Irondequoit Bay
About The Irondequoit Bay
Irondequoit Bay, NY
Irondequoit Bay is an inlet of Lake Ontario, located in the northeastern part of Monroe County in New York. It has an elevation of 250 feet, with an area of 1,660 acres, a shoreline length of 17.7 miles, and a maximum depth of 73 feet. Irondequoit Creek empties into this bay from the south, flowing through Ontario and Monroe counties. A channel links the northeast end of the bay with Lake Ontario. The middle portion of Irondequoit Bay serves as boundaries for Irondequoit, Penfield, and Webster towns.
Irondequoit Bay has a rich history, beginning in the pre-Columbian period when the Senecas governed it and dominated New York. The French brought civilization into the community when they ended the regimen of the Senecas. After the American Revolution, Irondequoit was part of the purchase of two veterans of the Revolution who acquired almost the entirety of western New York until the development of trolleys, rail lines, and automobiles.
Irondequoit Bay Fishing Description
All About Fishing in Irondequoit Bay, NY
Irondequoit Bay is primarily a fishing harbor, wherein the locals have called their community “where the land and waters meet.” A vast aquatic plant life populates the bay with the submersed and floating vegetations at its shoreline and southern end. The Eurasian watermilfoil and some pondweed flourish in the Irondequoit Bay. Its ecosystem would not be complete without the variety of fish species thriving in the bay – brown bullhead, rock bass, bowfin, northern pike, channel catfish, yellow perch, largemouth bass, black crappie, chain pickerel, bluegill, smallmouth bass, and walleye. Yellow perch comprises the bulk of what ice fisherfolks caught in the bay. You may trap an average of six to fourteen inches long of yellow perch with a maximum of about 3 pounds in weight. And they feed on insects, crayfish, worms, eggs, and small minnows. Perch also serve as a forage base for bigger fish like walleye, northern pike, and pickerel.
Anglers come to Irondequoit Bay as a pleasant diversion during tough fishing times in Lake Ontario. And excellent northern pike and yellow perch await in the bay when ice develops, safe enough for ice fishing. Before you go ice fishing, you will need to collect all necessities first, such as propane heaters, specialized rods and reels, tip-ups, ice fishing tents, pop-out ice hut, and warm clothes. And remember that in ice fishing, you can look where the fish are biting. To make you feel safer, go to a fishing spot where several anglers ice fish already and avoid wandering to areas less traveled unless you are confident by experience. Ice over four inches thick and not too clear blue would be safe for you to walk on. You may catch up to 50 yellow perch a day when you drilled a hole in the correct spot. You may want to use small jigs tipped with waxworm grubs and mousie, as recommended by experienced ice anglers.
Irondequoit Bay Seasonal & Other Description
Fishing Seasonality
Fishing in Irondequoit Bay is excellent all year round, even during the winter season, wherein ice anglers head out to trap trout, walleye, and perch onto their hooks. Note that ice fishing can get dangerous when an angler is not equipped with the right gear and technique. The good news is, the United States Coast Guard is ready to rescue anglers in danger of ice fishing in Irondequoit Bay. They foresee that the strength of the ice transitions quickly over an entire course of fishing.
Early spring fishing can be productive for brown bullhead and white perch. Yellow perch is active during the spring season. And when the night comes, you can troll for walleye using spinnerbait or stick bait. During the summer season, visiting boats fill the Irondequoit Bay in its three marinas. Discharge from the bay at warmer water levels attracts salmon, trout, and steelhead into it before heading their way to the headwaters.
Temperature and Optimal Seasons
Fishing Seasonality
Fishing in Irondequoit Bay is excellent all year round, even during the winter season, wherein ice anglers head out to trap trout, walleye, and perch onto their hooks. Note that ice fishing can get dangerous when an angler is not equipped with the right gear and technique. The good news is, the United States Coast Guard is ready to rescue anglers in danger of ice fishing in Irondequoit Bay. They foresee that the strength of the ice transitions quickly over an entire course of fishing.
Early spring fishing can be productive for brown bullhead and white perch. Yellow perch is active during the spring season. And when the night comes, you can troll for walleye using spinnerbait or stick bait. During the summer season, visiting boats fill the Irondequoit Bay in its three marinas. Discharge from the bay at warmer water levels attracts salmon, trout, and steelhead into it before heading their way to the headwaters.
Irondequoit Bay Fish Species
All About Fishing in Irondequoit Bay, NY
Irondequoit Bay is primarily a fishing harbor, wherein the locals have called their community “where the land and waters meet.” A vast aquatic plant life populates the bay with the submersed and floating vegetations at its shoreline and southern end. The Eurasian watermilfoil and some pondweed flourish in the Irondequoit Bay. Its ecosystem would not be complete without the variety of fish species thriving in the bay – brown bullhead, rock bass, bowfin, northern pike, channel catfish, yellow perch, largemouth bass, black crappie, chain pickerel, bluegill, smallmouth bass, and walleye. Yellow perch comprises the bulk of what ice fisherfolks caught in the bay. You may trap an average of six to fourteen inches long of yellow perch with a maximum of about 3 pounds in weight. And they feed on insects, crayfish, worms, eggs, and small minnows. Perch also serve as a forage base for bigger fish like walleye, northern pike, and pickerel.
Anglers come to Irondequoit Bay as a pleasant diversion during tough fishing times in Lake Ontario. And excellent northern pike and yellow perch await in the bay when ice develops, safe enough for ice fishing. Before you go ice fishing, you will need to collect all necessities first, such as propane heaters, specialized rods and reels, tip-ups, ice fishing tents, pop-out ice hut, and warm clothes. And remember that in ice fishing, you can look where the fish are biting. To make you feel safer, go to a fishing spot where several anglers ice fish already and avoid wandering to areas less traveled unless you are confident by experience. Ice over four inches thick and not too clear blue would be safe for you to walk on. You may catch up to 50 yellow perch a day when you drilled a hole in the correct spot. You may want to use small jigs tipped with waxworm grubs and mousie, as recommended by experienced ice anglers.
