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Owasco Lake is the sixth largest Finger Lake. It is 11 miles long, with a maximum depth of 177 feet. Owasco Lake provides fishing for the following species lake trout, brown trout, rainbow trout, landlocked salmon, northern pike, walleye, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, chain pickerel, rock bass, yellow perch, bluegills, and bullheads.
Rainbow trout or steelhead as they are referred to in the Great Lakes are not a native species to NY waters. They were introduced to NY waters from the Pacific Coast sometime around 1870. Rainbow trout like the brown trout are able to tolerate warmer water than native trout and quickly became popular through out the state.
Rainbow trout are able to survive in ponds, streams, rivers, lakes, and reservoirs. In streams and rivers they seldom get much bigger than 5 pounds. Larger lakes and reservoirs can produce fish up to 20 pounds. The NY state record rainbow trout was broken by Rob Wilson of Tallmadge, Ohio on August 14, 2004. Rob was fishing out of Olcott, NY when he caught the fine specimen that weighed an amazing 31 lb, 3 oz and was 39 inches long. The girth of the fish was 26 inches. The fish is now the new state record, beating out the previous mark set by Gerald Szmania from Lake Ontario on May 22, 1985. Lake Ontario produces steelhead trout over 20 pounds every year and it is only a matter of time till the record is broken again.
The lake trout is a member of the char family of fish. Lake trout are a native species of trout in NY waters. They can be found in the Great Lakes, Finger Lakes, and Adirondacks Lakes. These fish prefer deep colder water and can live upwards to 30 or 40 years in age. These fish can attain weights of up to 50 pounds. The NY state record lake trout was broken by Jesse Wykstra in August 2003 when he landed a 41 pound 8 oz lake trout from Lake Erie. He was fishing the Dunkirk area using an NK 28 spoon off a downrigger.The old NY state record lake trout weighed 39 lb. 8oz. There is a real chance that a bigger lake trout is swimming in the depths of Lake Ontario but for now Lake Erie will hold the new record.
Lake trout do not spawn in streams like the other members of the trout family. They do not build nest either. They deposit the eggs on clean gravel beds in the lake bottoms at depths from 20 to 200 feet deep. The introduction of the zebra mussel and the round gobies have had a hard impact on the lake trouts ability to reproduce naturally.
Fishing for lake trout is a challenge. Most fisherman will target lake trout using down riggers fishing spoons in 70 to 150 feet of water. In the Adirondacks lakes that freeze over fisherman are able to ice fish the deeper water where these fish live and catch them using live bait and jigs. Another method that isn't so common anymore is known as pulling copper. This is a method where a fisherman in a small boat will use copper wire to drag a spoon or lure over the deepest water in the lake. It sounds odd but many a large laker has met his demise this way.
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