By Stewart Bristol
 The waters of Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River are well-known as a world-class fishery. Thousands of anglers visit the region every year in hopes of connecting with a giant northern pike, brown trout or steelhead. In the dead of winter, a growing number of anglers brave the cold and wind and are rewarded with trophies and memories of a lifetime. An ambition of mine is to begin in the St. Lawrence River and fish the entire length of the New York State Seaway Trail.
The New York State Seaway Trail is a 454-mile scenic route that follows New York Route 5, and parallels Lake Erie, the Niagara River, Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River.
Keep an eye out for the green and white trailblazers along the Seaway Trail to guide you on your journey from Ripley on Lake Erie to Rooseveltown on the St. Lawrence. Each marker features footprints and a watermark reminding you that the route parallels New York states freshwater shoreline.
Brown and white "War of 1812" signs lead you to 42 historic sites along the Seaway Trail, each interpreted with a site-specific War of 1812 message.
Seaway Trail was chosen as one of twenty National Scenic Byways by the U.S. Department of Transportation. National Scenic Byways "possess outstanding qualities that exemplify the regional characteristics of our nation." The trail was chosen for its landscape which has been sculpted over time by the forces of nature and for its historical significance. Seaway Trail visitor information displays are conveniently located at state parks and rest areas.
These outdoor information centers feature regional and local maps identifying historic, cultural, recreational, agricultural and other travel information. Seaway Trail, Inc., P.O. Box 660, Sackets Harbor, NY 13685; phone 315-646-1000, fax 315-646-1004, 1-800-SEAWAY-T. Check out the Web site at www.seawaytrail.com.
For anglers, a one-day, non-resident license is only $11.00, a 5-day license only 20.00, and a season fishing license only $35.00.
The New York Department of Environmental Conservation can be reached at www.dec.state.ny.us; phone 518-457-8862.
Light tackle is all you'll need for bass, pike and walleyes, but you may want to pack heavier if muskellunge or steelhead trout are your preference. Fall and winter fishing in the St. Lawrence River end of the trail, for muskellunge, could yield fish in the 20-pound-plus range, and over the years, anglers have taken fish upwards to 40 pounds. The all-time world record muskellunge came from this region back in 1957 and tipped the scales at a whopping 69 pounds, 15 ounces.
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 The state allows winter anglers a generous daily creel limit and ample lines. Throughout the season, small villages of ice fishing shanties spring up along smaller freshwater bays and lakes and ponds.
The main body of Lake Ontario seldom freezes and the winter angling is performed in much the same fashion as summer and fall. However, anglers need to exercise caution as the winter winds create whitecaps crashing against the shoreline and a mass of shoreline ice must be overcome to reach the waters edge.
Boating in winter can be dangerous, and unless you are experienced in bad weather boating, it is recommended you employ the services of a charter service or guide.
The State of New York has one of the most elaborate Web sites we've ever seen and can be accessed at www.state.ny.us. Once on the site, you may roam the different agencies including the New York Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation.
State park reservations may be made online or you may wish to purchase a season pass to all state parks. For a fee of $49.00 you may purchase an "Empire Pass" that entitles you to unlimited day use entry into all state parks.
The Passport provides access not only to all 162 parks but to boat launch sites, arboretums and park preserves. The pass is valid from April 1 until March 31 the following year and a second pass may be purchased for use on another vehicle within the same household for just $40.00. Passes may be purchased online or by making application to Empire Passport, New York State Parks, Albany, NY 12238.
The waters of lake Ontario and upstream in the St. Lawrence to the first permanent barrier are open to year-round fishing. Many of the tributaries offer outstanding fall and winter fishing opportunities that can only be matched by offshore summertime charter services.
The beauty of winter fishing in this region is that visitors can enjoy uncrowded shoreline angling with plenty of access, and the fish are near shore in abundance.
Ogdensburg
Best known for it's world record muskellunge, this section of the St. Lawrence River is also home to magnificent smallmouth bass and northern pike fishing.
Closed in the winter, nearby Black Lake is one of the state's most productive fishing lakes. Covering over 11,000 acres and dotted by hundreds of tiny islands, it is a paradise for northern pike, muskellunge and smallmouth bass anglers.
During the winter, the Black Lake Ice Fishing Derby is one of the most popular and fish from the entire region are showcased during the event.
Planning ahead for next summer, contact the Black lake Chamber of Commerce at Box 125, Route 127 SWT, Hammond, NY 13646 or go to the Black Lake Web site at www.blacklakeny.com.
