Matthew Corsi of Horseheads, NY proudly displays a fantastic Tiger Muskellunge that he caught from the Chemung River on June 16, 2007 near Frenchman's Bluff in Big Flats. The lure of choice was a spinner bait. The big muskie was 32 inches long and weighed in at a little over 10 pounds. Matt plans on having this one mounted.

  The Chemung River offers the following recreational activities fishing, canoeing, rafting, kayaking, swimming, and hiking. In the last few years there has been a lot of interest in the river with the addition of many new boat launches and access points. This region has finally realized what a great asset the river can be.

  The Chemung River is formed when the Tioga River and the Cohocton River merge at Painted Post just west of Corning. From there it flows to the southeast and meets up with the north branch of the Susquehanna River in Sayre PA.

  The Chemung River is a warm water habitat, but has many small feeder streams that are stocked or support native populations of trout. When fishing on the Chemung River some of the fish species you may encounter include Brook Trout, Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout, Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Yellow Perch, Walleye, Northern Pike, Chain Pickerel, Rock Bass, White Bass, Crappie, Sunfish, Bullheads, Bowfin, White Suckers, Channel Catfish, Blue Catfish, Carp, Tiger Muskellunge, Hybrid Striped Bass, American Shad

  The state has also been stocking Tiger Muskellunge for several years now and it is possible that some of these may be over 20 pounds by now. The state of NY has also stocked American Shad fry in an attempt to restore these fish to these waters.

  At one time the Chemung River once held the claim to the states record walleye of 15-pound, 3 ounces. This awesome walleye was caught in the early 1950s and held the state record for more than 40 years. Stories of larger walleyes are told and in time it may well produce another record breaking fish.

   The following links break down the best fishing options according to the month of the year. Certain times of the year present excellent fishing opportunities for differnt species and can help make the best of your limited free time.