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296,064-acre section. Braddock Bay to Sodus: spring browns tight to the beach, kings on the thermocline out of the Genesee, steelhead over deep water all summer. The lake tops out around 723 ft. The depth chart is built from real NOAA hydrographic survey soundings, so the humps, channels and drop-offs you see are measured, not guessed. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
Spring chinook salmon on Lake Ontario - Rochester Shore hold shallow, usually 5 to 40 ft. By summer they slide out to 50 to 120 ft, and by winter most fish are in 30 to 90 ft. The chart's best answer is Genesee River mouth — inflow / creek mouth, 7 ft, prime for spring. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a flasher + fly (green/white) or a magnum spoon on downrigger.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Genesee River mouth (7 ft) | Trolled spoon (orange/gold), Stickbait off planer boards |
| Summer | 50 to 120 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep break (85 ft) | Flasher + fly (green/white), Magnum spoon on downrigger |
| Fall | 10 to 50 ft | dawn & dusk | Irondequoit Bay outlet (37 ft) | J-plug (glow), Flasher + fly |
| Winter | 30 to 90 ft | midday | Deep break (85 ft) | Small spoon on a slow troll, Stickbait deep |
Early season coho salmon use the shallows, holding in 3 to 25 ft. Summer is a 30 to 70 ft game here, winter a 20 to 60 ft one. The chart's best answer is Genesee River mouth — inflow / creek mouth, 7 ft, prime for spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a dodger + fly or a medium spoon above the thermocline and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Genesee River mouth (7 ft) | Small orange dodger + peanut fly, Thin spoon (orange/silver) |
| Summer | 30 to 70 ft | dawn & dusk | Offshore hump (37 ft) | Dodger + fly, Medium spoon above the thermocline |
| Fall | 8 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Irondequoit Bay outlet (37 ft) | Casting spoon, Spinner (chartreuse) |
| Winter | 20 to 60 ft | midday | Deep hole (1 ft) | Small spoon, slow troll |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: steelhead in 3 to 20 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 5 to 45 ft before dropping to 4 to 15 ft for winter. The spot to know is Genesee River mouth, an inflow / creek mouth in about 7 ft of water that rates prime for steelhead in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: an orange dodger + fly high in the column or a thin spoon off boards gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Genesee River mouth (7 ft) | Small spoon or spinner at the mouths, Jig + waxworm under float |
| Summer | 5 to 45 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep hole (1 ft) | Orange dodger + fly high in the column, Thin spoon off boards |
| Fall | 5 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Genesee River mouth (7 ft) | Spinner (silver/blue), Casting spoon |
| Winter | 4 to 15 ft | midday | Genesee River mouth (7 ft) | Float jig (black/purple), Bead rig |
Start shallow in spring: brown trout sit in 3 to 25 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 25 to 60 ft; cold water stacks them in 5 to 35 ft. Top water on the chart: Genesee River mouth, an inflow / creek mouth in the 7 ft range, prime in spring. Fish it in after dark and early morning and you'll meet the bite. Throw a spoon at the thermocline or a deep stickbait (night) until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Genesee River mouth (7 ft) | Stickbait off planer boards (shallow), Small spoon along mud lines |
| Summer | 25 to 60 ft | night & dawn | Offshore hump (37 ft) | Spoon at the thermocline, Deep stickbait (night) |
| Fall | 5 to 30 ft | dusk & dawn | Genesee River mouth (7 ft) | Jerkbait over gravel, Casting spoon |
| Winter | 5 to 35 ft | dawn | Genesee River mouth (7 ft) | Jigging spoon, Small stickbait (slow) |
Early season lake trout use the shallows, holding in 10 to 40 ft. Expect a summer slide to 50 to 120 ft, then a winter hold in 20 to 80 ft. Put Rock reef first on the milk run — a rock pile near 11 ft that grades prime for fall. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. Tie on a white tube jig (deep) or a magnum spoon on downrigger and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Rock reef (11 ft) | Casting spoon over shoals, Jerkbait (shallow) |
| Summer | 50 to 120 ft | dawn | Deep break (85 ft) | White tube jig (deep), Magnum spoon on downrigger |
| Fall | 10 to 50 ft | dusk & dawn | Rock reef (11 ft) | Heavy casting spoon, Jigging rap over reefs |
| Winter | 20 to 80 ft | dawn | Offshore hump (24 ft) | White tube jig, Airplane jig |
Come spring, look for landlocked salmon tight to the bank in 1 to 15 ft. Expect a summer slide to 25 to 60 ft, then a winter hold in 10 to 40 ft. Start at Genesee River mouth. It's an inflow / creek mouth holding about 7 ft of water and rates prime come spring. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. A dodger + streamer down deep or a thin spoon on lead core is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Genesee River mouth (7 ft) | Streamer flies (Grey Ghost) off boards, Thin spoon (Mooselook style) |
| Summer | 25 to 60 ft | dawn & dusk | Offshore hump (37 ft) | Dodger + streamer down deep, Thin spoon on lead core |
| Fall | 5 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Genesee River mouth (7 ft) | Casting spoon at the mouths, Streamers |
| Winter | 10 to 40 ft | dawn | Shoreline point (9 ft) | Small jigging spoon, Swedish pimple + smelt |
Lake Ontario - Rochester Shore also holds white perch (15 to 40 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
The chart marks 36 structure features on Lake Ontario - Rochester Shore; the deepest is Deepest basin at about 697 ft.
Access data: New York State DEC — Boat Launches (FishNY). Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for New York waters are set by the New York DEC — and special regulations can apply to Lake Ontario - Rochester Shore specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official New York fishing regulations →
Lake Ontario - Rochester Shore is about 723 ft (220 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real NOAA hydrographic surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.
Anglers target chinook salmon, coho salmon, steelhead, brown trout, lake trout, landlocked salmon, white perch on Lake Ontario - Rochester Shore.
Genesee River mouth is the top-rated area: an inflow / creek mouth in about 7 ft of water that rates prime for chinook salmon in spring. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every species and season.
For chinook salmon, the summer bite is best in early morning and the evening. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Fishing on Lake Ontario - Rochester Shore is regulated by the New York DEC. Check the official New York regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
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See how Lake Ontario - Rochester Shore stacks up: best chinook salmon lakes in New York · best steelhead lakes in New York · best lake trout lakes in New York · best brown trout lakes in New York
Browse all New York fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: NOAA hydrographic surveys. How we build these maps. Fish here with a sonar unit that logs? Send us your depth data and we'll improve this chart, credited to you. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.