Dept 56 on the Road Again

Chautauqua Lake

Chautauqua Lake is located in the southeast corner of Chautauqua County and is the largest inland lake in western New York. Information technology's one of the highest navigable waters in N America and is divided into two basins of almost equal size by Bemus Point.

Physical Features:

Elevation: 1,308 feet
Surface area: 13,156 acres
Shoreline Length: 42.5 miles
Max Depth: North basin 75 feet, s basin 19 feet
Mean Depth: North basin 25 anxiety, south basin 11 feet
County & Town: Chautauqua County, Towns of Chautauqua, Ellery, North Harmony, Ellicott and Busti

Admission:

North Bowl

Long Point State Park: On east side of lake off Route 430, between Bemus Betoken and Maple Springs. Site offers shore fishing, hard surface boat launch, marina and day-utilise area. Parking for 56 cars with trailers and 70 cars. Fee.
DEC Prendergast Indicate Launch: West side of lake. From Route 394 plow onto Prendergast Blvd., turn right at end of street. Site offers shore fishing and hard surface boat launch. Parking for 50 cars and trailers.
Midway State Park: On e side of lake off Route 430. Turn into park archway and follow road to parking lot at intersection with Chautauqua Ave. Park offers shore line-fishing and water ice fishing admission.
Tom's Bespeak: Part of December Chautauqua Lake Fish & Wildlife Management Area. On due west side of lake. From Route 394, turn eastward onto Stow Road and then left at 2d intersection. Site offers 1,920 feet of shoreline access and parking for 8 cars.

Due south Basin

DEC Bemus Signal Launch: Located on east side of lake on Lakeside Ave. in the Village of Bemus Point. Hard surface boat launch with parking for 30 cars and trailers.
Cheney Farm: Office of Dec Chautauqua Lake Fish & Wildlife Management Expanse. On east side of lake off Route 430, nigh 2 miles south of the Village of Bemus Signal. Site offers 3,446 feet of shoreline admission and parking for 5 cars.
Stow Farm: Part of DEC Chautauqua Lake Fish & Wildlife Direction Surface area. On westward side of lake off Route 394, 0.5 mile south of I-86 intersection. Site offers ane,100 feet of shoreline admission and parking for 6 cars.

For more data on these launches including Google Maps driving directions, visit the Gunkhole Launch Sites for Chautauqua County folio.

Accessible Features:

The boat launches at Prendergast Point (DEC) and Long Point State Park (OPRHP) both provide accessible loading docks, bathrooms and designated parking. Stow Farm provides a paved pathway to an accessible waterfowl hunting blind that tin can also be utilized as a fishing deck. See above for directions.

Full list of Dec's Accessible Recreation Destinations.

Fish Species:

Largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, muskellunge, walleye, yellow perch, pumpkinseed, bluegill, black crappie, white crappie, white perch, white bass, brown bullhead, xanthous bullhead, white sucker, common carp, stone bass, longnose gar and golden shiner.

Fishing:

Chautauqua Lake supports a diverse sportfishery, with angling for walleye, muskellunge, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass and several species of panfish. The shallower s bowl has extensive weed beds and some productive shoals. In the north basin, weed beds are found in the shallow trophy and in the very northern section. The due north bowl is besides known for its numerous, deep, kettle holes. The north basin stratifies during summer with a thermocline occurring around 30 feet. There can be anoxic conditions below the thermocline from July through August. For electric current fishing data visit the Lake Erie Angling Hotline or telephone call 716-855-3474.

Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass: Chautauqua Lake ranks among the top bass lakes in New York State. The shallow, weedy areas and docks offer exceptional cover for largemouth bass. Boaters and shore anglers practise best past keying on these areas where bass wait to deadfall prey. Early on morning and evening are the prime times for surface-type plugs. Anglers also have skilful luck using spinner baits, plastic worms, jig-and-pigs, crank baits and live bait, such equally crayfish and shiners. Although less abundant than largemouth, smallmouth bass can offer skillful action for those angling the right spots. Deep drop-offs, points, rocky shoals, gravel confined almost creek mouths and the islands in the south basin have proven to exist the most productive areas for smallmouth bass. When fishing over deeper structure, a driblet-shot rig with crayfish, shiners or plastics work well.

Muskellunge: Chautauqua Lake is recognized as a premiere, world-course muskellunge fishery, with many fish in the xl-50 inch class caught each yr. Anglers employ a number of productive tactics when chasing Chautauqua's top predator. Better catch numbers tend to come from shallower areas along weed edges, where trolling or drifting and casting are both constructive methods. Trollers also see skilful action for larger, suspended musky caught over depths of 25-35 feet, in the n basin. Chautauqua's musky population is supported by an annual stocking of 13,000 fall fingerlings (viii.5 to 9 inches), by the Dec Chautauqua Hatchery at Prendergast Betoken. A minimum size limit of 40 inches and a daily limit of i fish have been set to aid maintain the high quality muskellunge angling. Anglers are encouraged to release their catch without even bringing the fish into the boat. When muskellunge are handled carefully, the odds of surviving to exist caught over again are first-class.