Henderson Harbor
Henderson Harbor is known to television viewers around the world as the home of Public Broadcasting's angling program, Rod and Reel. Launching successful fishing trips from this village on Henderson Bay, a few miles south of Sackets Harbor, has been a way of life for centuries. Its proximity to Lake Ontario makes it an ideal spot for virtually every kind of fresh-water recreation. Sailors will remember that Henderson Harbor hosted the tryouts for the sailing events of the U.S. Olympic Games in 1976.
Henderson Harbor Chamber of Commerce
PO Box 468, Henderson Harbor, NY 13651
315-938-5568
Oswego
Many of Oswego's recreational opportunities inevitably center around water. Residents and visitors enjoy the thrill of power boating, jet skiing, sailing, and diving shipwrecks in vast Lake Ontario. They like to relax by taking a gentle cruise on the Oswego River, or by taking a peaceful stroll in one of our scenic waterfront parks.
Anglers love Oswego for its world class sport fishing. Salmon, trout, walleye and other game fish are abundant here. And they grow BIG! Eight current world record fish and three New York state record fish, including a new World Record 33lbs. 7oz. Coho salmon, that was caught in Oswego Harbor, were caught in the waters of Oswego County.
Fair Haven
Fair Haven Beach State Park has one of the finest public lakefronts in upstate New York, with high bluffs above sandy beaches and hilly woodlands. Inland, there is Sterling Pond, surrounded by campsites and cabins, nine of the latter winterized. The swimming and fishing are excellent. Rowboats, paddleboats and canoes are for rent and the park has a boat launch and a recreation building. The recreation building is available for rental.
In March, the steelhead trout move into the park and travel a short distance up Sterling Creek, providing an outstanding ice fishing and early season stream fishing opportunities. Hauling a 10-pound steelhead through the ice in less than ten feet of water is something to behold.
At the lake entrance to the park, fishing platforms offer easy casting access, as does the long breakwater that juts out into Lake Ontario. Brown trout are taken in numbers at that time of year, and of the same size and description that summer anglers go miles offshore to pursue.
Directions: On Lake Ontario, southwest of Oswego on Rte 104A, 2 miles north of Fair Haven.
Seasons/Hours: Camping season begins April 1 and lasts until the end of October. The park is open all winter. Waterfowl hunting is permitted in season in designated areas.
Pets: Household pets only; caged or on a leash not more than 6 feet. Proof of rabies inoculation. Not allowed in bathing areas.
Fair Haven Beach State Park
Route 104A, P.O. Box 16
Fair Haven, NY 13064
Phone: (315) 947-5205
Rochester
Farther west along the Seaway Trail is the Rochester region with its many inlets and tributaries. Irondequoit Bay Outlet and Rochester Harbor are two winter hotspots for brown trout and steelhead, but the outstanding smallmouth bass fishery is overlooked.
The city is home to the photography giant Eastman Kodak. George Eastman began experimenting with photographic processing in his mothers kitchen before the turn of the century long before he teamed up to create Kodak.
The warm water discharges of two nuclear power plants along this region draws big fish by the thousands. Not to worry about the radiation, as the discharges undergo maximum scrutiny.
There is plenty of shoreline access to the lake and tributaries, but boat rentals are limited in the winter. Contact the Rochester Convention and visitors Bureau, 120 East Main Street, Rochester, NY or call (716)546-3070.
Wayne County
Sodus Bay is perhaps the best-known port along the Seaway Trail and is truly a four seasons destination. Home to the April and august ESLO fishing tournaments, there are perhaps more charter boats and guides in this region than anywhere else on Lake Ontario.
Rich in Civil War history and the nearby Erie Canal, Sodus Bay has something for the whole family. A stop at Chimney Bluffs, just to the east of Sodus Bay is a must. See what the forces of nature have done to carve the ledges and landscape over the centuries.
More information can be had by contacting the Wayne County Public Information
Office at Dept. 8SWTE, 21 Butternut Street, Lyons, NY 14489, telephone (315) 946-6191
Niagara Falls Region
There's so much to see and do along the Seaway Trail but the Niagara Falls region can never be passed up. Besides the obvious tourist attraction, the falls, the fishing in Lake Ontario and the Niagara River is difficult to describe.
The versatility of Niagara as a sport fishery is mind-boggling. Perhaps there is no other place on earth that offers such a profound variety of fish species and quantities of each.
The Niagara County Tourism office can be reached at (716)439-6035 or write them at 59 Park Avenue, Lockport, NY 14094
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