Port 06 of 11 · Wayne County
Sodus Bay fishing charters
Kings in the morning, bass in the bay after lunch. Sodus Bay is a big, protected, almost resort-like body of water with a narrow inlet out to the main lake. That combination — deep water on one side of the channel, sheltered weedy bay on the other — makes it the easiest port here to sell to a group that does not all want the same trip.
The water
What Sodus is good for
Outside the channel it is a conventional and very good summer salmon fishery. From June through August the fleet works the thermocline over deep water for Chinook, coho and lake trout, with the usual rigger, diver and copper program.
Inside, Sodus Bay is one of the better warmwater fisheries on the New York shoreline: largemouth and smallmouth around the weed edges and docks, northern pike in the bays and channels, and panfish that will keep a bored eight-year-old entirely occupied.
Sodus Point itself is a proper little lake village with a lighthouse, a beach and somewhere to eat, which matters more than fishing writers admit when half your party is not fishing.
How it's fished
The programmes that actually produce here, and when each one is worth booking.
Offshore program
Riggers and divers over deep water for Chinook, coho and lake trout, June through August.
Bay casting
Weed edges, docks and channels for largemouth, smallmouth and northern pike, spring through autumn.
Panfish and perch
Yellow perch and panfish inside the bay — the reliable answer when the lake is unfishable.
What you'll catch
Species that hold at Sodus, and the months they're at their best.
| Illustration | Species | Notes | Best months |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chinook Salmon | King · to 35 lb | Jul, Aug, Sep | |
| Coho Salmon | Silver · 6–15 lb | Aug, Sep | |
| Lake Trout | Deep · to 25 lb | May, Jun, Jul | |
| Smallmouth Bass | Eastern basin | Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep | |
| Northern Pike | Weed edges & bays | Jan, Feb, May, Jun, Sep, Oct, Nov | |
| Yellow Perch | Schooling · bays | Jan, Feb, Nov, Dec |
Full twelve-month picture across all species: the seasons guide.
Captains & guides — Sodus Bay
Listings for this port. Every charter is licence-verified before it appears.
Featured slot 1 of 2 — open
Top of this page, above every other listing, plus first call on every trip request for Sodus Bay.
$149/mo — see detailsFeatured slot 2 of 2 — open
Same placement, second position. Both slots sell as a pair or singly, month to month.
$149/mo — see detailsFree basic listings — open
If you run a boat for Sodus Bay, get your name on this page at no charge while we build the directory.
Claim a free listingThis week & what's coming
The current report as it applies to Sodus, and the dates worth planning around.
Common questions
What people ask before they book Sodus.
What if the lake is too rough to go out?
You fish the bay. It is large, sheltered and genuinely productive for bass, pike and panfish, so a blown-out forecast here means a different trip rather than no trip.
Is this a good port for a family trip?
One of the best. Sheltered water, a beach, a village with food, and fishing that ranges from serious offshore salmon to panfish off a dock.
When is the salmon fishing best here?
June through August, when the thermocline is established and the kings are on it. Late August also starts to see fish moving east toward the Salmon River, so the bite can get streaky.
Fish Sodus Bay
Your request goes to captains covering this port with open dates in your window.