Today is National Fishing Day and we’re highlighting some great places on Long Island and the NY Area for fishing. Father’s Day is tomorrow, and what better way to spend it with dad and grandpa and step dad than on the open water with a day of rest and relaxation in the boat as you wait for the catch of the day! Whether you’re an expert angler or you’re a novice learning the tricks of the trade, these are prime spots to catch some rays and some fish. Let’s get move-fin!
Short on time and can’t do a weekend away or an all-day road trip? We got you covered with these local Long Island hotspots!
Fire Island Inlet and Fire Island Reef
This spot is recommended for all skill levels of fisherman, due to its high rate of successful catches. You’ll find Flounder, striped bass, and porgies are plentiful here.
Hempstead Town Reef
Just south of Jones Beach State Park, this area is great for fishing and crabbing. You’ll find bluefish, porgies, sea bass, striped bass, Atlantic cod, and perhaps even a spiny dogfish. If you’re lucky, you could even snag some Lobsters.
Atlantic Beach Reef
If you seek record breaking fish, you’ll have good odds here! Atlantic Bonito, Blackfish, Sea Bass and more are in high supply here.
Kismet Reef
Located north of South beach, this is a great spot for families to hang out and fish. It’s populated with large schools of fluke, striped bass, black sea bass, and blue fish.
If you head upstate to the Great Lakes, you’ll find even more variety of freshwater fish. This is the place to take the seasoned angler who is looking for some serious bragging rights. Many of the fish here top the charts in size on a regular basis. Steelhead, Lake Trout, and Brown Trout have been known to top 20 pounds apiece, but that’s not all. You’ll need some strong poles and lines for these northern freshwater fish, because they’ve been known to yank a rod right out of your hands with brute force! Stay alert and focused if you want to bring home the gold with a state-record breaking haul; fourteen of the state-record fish have come from the NYS Great Lakes region!
Some of the species you can find include:
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Yellow Perch
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Rock Bass
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Blue Gill
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White Perch
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White Bass
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Crappie
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Walleye
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Northern Pike
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Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass
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Lake Trout
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Chinook Salmon
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Steelhead and Rainbow Trout
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Brown Trout
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Coho Salmon
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Atlantic Salmon
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Channel Catfish
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Bullhead
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Sheepshead
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Carp
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Muskellunge
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Smelt
Boaters will cheer with glee as they explore the many shoals, reefs, and sandbars of the lakes. But the seasick among us needn’t fear the perils of being relegated to boat-only fishing; shore and bankside fishing is just as effective, and there are plenty of public piers as well as rivers and streams. Each of these fishing regions of the Great Lakes will give you ample opportunity to get a gold star catch:
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Lake Erie
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Upper Niagara River
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Lower Niagara River
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Western Lake ONtario
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Central Lake Ontario
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Southeast Lake Ontario
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Northeast Lake Ontario
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St. Lawrence River
As you can see, there are many bountiful fishing spots in the Great Lakes and nearby bodies of water, but the most lucrative spots are off Lake Erie. Let’s take a deep dive into the some of the top spots on Lake Erie!
Barcelona Harbor
Located 10 miles northeast of the Pennsylvania state border. There’s a boat launch here that will give you access to some top tier lake trout, and a high catch rate of walleye and smallmouth bass. The landlubbers can enjoy pier fishing for brown trout, steelhead, and smallmouth bass.
Brocton Shoal
Located 8 miles northeast of Barcelona Harbor, this is the perfect place for walleye, steelhead, brown trout, and even smallmouth bass.
VanBuren Reef and Bay
Situated 4 miles southwest of Dunkirk Harbor, it’s a hotspot for walleye and smallmouth bass.
Dunkirk Harbor
Perfect for anglers seeking smallmouth bass, walleye, yellow perch, brown trout, lake trout, and steelhead. The public piers also have high catch rates of trout, bullhead, bass, and panfish
Meyers Reef
A great spot to catch some walleye in the shallows, and some smallmouth bass in the deeper end of the reef.
Want to learn more about the NYS Great Lakes fishing options? NY Gov offers this incredible map and detailed PDF of information on boating and fishing in the area!
Are you a “need to see it to believe it” kinda person? We get it! Check out these amazing YouTube Videos which highlight some examples of your potential fishing bounty: