in only 5-20' of water. In the Spring, the shorelines of Mexico Bay are known to produce what is called a "mud line". A mud line is a tight concentration of colored water packed in close to the shoreline. Most often, the mud lines are formed from the run-off of nearby creeks and streams that dump into Mexico Bay. In some circumstances, you will find mud lines caused by wind/waves that stir up the inshore waters of Mexico Bay. Brown Trout will use these mud lines to effectively hunt and feed on the abundance of baitfish in these waters. By trolling with spoons and stickbaits on the edge of the mud line, anglers can capitalize on the predatory instincts of the Brown Trout and find themselves with a full cooler.
What gear to use to catch Spring Brown Tout on Lake Ontario?
On our Lake Ontario charters, we utilize planer boards to fish flatlines with stickbaits as well as leadcore with spoons. Since the majority of the fishing occurs in waters less than 20', the targeted "fishing depth" of your bait will only need to be 3-8' down in the water column. The brand of spoons we run is called Michigan Stinger and we use both the Stinger and Stingray sized spoons. Popular colors include but are not limited to; UV Diehard, UV Can't Afford It, UV Sea Sick Waddler, Black Widow, Mongoose, and Sodus Point Buckeye. The proper way to fish these spoons is on 1 and 2-color leadcore and downriggers setups with a 12lb fluorocarbon leader. For stickbaits, we like to use Bay Rat Short Shallows and Smithwick Rogues. These are fished on 12lb mono flat line rods attached to a planer board to bring them away from the boat. Trolling speeds for Brown Trout, but 2.2-2.7mph are most common!
Lake Ontario Brown Trout Charters
We run our Lake Ontario Brown Trout charters starting in April out of the Salmon River. We have the advantage of having quick access to the entire shoreline of Mexico Bay where large quantities of trophy Brown Trout lurk. The limit is 3 Brown Trout per person and is fantastic table fare! Come join the fun with us this Spring!
To book a trip, click HERE.
Have fun on the water!
Capt Andy
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