Lake Ontario offers excellent trout fishing, particularly for brown trout, lake trout and steelhead or rainbow trout.

Lake Trout

Lake Ontario is home to a healthy population of both native and stocked lake trout. Known for their size, Lake Ontario lake trout average 15-25 pounds, with some growing up to three feet long and weighing more than 40 pounds. These sport fish are known to be hard fighters, highly-prized as a food fish. In recent years, Lake Ontario has seen a dramatic rise in the number of lake trout born in the wild.

Brown Trout

Now a naturalized species, Brown trout were introduced to Lake Ontario in 1913, and New York State continues to restock the species each year. They are a popular game fish all over the world, and are known for reaching up to 30 pounds and living longer than other species. The Brown trout’s fighting determination and unique football-shaped appearance, which is a result of gorging themselves when they feed, makes them a desirable catch in Lake Ontario.

Steelhead & Rainbow Trout

Steelhead trout are migratory rainbow trout that have adapted to living in Lake Ontario and then return to its tributaries to spawn. Lake Ontario steelhead trout can range in size from 10 to 15 pounds to trophy fish in the 20-pound range. Two strains of migratory rainbow trout from the state of Washington are stocked in Lake Ontario, and New York State also stocks a domestic strain of rainbow trout annually. Ontario steelhead are arguably the hardest fighting fish in Lake Ontario.