Fishing The Seaway Trail
The New York State Seaway Trail is a 454-mile scenic route paralleling Lake Erie, the Niagara River, Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River. A well-marked, scenic alternative to interstate highways and toll roads, the Seaway Trail leads you to eye-opening treasures you might otherwise overlook. Traveling the Trail takes you to sophisticated cities, quaint villages, laid-back fishing ports, dozens of family attractions, restaurants, accommodations and shops.That's the official description of the Seaway Trail with the laid-back fishing ports. However, we are focusing on streamfishing the historic route, so get out your korkers, and let's wade in Niagara County and fish to the Thousand Islands region. Our mileage is approximately 370 as the crow flies along the southern shores of Lake Ontario. Of course, stream anglers will never fish a straight line, so that's just a guideline to get you there. The Seaway Trail in the Empire State travels through Regions 6, 7, 8, and 9 of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s jurisdiction.
Our little journey will detail a general picture of the streams. Obviously in the heat of the summer, some will be just a trickle, however most anglers use good ole common sense…right?
Anglers fishing Niagara County will certainly cast in the big river, however targeting the Lower Niagara will offer opportunities even during the late summer. Anglers not having access to boats can fish the New York Power Authority, which is located below the Niagara University. (Name of Power Authority facility is missing )
There are three state parks which offer a hiking - fishing combo: Devils Hole and Whirlpool, which are located off the Robert Moses Parkway, and the Artpark, which is off Route 18A in Lewiston.
Traveling east into the morning sun, the hot-spot stream that produces browns and steelhead is 18 Mile Creek. Located parallel to Route 78, the most productive section is Fisherman's Park to Burt Dam.
Some smaller tribs that will hold fish if there is any flow are Keg Creek, east of Olcott, and 4 Mile Creek on the Lake Road (Seaway Trail), close to Fort Niagara. Anglers should never pass up the harbors of Olcott and Wilson, which are the mouths of 18 and 12 mile creeks.
In Orleans County, the well-known and heavily fished stream is the Oak Orchard River, which starts south in Genesee County and meanders to Point Breeze, where it officially becomes part of Lake Ontario. Marsh Creek slides into "the Oak" at The Bridges (3 bridges) on Route 98.
West of the renowned Orchard River is Johnson Creek, which begins its journey at Lyndonville and travels to Kuckville where it dumps into the lake. Johnson is identified with signage and is located on Route 18, which is the Seaway Trail.
The other fishable creek in Orleans is the Sandy Creek which starts in Monroe County and crosses under the Lake Ontario Parkway where it enters Orleans.
Monroe County is known for the city of Rochester, but let's not hold it against them. There is plenty of stream fishing available away from the city life. Much of Sandy Creek is located in Monroe County and there are access points close to the beach on the north side of the Lake Ontario Parkway.
The Parkway has very little traffic -- a pleasant surprise for a highway within close proximity of a major city. Braddocks Bay is one of five small embayments located off the Seaway Trail on the northeastern corner of Rochester. Braddocks has a large opening to the lake and feeder streams that carry trout and salmon. West and Salmon creeks are the main arteries into the bay, near the Braddocks Bay Fish and Wildlife Area on Route 261 and the Parkway.
The Genesee River cuts deeply into the terrain, and consequently offers little in the way of streamfishing. The trout and salmon are certainly in the Genesee, but without a boat it's tough to fish. The Charlotte Pier at Ontario Beach can be fished on the west side of the river. The east side at the mouth has limited places to cast. There are some docks near the Coast Guard Station and Rochester Yacht Club.
Located in Webster Park on the eastern edge of Monroe County is a small creek that holds steelhead, browns, and kings. It's not a large stream, however, anything that flows into Lake Ontario will hold fish. The park is located on Lake Road, which is still the Seaway Trail.
In Wayne County, the town of Ontario has a tributary, and although of the smaller variety, Bear Creek holds trout and salmon. It is located on Lake Road, a few miles east of the Monroe and Wayne County line. This is the closest stream to the Ginna Power Plant, which is a major angling area in Lake Ontario. Bear Creek can be fished at the mouth.
The hamlet of Pultneyville is home to Salmon Creek. There are plenty of waterways, large and small, named after the famous fish that dominated New York State at the turn of the century.
This one is small, nevertheless it’s loaded with steelies and browns. The stream runs into the harbor, and the mouth is home to the Pultneyville Yacht Club. Fishing access is very limited; however anglers can and do find places to throw egg sacks in the running water.
Maxwell Creek, a noted brown trout stream, is located on Lake Road, two miles west of Sodus Point. Parking is available on both the south and north sides. The parking areas have ample space for anglers.
Like many Seaway Trail streams, Maxwell trickles in the hot and dry summer months, but there still is a warm water fishery at the mouth, where the oldtimers still dub it Maxwell Bay.
For our purposes, we can describe the Sodus Point Channel as a stream; it can be fished from the shore (pier) and holds tons of trout, salmon, and every warm water species imaginable.
Port Bay has what is known as Furnace Creek. This stream is the main feeder to the bay, and can be fished off Furnace Road, which can be accessed from either West or East Port Bay Road…not a bad little holder of kings in the autumn.
Route 104A in Fair Haven is now the artery that becomes the trail, and Sterling Creek is another smaller feeder stream. Sterling runs into Lake Ontario at the Fair Haven State Park. There are locations off of Route 104A, however they are not marked. The only hint for fishing these smaller creeks is when you see the stream, stop, explore and fish.
The Oswego and Salmon rivers are the largest and most popular waterways in northern New York, and both are Seaway Trail streams, but it would take a few thousand words to describe these productive areas. More information on these can be found on the DEC Web page at dec.state.ny.us (locate Region 6 and 7 and search for public access locations) or the Oswego County tourism site at www.visitoswegocounty.com/
We'll have to end our Seaway Trail stream adventures in Jefferson County. The official trail travels through St. Lawrence, however the number of fishable streams feeding into the river would take an entire book of facts.
Among the more notable northern feeder streams in Jefferson County are South Sandy Creek and Sandy Creek, both located off Route 3 in the town of Ellisburg. Route 3 is designated as part of the Seaway Trail.
Stony Creek pours into Henderson Harbor, which is still Route 3, and also drains in Lake Ontario near Route 152. Something to ponder if you choose Stony is that the DEC stocks steelhead in the creek.
The Black River intersects Route 180 near Dexter, after flowing through the city of Watertown. The Village of Dexter has a small boat launch and there is a public fishing access site at this location.
And that takes us from Niagara to Chaumont Bay. Many of the streams along the Seaway Trail are small -- but beautiful -- waterways that are off the beaten path. Most have access points, some do not. The best way, and the most imaginative method for locating these feeder streams is to stop and go. Hunters call it run and gun…call it what you wish, but bring your gear and when you notice some moving water, and it's not posted, stop and catch.
Chris Kenyon is an Outdoor Columnist for The Sodus Record-Sun and the Finger Lakes Times. He is a member of NYSOWA and The Outdoor Recreational Coordinator for Wayne County Tourism. He is also a freelance writer for several publications.