Cayuga Lake fishing

Cayuga Lake fishing is stocked with Brown Trout, Lake Trout, Atlantic Salmon, and Lake Sturgeon on a natural lake. Also recorded: Rainbow Trout, Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, Chain Pickerel, Yellow Perch, and 11 more. It is stocked about 9.8 times a year since 2011, most often in April and May. Species guides list dawn, day, and dusk for Brown Trout, Northern Pike, and Chain Pickerel, dawn for Lake Trout, and dawn and dusk for Rainbow Trout, Largemouth Bass, and Smallmouth Bass.

Cayuga Lake
Photo: Acurarri, CC BY-SA 4.0
Last stocked
November 2025
Lake Trout
Plants on record
147
Since 2011
Species stocked
4 (+17 also recorded)
Average size
7.5 in
Elevation
381 ft

Fish at Cayuga Lake

4 stocked · 17 confirmed present

Brown Trout Stocked · 51 plants · last June 2025 Best: dawn, day, dusk

Last stocked June 2025 · avg 8.5 in · 51 plants

Best: dawn, day, dusk

Brown Trout species guide
Lake Trout Stocked · 26 plants · last November 2025 Best: dawn

Last stocked November 2025 · avg 6.9 in · 26 plants

Best: dawn

Lake Trout species guide
Lake Sturgeon Stocked · 12 plants · last September 2025

Last stocked September 2025 · avg 5.7 in · 12 plants

Lake Sturgeon species guide

How Cayuga Lake is stocked

Source: New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.