Walleye: Walleye are a highly prized sportfish of Chautauqua Lake. Walleye are moderately abundant in the lake and showroom a slower growth charge per unit. Early flavour anglers catch walleye along Chautauqua Lake's gravel shoals by casting or trolling minnow-imitating lures. The all-time fishing occurs from dusk through dawn during the early flavour. During

Fisheries technicians with Chautauqua
Lake walleye collected during survey

the summer months, fish in deeper areas of the lake where the h2o temperatures preferred by walleye exist. Anglers should concentrate their efforts in deeper h2o during the twenty-four hour period, moving to shallower areas at dusk when the walleye move inshore to feed. During fall, try trolling a minnow-fake lure along the lesser, or jig forth sharp drop-offs. Proficient areas to fish include Mission Meadows, the Bell Tower, Prendergast Indicate, Long Point, Warner Bar, Greenhurst, Cheney'due south Farm, Bemus Bay and Tom's Signal. Historically, walleye fishing quality depended on the presence of strong "natural" hatches. Declining abundance in the 1990s led to the initiation of a walleye stocking program in 2003. Currently, the walleye population is supported by annual stockings of 130,000 50-twenty-four hour period fingerlings and 130,000 pond fingerlings.

Panfish: Yellow perch, white perch, pumpkinseed, bluegill, crappie and bullhead provide yr-round fishing opportunity. These tasty fish are fun to catch for both the novice and expert angler alike. Weed lines are good spots to locate panfish, as they provide abundant food and security from predators. During the summertime and fall, live baits such as minnows or worms produce the best perch and sunfish catches. Preferred gear is an ultralight rod and reel with 4-6 pound test line. Live minnows fished with a bobber is a popular technique, simply fishing small-scale jigs tipped with bait is also productive. Bullhead fishing is best during the spring and early summer. Fishing later on dark with nightcrawlers, crayfish or odor-attractant baits on the lesser works well. During the jump spawning period, bullheads concentrate over areas of soft lesser. Crappie fishing is more often than not best in spring and fall in the shallow windward embayments, where warm surface h2o attracts baitfish.

Water ice Fishing:

Chautauqua Lake is a top "hardwater" destination in western New York, offering expert opportunities for walleye and multiple panfish. Small jigs tipped with "grubs" works well for panfish. Yellow perch volition also readily hitting small jigging spoons tipped with a small minnow. Pop areas for yellow perch and other panfish include Mayville, Prendergast, Long Point, Dewittville, Ashville Bay and the Celoron area. Ice line-fishing for walleye is generally best during low-light periods. Jigging with minnow-imitating lures similar jigging Rapalas, blade baits or jigging spoons are proficient bets. Add a small minnow or grubs to brand lures more enticing. Tip-ups set with shiners besides produce the occasional walleye catch. For walleye, fish Chautauqua'due south north basin. Skillful areas include the Warner Bar, Bell Belfry, Dewittville, Prendergast Point, Mission Meadows, Long Bespeak, Victoria and Magnolia. Public admission during the winter months is available at sites listed in the "Public Admission" section above, as well as at the City of Mayville Park and the Village of Lakewood Park. See the Ice Fishing Basics folio for beginner ice fishing information.

Regulations:

Special regulations use. Encounter the Freshwater Fishing Regulation Guide (PDF).

History of Muskellunge Culture:

Bemus Betoken Hatchery, 1908

The management and civilization of muskellunge was built-in on the waters of Chautauqua Lake. The first efforts to civilization muskellunge, in 1888, occurred in the vicinity of Greenhurst (due south basin) but operations were soon moved to Bemus Point where the commencement permanent hatchery building was constructed in 1904. Culture of muskellunge at Bemus Point Hatchery continued until 1973 when all fish production was moved across the lake to Prendergast Point where more space for ponds and a improve source of leap h2o were available.

Approx. fifty lb musky handled
by hatchery staff, 1937

Bemus Indicate Hatchery, 1918

Little remains of the original Bemus Hatchery except the garage which is at present used for equipment storage by the Hamlet of Bemus Indicate. Where the Bemus Point Hatchery one time stood now sits the Dec Bemus Point Fishing Access Site, providing trailer launch access to Chautauqua Lake. Production of muskellunge at the mod Chautauqua Hatchery at Prendergast Point uses a combination of in-hatchery and outside/swimming rearing to maximize survival of the 25,000 to 30,000 (8 inch+) fingerling muskellunge stocked out to Chautauqua Lake and other surface area waters. This is the but December hatchery raising pure strain muskellunge, which are obtained from netting and egg collections on Chautauqua Lake. The 12, one acre hatchery ponds are also used to rear approximately 250,000 fingerling walleye. These walleye are also stocked to Chautauqua Lake and other surface area waters.

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Source: https://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/9230.html

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