Yates, NY Fishing: Great Lakes Fishing in a Charming Town

Yates in west New York is situated in the northwestern part of Orleans County. It borders Somerset, Carlton, Ridgeway, and Lake Ontario. Yates comprises several villages and hamlets, including Lyndonville, Millers, County Line, Shadigee, and Yates Center; it was known as Northton before being incorporated in 1822 from Ridgeway. It was then named after former New York Governor Joseph C. Yates.

The place is charming and showcases all-around fun through its many outdoor offerings that can be enjoyed in any season. Because of this, many campgrounds are set up throughout, with some even boasting a lakefront location by Lake Ontario. One can also enjoy panoramic views of farms and fruit orchards scattered all over the area. As Yates’ area is 28% coastline, plenty of onshore and offshore activities can be done, such as hiking, biking, camping, swimming,  picnicking, golfing, canoeing, paddle boating, and even fishing. For anglers, Yates’ ideal lakeside placement, as well as bountiful creeks, make it a terrific place for one’s next angling adventure.

Yates Fishing 

Freshwater anglers will have a great time out in Yates as it possesses miles of one of the Great Lakes coastlines. Either onshore or offshore fishing can be done in the charming western New York town while enjoying other outdoor activities and staying in many of the camping areas that give further opportunity for nature basking. 

Acting as its northern border, the best place to start one’s angling adventure in Yates is to fish from the great Lake Ontario. The lake is one of New York’s top fisheries, as it’s where one will get the chance to reel in world-class trophy fish. Out of all the Great Lakes, Lake Ontario is where anglers can find the largest Chinook salmon. One can also catch trophy-sized coho salmon, steelhead trout, rainbow trout, brown trout, lake trout, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, and walleye. Lake Ontario’s multiple bays and coastal areas can provide excellent action for bass, walleye, yellow perch, and panfish as well. Atlantic salmon is another possible target though they are less numerous in the lake than Chinook and coho salmon, stocked in its waters every year. Local camping areas, marinas, beach areas, Yates Town Park, and the north offer lake and boat launch sites.

With the lake’s vastness, trolling for salmon and trout is the best way to catch them as the method helps anglers cover massive areas of water. Using live bait such as alewife and rainbow smelt effectively lures the fish. Round gobies are also good baits to use when fishing for brown trout and lake trout, especially when fishing onshore or near the shore when the waters are cool. During warmer climates, trout can often be found in deeper waters, making bottom fishing a good way to hook them in. Anglers who want to stay on the coast can easily target brown trout along the shoreline or at tributary mouths because the water is warmer in those spots. It is also possible to reel in salmon from the shore as they follow baitfish or spawn nearby during the spring and fall. In tributaries, fly fishing and spinning for salmon are also the way to go. 

Johnson Creek is a stream that winds through Lyndonville as it empties into Lake Ontario. It’s known for great steelhead fishing because of its cool waters and is annually stocked with thousands of fish. Other species anglers can target in the stream include brown trout, rainbow trout, Chinook salmon, and coho salmon. Public fishing access for the stream is allowed up until the dam in Lyndonville. The stream’s best fishing area can be accessed off Blood Road, where bank fishing and wade fishing are commonly done. Steelheads are reeled in using spinning and jigging lures. 

Another tributary of Lake Ontario found in Yates is Marsh Creek which flows from the west to the northeast. Like the lake’s other tributaries, it hosts similar species of brown trout, rainbow trout, Chinook salmon, and coho salmon. The best area to see some action is where its mouth meets with the lake off Sharping Lane. 

The Town of Yates doesn’t host any fishing tournaments, but other towns adjacent to Lake Ontario hold their own events every year. Some examples include the Lake Ontario Counties Derbies held every spring, summer, and fall and the Orleans County Open, with anglers contending to catch the best salmon and trout.

Top 10 Fish Species in Yates, NY

The top 10 fish species found in Yates, New York are Chinook salmon, coho salmon, steelhead trout, rainbow trout, brown trout, lake trout, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, walleye, and yellow perch.

Seasonal Fishing

The sought-after sport fish, the chinook salmon, can be caught all year. Lake Ontario can be found west in the spring and east during the summer. Late summer, around mid-to-late August and September, provides king-sized fish, especially off tributary mouths. Anglers can also see plenty of them in November and December when eggs start to hatch the following spawning in October. May and June are good months to catch plenty of fish because they’re stocked. Coho salmon can be targeted earlier in the spring compared to chinook salmon. The peak month to catch salmon in streams is October, when they feed before migrating to the lake. Spring provides terrific brown trout fishing as they can be found near and far off the shore during that time. Steelhead and lake trout like being in cool waters, making winter, early spring, and fall targets. Trout fishing in streams and tributaries is action-packed when stocked during the spring and fall. Fishing for freshwater bass is open from June to November in Lake Ontario, with the rest of the year closed for angling, including catch and release. Walleye can be caught from May to March, while yellow perch is open for year-round fishing.

Lakeside Leisure in Yates, NY

Yates is a veritable place for outdoor enthusiasts, offering plenty of fun activities and boasting panoramic views of a Great Lake, farms, orchards, and even a drumlin.

1. Book a Fishing Charter

Fishing charters can be booked in Yates as it possesses several spots to catch the game. From Lake Ontario acting as its northern border to the various streams winding throughout it. Anglers can also rent boats around areas with access to the lake in the north.

2. Exceptional Camping

Yates is home to numerous campgrounds that offer lakeside locations and all-around fun activities for the whole family. Green Harbor Campground & Marina provides the ultimate camping experience, having several cottages, an RV site, its own sandy beach, as well as a marina that has 30 dock slips. On the other hand, Medina/Wildwood KOA Campground has a variety of camping areas, whether it's waterside, sunny or shaded. They offer activities like swimming, canoeing, paddle boating, and various themed events during the weekends. 

3. See a Shrine of Forgotten Footwear

On the corner of Lake Shore Road and Foss Road in Lyndonville are four trees embellished with discarded shoes that locals have dubbed ‘The Shoe Trees.’ Shoes are tossed up, hanged, or even nailed to the trees. It’s even said that if people tie up a pair of shoes and toss them up, they can have their wishes granted. It allows visitors to be a part of an unofficial Upstate New York landmark.