Bass Fishing Guide, New York, 1000 Islands, Black Lake

1. Black Lake

Famous bass lake with a history for producing solid 4 to 6 pound largemouth and plenty of scrappy smallmouth between 2 and 4 pounds. The lake has a specially imposed 15" size limit on bass due to it's widespread reputation. Called Black Lake for its dark water, it is relatively shallow with abundant weedbeds combined with classic rock walls, rocky shoals, and rocky points. I highly recommend using live bait for relaxation and best results. Artificials can be productive if you are an experienced angler.

Plan to meet with me at The Log Cabins on Black Lake Road which is between the state boat launching site and Edwardsville. Here we will be able to purchase the necessary live bait and supplies needed for our day.

3. The Lake Ontario Bays in the 1000 Islands region

Referred to as the Golden Crescent...Henderson Bay, Black River Bay, and Chaumont Bay make up this legendary area for freshwater sport fishing. These bays are located at the northeastern corner of Lake Ontario near the mouth of the St. Lawrence River....and are famous for big smallmouth!! You will hear about Lake Erie's legendary smallmouth fishing but the Golden Crescent of Lake Ontario is equally as productive. And the bass here have gotten bigger in recent years. These bays have weedbeds growing up to 20 feet deep which presents an easier and more exciting approach to catching big smallmouth. Lake Erie has less vegetation, so the smallmouth naturally migrate further out into the open lake after spawning....requiring strictly deep water tactics in open, sometimes very rough water. But on these Lake Ontario bays the weedbeds and rocks hold more fish in the shallows. Allowing reaction baits like spinnerbaits and topwaters to be effective all season. Power fishing for smallies!!

A productive and enjoyable fishing day here is totally dependent on the wind for that day. The water can get very rough and limit our accessability to the most productive areas. Prime conditions are calm to moderate winds from a favorable direction. I will need to monitor the wind forecast to determine if it is the right day to take you here.

Most likely access point will be the state launching site in the town of Chaumont off of Route 12E, the state launching site in Henderson Harbor off of Route 3, or the public boat launch in the town of Sackets Harbor, also off of Route 3.

Due to the size of both the 1000 Islands and Lake Ontario fisheries, our meeting location and access point will be determined based on where you are staying or driving from, but most importantly on the weather for that day.

Black Lake will be our best choice if faced with adverse weather conditions.

2. The 1000 Islands section of the St. Lawrence Seaway

Famous summertime getaway with over 1800 scenic islands and incredibly clear water. This fishery is very diverse and the bass are in very specific locations. This is also one of the most beautiful bass fishing venues in the country. We could be fishing within view of both Boldt Castle and Singer Castle as passing freighters navigate the islands on their way to and from the ocean. Largemouth inhabit the shallower rock shoals and weedbeds commonly falling for topwaters and Senkos. Smallmouth go very deep in the clear water but are easy to locate. They group up in large numbers and 20-50 bass days are common.

Our access point would most likely be at either Chippewa Bay, Alexandria Bay, or Clayton, all located along Route 12.

Bass Fishing Guide on Black Lake and 1000 Islands in New York
Captain Randy Yager

Call (407)744-1350 cell or (315)324-5033 cottage

Upstate New York has wonderful bass fishing. In fact a popular national bass fishing magazine (FLW Outdoors January 2007) ranked New York as the number one bass fishing state in the nation!

Black Lake and the nearby St. Lawrence River (1000 Islands) are located in the northern part of New York State near the Canadian border. There is an official bass fishing season beginnning the third Saturday of June each year. Intentionally catching and releasing bass prior to this is still prohibited.

A typical summer or fall bass fishing day here can produce a mix of quality smallmouth and largemouth bass ranging between two and six pounds. Often times you will catch smallmouth and largemouth bass in the same spot.......sometimes catching one of each on back to back casts! Bass weighing up to seven pounds are occasionally caught...but most anglers are after the consistent action...and most of all.......those hard fighting smallmouth!!

Summer and fall in the 1000 Islands region is beautiful. It is also a very popular vacation destination. There is ample lodging and plenty of things to do.

Different from the big charter boats....these are tournament style "casting trips" taking 1 to 3 anglers in a safe 20' bass boat. Both artificial and live bait are used with emphasis on having fun and taking photographs of the larger bass.

My guided trips are conducted on these 3 great bass fisheries..............