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Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes that provide a border between Canada and United States. It is the 14th largest lake in the world. Lake Ontario is 193 miles long and 53 miles wide, with 726 miles of shoreline. Its average depth is 283 feet, and its maximum depth is over 800 feet. The main inlet is the Niagara River which is the outlet for Lake Erie. The only outlet for Lake Ontario is the St. Lawrence River that leads to the Atlantic Ocean.
At one time the lake was nearly dead but in the last 30 years it has seen an amazing change. The severe pollution has stopped and the use of pesticides has been resolved. The DEC has been stocking trout and salmon for over 20 years now. It was hoped that someday they would establish a self sustaining population. The lake trout, brown trout and the steelhead do have a significant amount of natural reproduction, but not enough to stop the stocking programs. Very little reproduction of king salmon occurs naturally but coho salmon have had significant success on a few occasions.
The lake now boast a healthy population of coldwater and warmwater gamefish and seems to be very healthy despite the invasion of the gobies and the zebra mussels. The lake provides drinking water and is a source of employment for many. Charter Captains, Marinas, boat manufactures, tackle shops, tourism, and the plain old beach crowd all benefit from this gift of nature.
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