Keuka Lake

[bulletbob]

I fish Keuka ... Fished it a few weeks ago,never had a hit.. It is NOT a good lake for Browns, Rainbows or Salmon... Guys that live on the lake don't even catch them, but there are a few still living in the lake.. It was very good at one time, but the sawbelly[Herring] population has collapsed, and decimated the population of those species.. There are a lot of smallish Lake trout there, and they can be caught trolling and jigging, but they aren't evreywhere, and you need to find them.. There is good smallmouth, pickerel and pan fishing as well, and you may get a Largemouth if you fish weedy areas at the north end of the lake,, These are NOT easy lakes to fish, and IMHO are over rated.. The fish are scattered and suspended, usually following suspended bait pods.. You will need a good depth finder. Also, they get a a bazillion hot rod boaters and jet skiers on warm summer weekends.. Fish early or late in the days, and find the fish on your fish finder, and drop jigs down.. You will need jigs of an ounce or more as the fish can be as deep as 150 feet down.. Sometimes, 100, or 90 feet, but these fish have access to VERY deep water and use it.. Other times they may be as shallow as 25 feet depending on the day, and weather conditions... Keuka is a very nice lake, but is entirely surrounded by homes, [ and mansions], and gets hit pretty hard these days.. best bet is panfish around the shorelines, smallmouths and pickerel as well, eaqrly mornings and evenings, or lakers out deep with heavy jigs, or jigging spoons..AVA jigs will catch them as well.. I have caught plenty of them on 1 or 2 oz. AVAs.. I used to fish Keuka a lot, and had days I jigged 30 or more lakers, but at least for me its no longer like that.. Its a beautiful lake, but has been hit hard by fishing pressure and environmental issues for the past decade or so...Best method of catching lakers is trolling deep with downriggers if you have them.. These lakers are stunted however, and a 5 pounder is a pretty big one at Keuka.. Let us know how you make out, and best of luck!... bob