Fish stocked in 2011

128,320

Fish stocked in 2012

139,610

Fish stocked in 2013

122,310

Fish stocked in 2014

126,430

Fish stocked in 2015

125,980

Fish stocked in 2016

144,019

Fish stocked in 2017

142,590

Fish stocked in 2018

141,600

Fish stocked in 2019

131,940

Fish stocked in 2020

233,050

Fish stocked in 2021

141,540

Fish stocked in 2022

132,450

Fish stocked in 2023

118,995

Fish stocked in 2024

120,150

Fish stocked in 2025

126,385

Stocking history

Source: New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.
Date Species Quantity Avg. length Source
November 2025Lake Trout70,0006.5 inreport
September 2025Lake Sturgeon3,0006 inreport
June 2025Brown Trout2,8957.5 inreport
May 2025Atlantic Salmon10,3206.69 inreport
May 2025Atlantic Salmon10,3206.69 inreport
May 2025Atlantic Salmon3,0906.69 inreport
April 2025Brown Trout8,9206.7 inreport
April 2025Brown Trout8,9209.1 inreport
April 2025Brown Trout8,9207.8 inreport
November 2024Lake Trout70,0006.9 inreport
April 2024Brown Trout9,1008.7 inreport
April 2024Atlantic Salmon10,0007 inreport
April 2024Atlantic Salmon2,8507 inreport
April 2024Atlantic Salmon10,0007 inreport
April 2024Brown Trout9,1008.2 inreport
March 2024Brown Trout9,1008.9 inreport
November 2023Lake Trout70,0006.5 inreport
October 2023Lake Sturgeon2,9756 inreport
May 2023Atlantic Salmon8,9207 inreport
May 2023Atlantic Salmon8,9207 inreport
May 2023Atlantic Salmon2,6807.1 inreport
April 2023Brown Trout8,5007.8 inreport
April 2023Brown Trout8,5007.8 inreport
April 2023Brown Trout8,5007.8 inreport
November 2022Lake Trout35,0006.5 inreport
October 2022Lake Sturgeon2,5006 inreport
October 2022Lake Trout35,0006.5 inreport
May 2022Brown Trout17,0009 inreport
April 2022Atlantic Salmon14,1006.5 inreport
April 2022Brown Trout2,5308 inreport
April 2022Atlantic Salmon26,3206.5 inreport
November 2021Lake Trout70,0006.2 inreport
October 2021Lake Sturgeon2,5007 inreport
April 2021Brown Trout9,3007.7 inreport
April 2021Atlantic Salmon15,0006.5 inreport
April 2021Brown Trout8,3708 inreport
April 2021Brown Trout8,3707.8 inreport
April 2021Atlantic Salmon13,0006.5 inreport
April 2021Atlantic Salmon15,0006.5 inreport
November 2020Lake Trout1,9606.8 inreport
November 2020Lake Trout18,8906.5 inreport
October 2020Lake Sturgeon1,7145.5 inreport
October 2020Lake Trout45,0006.4 inreport
September 2020Lake Sturgeon2,6066 inreport
June 2020Brown Trout59,8803.8 inreport
March 2020Atlantic Salmon13,0007 inreport
March 2020Atlantic Salmon15,0006.5 inreport
March 2020Atlantic Salmon15,0006.5 inreport
March 2020Brown Trout20,0008.1 inreport
March 2020Brown Trout20,0008.3 inreport
March 2020Brown Trout20,0007.9 inreport
November 2019Lake Trout70,0006.1 inreport
October 2019Lake Sturgeon5,0006.5 inreport
July 2019Brown Trout15,0003.9 inreport
May 2019Atlantic Salmon1,10012.7 inreport
May 2019Atlantic Salmon4,2407 inreport
May 2019Brown Trout8,8609 inreport
May 2019Atlantic Salmon1,00012.9 inreport
May 2019Atlantic Salmon66412.9 inreport
May 2019Atlantic Salmon43612.7 inreport
May 2019Atlantic Salmon1,5207 inreport
May 2019Atlantic Salmon3,6807 inreport
May 2019Atlantic Salmon2,7207 inreport
April 2019Brown Trout8,8609 inreport
April 2019Brown Trout8,8609 inreport
November 2018Lake Trout35,0006.4 inreport
October 2018Lake Sturgeon2,5005 inreport
October 2018Lake Trout35,0006.2 inreport
May 2018Atlantic Salmon15,0007.3 inreport
May 2018Brown Trout8,7009.1 inreport
May 2018Atlantic Salmon6,5007.3 inreport
May 2018Atlantic Salmon8,5007.1 inreport
May 2018Atlantic Salmon13,0007.1 inreport
April 2018Brown Trout8,7009.1 inreport
April 2018Brown Trout8,7009.1 inreport
November 2017Lake Trout70,0006.1 inreport
May 2017Atlantic Salmon6,6407 inreport
May 2017Atlantic Salmon15,0006.9 inreport
May 2017Brown Trout8,2509 inreport
May 2017Atlantic Salmon6,6526.9 inreport
May 2017Atlantic Salmon13,0006.6 inreport
May 2017Atlantic Salmon6,5486.6 inreport
April 2017Brown Trout8,2509.2 inreport
April 2017Brown Trout8,2509 inreport
November 2016Lake Trout40,0006.6 inreport
October 2016Brown Trout9,500–report
October 2016Brown Trout10,000–report
October 2016Lake Sturgeon659–report
May 2016Atlantic Salmon15,0007.1 inreport
May 2016Brown Trout8,6209 inreport
May 2016Atlantic Salmon8,5007.4 inreport
May 2016Atlantic Salmon13,0007.4 inreport
May 2016Atlantic Salmon6,5007.1 inreport
May 2016Lake Trout15,0009.2 inreport
April 2016Brown Trout8,6209 inreport
April 2016Brown Trout8,6209 inreport
November 2015Lake Trout40,0006.7 inreport
October 2015Lake Sturgeon2,5000.3 inreport
June 2015Atlantic Salmon5,0007 inreport
May 2015Atlantic Salmon15,0006.9 inreport
May 2015Atlantic Salmon13,0006.9 inreport
May 2015Atlantic Salmon8,5006.9 inreport
May 2015Atlantic Salmon6,5006.9 inreport
May 2015Lake Trout9,8008.9 inreport
April 2015Brown Trout8,5609 inreport
April 2015Brown Trout8,5609.1 inreport
April 2015Brown Trout8,5609 inreport
November 2014Lake Trout40,0006.4 inreport
October 2014Lake Sturgeon2,6004.5 inreport
May 2014Atlantic Salmon15,0007.1 inreport
May 2014Atlantic Salmon13,0007.1 inreport
May 2014Atlantic Salmon8,5007.1 inreport
May 2014Atlantic Salmon6,5007.1 inreport
May 2014Lake Trout15,0008.9 inreport
May 2014Brown Trout8,6108.8 inreport
April 2014Brown Trout2,7908.9 inreport
April 2014Brown Trout4,4308.8 inreport
April 2014Brown Trout10,0009 inreport
November 2013Lake Trout40,0006.8 inreport
October 2013Lake Sturgeon2,50010 inreport
May 2013Atlantic Salmon15,0006.9 inreport
May 2013Brown Trout7,2709.2 inreport
May 2013Atlantic Salmon6,5006.9 inreport
May 2013Atlantic Salmon8,5006.9 inreport
May 2013Atlantic Salmon13,0006.9 inreport
May 2013Lake Trout15,0008.7 inreport
May 2013Brown Trout7,2709 inreport
April 2013Brown Trout7,2709 inreport
November 2012Lake Trout40,0006.4 inreport
June 2012Atlantic Salmon5,0006.8 inreport
May 2012Atlantic Salmon10,7506.3 inreport
May 2012Brown Trout8,8709.6 inreport
May 2012Atlantic Salmon21,5006.5 inreport
May 2012Atlantic Salmon10,7506.3 inreport
May 2012Lake Trout20,0008.5 inreport
May 2012Lake Trout5,0003.4 inreport
May 2012Brown Trout2,7009.6 inreport
May 2012Brown Trout6,1709 inreport
April 2012Brown Trout8,8708.9 inreport
November 2011Lake Trout40,0006.1 inreport
May 2011Atlantic Salmon10,7505.7 inreport
May 2011Brown Trout9,7109.5 inreport
May 2011Atlantic Salmon10,7505.7 inreport
May 2011Atlantic Salmon21,5005.6 inreport
May 2011Lake Trout20,0007.9 inreport
May 2011Brown Trout7,1708.7 inreport
April 2011Brown Trout8,4408.5 inreport

