Tompkins, NY Fishing: Ithaca Waterfalls and its Gorgeous Gorges

Tomkins County is located in the Central Finger Lakes Region of New York, where one will find a great mix of culture and arts.  Known for its magnificent landscapes and natural havens, it sits right at the southern tip of the 40-mile-long Cayuga Lake, the longest of all 11 Finger Lakes. With a wide variety of recreational activities and beautiful outdoor attractions, Tompkins County has a place to suit everyone’s interests. From state and nature parks to galleries, cultural attractions, museums, theatres, and more, the county offers fantastic opportunities for entertainment while preserving history and giving importance to nature. Ithaca is its county seat, and the largest city is famous for its waterfalls. Millions of years ago, carved out by glaciers, nature has formed gorges and made a beautiful place now Ithaca.

When counties were established in 1683, Tompkins County was part of the once-colossal Albany County.  Seneca and Cayuga Counties merged to form Tompkins County in 1817. It was named after Daniel D. Tompkins, a former New York Governor, and United States Vice President.

The fishery in Tompkins County is booming, with several fishing spots accessible to local or visiting anglers. Apart from Cayuga Lake, Tompkins County is also home to other incredible water bodies such as Dryden Lake, Fall Creek, Salmon Creek, Locke Creek, and many more. The marvelous waters of Tompkins County give exciting opportunities for anglers to explore and be one with stunning nature while enjoying their favorite sport.

Tompkins Fishing

Tompkins County offers boat launch sites in Cayuga Lake that support anglers who like fishing on boats or other enthusiasts who want to go boating. Anglers can bring their fishing gear at Cayuga Lake’s shoreline and start setting up to do some fly fishing or launch nonmotorized boats and kayaks at either Myers Park or Salt Point Natural Area, both east of the lake for some drift fishing. Fishing in Myers Park gives a good chance of meeting more people that enjoy the same kind of sport, or just picnicking in general. But for anglers that prefer tranquility when fishing, the neighboring Salt Point Natural Area is a more recommendable nearby spot. Other access points to Cayuga Lake include Taughannock Falls State Park, northwest of Tompkins County, Stewart Park, and Allan H. Treman State Marine Park, south of the lake. Home to at least 90 species of cold water and warm water fish, some of the most notable game in Cayuga Lake include yellow perch, white perch, black crappie, northern pike, chain pickerel, largemouth, and smallmouth bass, longnose gar, bluegill, pumpkinseed, channel catfish, brown bullhead, common carp, freshwater drum, rainbow trout, brown trout, and different types of sunfish. However, the most popular games are Atlantic salmon and lake trout, both of which are generously stocked in the lake each year. Lake trout goes deeper into the waters during summer, at which vertical jigging comes in handy for some anglers. Cayuga Lake has a great diversity of plant and animal life that becomes part of the healthy food chain where its fish species grow and develop. 

Although shallow and weedy, Dryden Lake, nestled in the central east of Tompkins County, is a spot for game species such as largemouth bass, pumpkinseed, yellow perch, brown bullhead, golden shiner, common shiner, and common carp. Fishing with weedless lures is a good way of taking advantage of weed growth in the lake. With a shoreline length of 2.4 miles, relaxed fly fishing around the lake is popular among locals. The lake has a maximum depth of 12 feet and offers a boat launch site that makes for some good drifting. Dryden Lake gives early ice fishing opportunities to catch some bluegill and black crappie as the lake is one of the first water bodies to ice up in the area.

Taughannock Falls State Park is home to its namesake waterfall—a beautiful 215 feet plunge into the west shore of Cayuga Lake. The waterfall carves a 400 feet deep gorge through shale, sandstone, and limestone layers. The park has different recreational activities ready for everyone, including fishing. You can catch all trout species in the deep waters next to the tiny fishing pier of Taughannock Falls State Park. In the shallower parts, you can expect bass to be lurking, depending on the movements of the alewife. 

The 32-acre Jennings Pond is an excellent place to go for ice fishing. The pond situates in the middle portion of south Tompkins County, in Danby Town, where anglers could find a good variety of panfish and pickerel. Weed is thick in the pond, so weedless lures work best when catching some bass, especially in the summer. Six Mile Creek is another popular fishing spot in Tompkins County. Fallen trees provide an excellent habitat for fish that prefer to hide in cover, such as chain pickerel. Anglers may find it easy to catch bass along creek banks.

Fall Creek, a significant tributary to Cayuga Lake, is annually stocked with rainbow trout. Other game species found in the creek include smallmouth bass, brown trout, brook trout, and Atlantic salmon. When the creek’s water level gets low during fall, being stealthy helps not startle the fish. It is best to work upstream and move slowly, using polarized glasses to aid in wading and seeing fish. Good baits that work in Fall Creek are egg sacs, worms, and nightcrawlers.

Top 10 Fish Species in Tompkins, NY

The top 10 fish species you can find in Tompkins, NY, are northern pike, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, bluegill, yellow perch,  brown trout, rainbow trout, lake trout, Atlantic salmon, and black crappie.

Seasonal Fishing

Many of Cayuga Lake’s tributaries get stocked with rainbow trout during spring, where they will spend a year or two and leave an imprint. These fish will then migrate to Cayuga Lake to spend one to three years before going back to where they were stored to spawn. Landlocked salmon are stocked in the tributaries during the fall.

During April and May, trolling in the south end of Cayuga Lake gives anglers a good chance at bagging some Atlantic salmon, brown trout, rainbow trout, and northern pike. April is also an excellent time to fish some rainbow trout in Fall Creek, Salmon Creek, and the Cayuga Inlet.

Atlantic salmon fishing in Fall Creek and Salmon Creek is most productive during late September to October.

See the Beauty Carved by Nature in Tompkins

1. Book a Fishing Guide

Come to Tompkins County and discover its water fisheries with the help of a local guide. Explore its waters smoothly and find the most suitable place for your angling needs, minus all the other hassles.

2. Visit the Secret Ithaca Waterfalls

Downtown and near Stewart Park is the secret Ithaca Falls on Fall Creek. Gaze at the beauty of this 150 feet cascading fall, 175 feet wide, the final plunge of Fall Creek into Cayuga Lake. Remnants of half a dozen mills operating in 1817 remain on the south banks. Go to the bridge over Lake Street or to the footpath on the creek to see a different angle of Ithaca Falls’ beauty.

3. Awaken the Beekeeper in You

Get to know the world of genuinely raw and pure varietal honey in the Honeybee Embassy—a gourmet farm store that allows you to taste and explore how they produce honey in different ways and what bees are all about! The solar-powered building offers a place that supports honey bees and native pollinators. Don’t miss out on the informative fun! Honeybee Embassy is a place for everyone, so the whole family and kids of all ages will surely enjoy it!