Lake Ontario fishing

Lake Ontario fishing has Brown Trout and Rainbow Trout on the stocking report. Also recorded: Atlantic Salmon, Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon, Lake Trout, Smallmouth Bass, Largemouth Bass, and 6 more. It is stocked about 10 times a year since 2011, most often in April and May. Species guides list dawn, day, and dusk for Brown Trout, Yellow Perch, and Northern Pike, dawn and dusk for Rainbow Trout, Smallmouth Bass, and Largemouth Bass, and dawn for Lake Trout.

Lake Ontario
Photo: Andre Carrotflower, CC BY-SA 4.0
Last stocked
May 2025
Brown Trout
Plants on record
156
Since 2011
Species stocked
2 (+12 also recorded)
Average size
8.4 in
Elevation
277 ft

Fish at Lake Ontario

2 stocked · 12 confirmed present

Brown Trout Stocked · 127 plants · last May 2025 Best: dawn, day, dusk

Last stocked May 2025 · avg 8.2 in · 127 plants

Best: dawn, day, dusk

Brown Trout species guide
Rainbow Trout Stocked · 29 plants · last May 2019 Best: dawn, dusk

Last stocked May 2019 · avg 8.9 in · 29 plants

Best: dawn, dusk

Rainbow Trout species guide

How Lake Ontario is stocked

Source: New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.

Genesee River (0.8 mi) was stocked more recently. Genesee River is also stocked with Brown Trout and Rainbow Trout.