Access and facts

Water type
natural lake
Nearest town
Aurora
Shore access
Yes
Boat ramp
Yes
ADA accessible
Yes
Facilities
dock, camping

Concrete state ramps at Allan H. Treman Marine Park in Ithaca (141 spaces), Taughannock Falls, Long Point near Aurora (35), Cayuga Lake State Park and Dean's Cove. Mud Lock has a wheelchair-accessible launch with dock; Stewart Park is shore only. Hydrilla present, clean gear.

Drafted by AI from the cited sources and checked before publishing.

View larger map · Open in Google Maps · Directions

Advisories, closures, regulations and water conditions change. Check the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation before you go.

About Cayuga Lake

Photo of Cayuga Lake
Acurarri, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo of Cayuga Lake
The original uploader was Cornellrockey at English Wikipedia. Later versions were uploaded by Mercuryboard at en.wikipedia., CC BY-SA 2.5
Photo of Cayuga Lake
Acurarri, CC BY-SA 4.0

Nearest lakes

Canoga Creek 12.3 mi last stocked April 2025 Keuka Lake Outlet 12.5 mi last stocked April 2025 Salmon Creek 12.9 mi last stocked October 2025 Owasco Inlet 13 mi last stocked October 2025 Owasco Lake 14 mi last stocked October 2025

Common questions

What fish are at Cayuga Lake?

Fishing Cayuga Lake usually means Atlantic Salmon: Atlantic Salmon accounts for 58 of 147 plants on record, ahead of Brown Trout and 2 more. Atlantic Salmon was last stocked May 2025, averaging 7.2 in. Brown Trout was last stocked June 2025, averaging 8.5 in. Lake Trout was last stocked November 2025, averaging 6.9 in. Lake Sturgeon was last stocked September 2025, averaging 5.7 in. Rainbow Trout, Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, and Northern Pike, plus 13 more are recorded here outside the stocking reports.

When is Cayuga Lake stocked?

Last stocked November 2025. It is stocked about 9.8 times a year since 2011, most often in April and May.

How big are the fish stocked at Cayuga Lake?

Stocked fish average 7.5 in. Atlantic Salmon average 7.2 in. Brown Trout average 8.5 in. Lake Trout average 6.9 in. Lake Sturgeon average 5.7 in.

How do you get on Cayuga Lake?

Shore fishing is available, there is a boat ramp, and it is ADA accessible. The nearest town is Aurora. Facilities include dock and camping. Concrete state ramps at Allan H. Treman Marine Park in Ithaca (141 spaces), Taughannock Falls, Long Point near Aurora (35), Cayuga Lake State Park and Dean's Cove. Mud Lock has a wheelchair-accessible launch with dock; Stewart Park is shore only. Hydrilla present, clean gear.

Sources (6) +