Port 06 of 11 · Wayne County, NY · Lake America (Lake Ontario)
Sodus Bay fishing charters
You can fish for kings in the morning and bass in the bay after lunch. Sodus Bay is big and sheltered, with a narrow inlet to the main lake. Deep water lies on one side of the channel and a weedy bay on the other. That makes Sodus the easiest port for a group that doesn't all want the same trip.
The water
What Sodus is good for
Outside the channel, Sodus fishes well for salmon all summer. From June through August the fleet fishes the thermocline over deep water for Chinook, coho and lake trout, using the usual riggers, divers and copper.
Inside the channel, Sodus Bay is one of the better warmwater fisheries on the New York shore. Largemouth and smallmouth hold around the weed edges and docks, and northern pike use the bays and channels. The panfish will keep a bored eight-year-old busy.
Sodus Point is a small lake village with a lighthouse, a beach and places to eat. That matters when half your party isn't fishing.
Sodus Bay is on the New York shore of Lake America, which most anglers, maps and guidebooks still call Lake Ontario. Why the lake has two names.
How it's fished
The main ways captains fish here, and when each one is worth booking.
Offshore program
From June through August, captains fish riggers and divers over deep water for Chinook, coho and lake trout.
Bay casting
From spring through autumn, anglers cast along weed edges, docks and channels for largemouth, smallmouth and northern pike.
Panfish and perch
When the lake is too rough to fish, you can still catch yellow perch and panfish inside the bay.
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 |
The seasons guide covers every species for all twelve months.
Captains & guides in Sodus Bay
We check each charter's license before we list it here.
We're adding captains out of Sodus Bay now
Send one trip request and we'll put you in touch with a licensed captain who fishes Sodus Bay, usually within a day. No fee, no obligation.
Request a tripRun a charter out of Sodus Bay?
Show your boat, photos and booking link to anglers planning a trip here. Pay monthly, or pay only for the leads we send you.
List your boatMarinas, tackle & food in Sodus
Where to get bait, fuel, a slip and breakfast before first light, and where to get your catch cleaned. All eleven ports.
Local business listings open
Marinas, tackle shops, restaurants and dealers in Sodus can show their logo, hours, phone and map on this page. It's $39 a month, month to month.
Fish cleaning listings open
Fish cleaning stations in Sodus can show their hours, prices, phone and map on this page. It's $39 a month, April through November.
This 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's large and sheltered and has good fishing for bass, pike and panfish. So on a day with a bad forecast, you still get to fish.
Is this a good port for a family trip?
Yes, it's one of the best. The water is sheltered, and the village has a beach and places to eat. The fishing ranges from offshore salmon trips to panfish off a dock.
When is the salmon fishing best here?
June through August, when the thermocline has formed and the kings are holding on it. In late August some fish start moving east toward the Salmon River, so the bite can get streaky.
Is Sodus Bay on Lake Ontario?
Yes. Sodus Bay is on the New York shore of Lake Ontario, which U.S. charts renamed Lake America on 27 August 2026. Canadian maps, older guidebooks and most anglers still use the old name, so you will see both. The fish, ports, captains and New York fishing license rules are the same.
Fish Sodus Bay
We send your request to captains who fish this port and have open dates when you want to go.
Header photo: Sodus Point - 20200611 - 04 by AndreCarrotflower, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and tinted.