Fish stocked in 2011

153,400

Fish stocked in 2012

157,650

Fish stocked in 2013

129,000

Fish stocked in 2014

166,900

Fish stocked in 2015

135,930

Fish stocked in 2016

180,710

Fish stocked in 2017

141,400

Fish stocked in 2018

135,280

Fish stocked in 2019

159,600

Fish stocked in 2020

161,360

Fish stocked in 2021

130,410

Fish stocked in 2022

128,000

Fish stocked in 2023

128,100

Fish stocked in 2024

137,060

Fish stocked in 2025

121,660

Stocking history

Source: New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.
Date Species Quantity Avg. length Source
May 2025Brown Trout25,6307.9 inreport
May 2025Brown Trout25,6307.9 inreport
May 2025Brown Trout25,6308 inreport
April 2025Brown Trout25,5208.1 inreport
April 2025Brown Trout19,2507.9 inreport
May 2024Brown Trout17,1307.8 inreport
May 2024Brown Trout24,9307.6 inreport
May 2024Brown Trout7,6908.9 inreport
May 2024Brown Trout14,9807.8 inreport
April 2024Brown Trout22,4707.7 inreport
April 2024Brown Trout24,9307.8 inreport
April 2024Brown Trout24,9307.7 inreport
May 2023Brown Trout16,0007.9 inreport
May 2023Brown Trout7,2008.2 inreport
May 2023Brown Trout7,3008.2 inreport
May 2023Brown Trout17,5008 inreport
May 2023Brown Trout7,3008.1 inreport
May 2023Brown Trout7,3008.1 inreport
April 2023Brown Trout16,0007.9 inreport
April 2023Brown Trout17,5007.7 inreport
April 2023Brown Trout16,0007.9 inreport
April 2023Brown Trout16,0007.9 inreport
May 2022Brown Trout31,0008 inreport
May 2022Brown Trout15,5007.5 inreport
May 2022Brown Trout17,5008 inreport
May 2022Brown Trout17,5007.5 inreport
May 2022Brown Trout15,5008 inreport
May 2022Brown Trout31,0007.5 inreport
June 2021Brown Trout11,3808.1 inreport
May 2021Brown Trout15,0007.8 inreport
May 2021Brown Trout6,6207.8 inreport
May 2021Brown Trout6,6208 inreport
May 2021Brown Trout15,0008.1 inreport
May 2021Brown Trout17,5507.6 inreport
May 2021Brown Trout21,6208 inreport
May 2021Brown Trout5,3458 inreport
April 2021Brown Trout15,0007.7 inreport
April 2021Brown Trout16,2757.8 inreport
March 2020Brown Trout9,9807.9 inreport
March 2020Brown Trout23,2807.9 inreport
March 2020Brown Trout23,2807.9 inreport
March 2020Brown Trout38,2807.8 inreport
March 2020Brown Trout19,9807.6 inreport
March 2020Brown Trout23,28010.6 inreport
March 2020Brown Trout23,2807.7 inreport
June 2019Brown Trout10,0007.7 inreport
May 2019Brown Trout11,9608.9 inreport
May 2019Brown Trout11,9608.7 inreport
May 2019Brown Trout16,0007.7 inreport
May 2019Brown Trout7,9207.4 inreport
May 2019Rainbow Trout17,5808.4 inreport
May 2019Brown Trout11,9608.8 inreport
May 2019Brown Trout11,9607.5 inreport
May 2019Brown Trout13,3009.1 inreport
May 2019Brown Trout10,6208.8 inreport
May 2019Brown Trout8,2908.8 inreport
May 2019Brown Trout15,6307.6 inreport
April 2019Rainbow Trout10,0009.3 inreport
April 2019Rainbow Trout2,4209.3 inreport
June 2018Rainbow Trout6,9508.8 inreport
June 2018Brown Trout11,7458.1 inreport
May 2018Brown Trout11,7459.3 inreport
May 2018Brown Trout11,7458.8 inreport
May 2018Brown Trout11,7458.2 inreport
May 2018Rainbow Trout10,8808.6 inreport
May 2018Brown Trout11,7459 inreport
May 2018Brown Trout5,7458.9 inreport
May 2018Brown Trout6,0008.1 inreport
May 2018Brown Trout11,7459 inreport
May 2018Brown Trout11,7458.9 inreport
May 2018Brown Trout11,7458.9 inreport
May 2018Brown Trout11,7458.2 inreport
May 2017Rainbow Trout10,0008.1 inreport
May 2017Brown Trout15,0008.2 inreport
May 2017Brown Trout15,0008.1 inreport
May 2017Brown Trout7,2808 inreport
May 2017Brown Trout7,2808 inreport
May 2017Rainbow Trout20,0008.4 inreport
May 2017Brown Trout15,0008.1 inreport
May 2017Brown Trout7,2808.1 inreport
May 2017Brown Trout7,2808.1 inreport
May 2017Brown Trout7,2808.1 inreport
May 2017Brown Trout15,0008.1 inreport
May 2017Brown Trout15,0008 inreport
July 2016Brown Trout49,050–report
July 2016Brown Trout16,350–report
May 2016Rainbow Trout4,0709.7 inreport
May 2016Rainbow Trout5,9308.4 inreport
May 2016Brown Trout7,7509 inreport
May 2016Brown Trout15,5008.1 inreport
May 2016Brown Trout15,5208.1 inreport
May 2016Brown Trout23,2709.5 inreport
May 2016Brown Trout23,2709.2 inreport
April 2016Rainbow Trout2,5508.6 inreport
April 2016Rainbow Trout17,4508.6 inreport
June 2015Brown Trout4,9409 inreport
June 2015Rainbow Trout5,3808.5 inreport
May 2015Brown Trout15,4107.9 inreport
May 2015Brown Trout7,7007.9 inreport
May 2015Brown Trout15,4107.9 inreport
May 2015Brown Trout7,7007.8 inreport
May 2015Rainbow Trout15,0008.5 inreport
May 2015Brown Trout18,1707.9 inreport
May 2015Brown Trout7,7009.2 inreport
May 2015Brown Trout7,7009.2 inreport
May 2015Brown Trout15,4107.9 inreport
May 2015Brown Trout15,4107.8 inreport
October 2014Brown Trout26,9505.3 inreport
June 2014Brown Trout11,6309 inreport
June 2014Brown Trout7,9008.6 inreport
June 2014Brown Trout11,6308.5 inreport
May 2014Brown Trout23,2508.7 inreport
May 2014Brown Trout15,5008.2 inreport
May 2014Rainbow Trout8,8409.6 inreport
May 2014Rainbow Trout3,9509.3 inreport
May 2014Rainbow Trout3,0008.1 inreport
May 2014Brown Trout7,7508.2 inreport
May 2014Brown Trout7,7508.2 inreport
May 2014Brown Trout15,5008.1 inreport
April 2014Brown Trout8,9008.3 inreport
April 2014Brown Trout6,6008.2 inreport
April 2014Brown Trout7,7508.1 inreport
June 2013Brown Trout19,6308.8 inreport
June 2013Brown Trout19,6308.4 inreport
June 2013Rainbow Trout7,1409.1 inreport
June 2013Rainbow Trout8509 inreport
May 2013Rainbow Trout10,0009.3 inreport
May 2013Rainbow Trout10,0509.5 inreport
May 2013Rainbow Trout2,8109.3 inreport
May 2013Brown Trout9,8208.7 inreport
May 2013Brown Trout9,8108.2 inreport
May 2013Brown Trout6,5508.7 inreport
May 2013Brown Trout13,0808.7 inreport
May 2013Brown Trout19,6308.5 inreport
June 2012Brown Trout7,9008.5 inreport
May 2012Brown Trout23,9508.6 inreport
May 2012Brown Trout23,9508.5 inreport
May 2012Rainbow Trout9,6508.9 inreport
May 2012Brown Trout23,9508.7 inreport
May 2012Brown Trout23,9508.5 inreport
May 2012Brown Trout23,9508.3 inreport
April 2012Rainbow Trout10,0009.4 inreport
April 2012Rainbow Trout3,3409.4 inreport
April 2012Rainbow Trout7,0109.1 inreport
November 2011Rainbow Trout2,5006.6 inreport
June 2011Brown Trout11,4309.4 inreport
June 2011Brown Trout11,4309.2 inreport
June 2011Brown Trout6,6009 inreport
May 2011Rainbow Trout10,0009.1 inreport
May 2011Brown Trout22,8607.5 inreport
May 2011Brown Trout22,8607.2 inreport
May 2011Rainbow Trout4,6609.2 inreport
May 2011Rainbow Trout15,3408.8 inreport
May 2011Brown Trout22,8609.3 inreport
May 2011Brown Trout11,4309.4 inreport
May 2011Brown Trout11,4309 inreport

Access and facts

Nearest town
Rochester
Boat ramp
Yes
Float tube friendly
Yes
ADA accessible
No

DEC lists hard-surface ramps at the Genesee River mouth in Rochester (about 40 cars and trailers), on Irondequoit Bay in Irondequoit (28) and at Sandy Creek in Hamlin (50), plus hand launches at Slater Creek in Greece, on Irondequoit Bay in Penfield and at Hamlin (3 cars).

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

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

About Lake Ontario

Photo of Lake Ontario
Andre Carrotflower, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo of Lake Ontario
B137, CC0
Photo of Lake Ontario
B137, CC0

Nearest lakes

Genesee River 0.8 mi last stocked October 2025 Irondequoit Bay 5.6 mi last stocked June 2023 Salmon Creek 6.9 mi last stocked March 2020 Irondequoit Creek 7.1 mi last stocked May 2025 Sandy Creek 15.3 mi last stocked April 2025

Common questions

What fish are at Lake Ontario?

Fishing Lake Ontario usually means Brown Trout: Brown Trout accounts for 127 of 156 plants on record, ahead of Rainbow Trout. Brown Trout was last stocked May 2025, averaging 8.2 in. Rainbow Trout was last stocked May 2019, averaging 8.9 in. Atlantic Salmon, Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon, and Lake Trout, plus 8 more are recorded here outside the stocking reports.

When is Lake Ontario stocked?

Last stocked May 2025. It is stocked about 10 times a year since 2011, most often in April and May.

How big are the fish stocked at Lake Ontario?

Stocked fish average 8.4 in. Brown Trout average 8.2 in. Rainbow Trout average 8.9 in.

How do you get on Lake Ontario?

There is a boat ramp, it is float tube friendly, and it is not ADA accessible. The nearest town is Rochester. DEC lists hard-surface ramps at the Genesee River mouth in Rochester (about 40 cars and trailers), on Irondequoit Bay in Irondequoit (28) and at Sandy Creek in Hamlin (50), plus hand launches at Slater Creek in Greece, on Irondequoit Bay in Penfield and at Hamlin (3 cars).

Which lakes near Lake Ontario were stocked more recently?

Genesee River (0.8 mi) was stocked more recently. Genesee River is also stocked with Brown Trout and Rainbow Trout.

Sources (5) +