Canandaigua Lake Fishing
A 10,528-acre New York lake in Ontario County and Yates County, one of the Finger Lakes.
Pick for brown troutPiscifun Carbon X ultralight spinning reel28% OFFSale $57.99 Photo: Ruhrfisch, CC BY-SA 4.0
Canandaigua Lake: size, place and access
Canandaigua Lake is a lake of about 10,528 acres, its outline lying in Ontario County and Yates County. DEC files the shoreline owner as DEC. Head to Crystal Beach, some 3 miles away, for food and fuel. It falls in DEC Region Western Finger Lakes.
Fish on the DEC list here: brown trout, rainbow trout, lake trout, smallmouth bass and yellow perch. There are 3 mapped launches on its shore. The DEC list describes the launch as trailer improved. Its ice entry reads ice fishing permitted.
NYS Hydrography (NHD) outline, DEC Recommended Fishing Lakes and Ponds, Census places, retrieved October 24, 2026.
For the brown trout herePiscifun Carbon XT ultralight spinning reel25% OFFSale $59.99 Fish DEC has found in Canandaigua Lake
DEC sources tie these fish to Canandaigua Lake; more species surely swim there.
DEC Recommended Fishing Lakes and Ponds species column, DEC stocking lists and state records, retrieved October 24, 2026.
Launches on Canandaigua Lake
- Canandaigua Lake State Marine Parkhard surface ramp, parking: 110 spaces (dec park field); managed by OPRHP
- Onanda Parkhard surface ramp, 25 car-and-trailer spaces, toilets; managed by DEC/Municipal
- Public Launch on Canandaigua Lakehard surface ramp, 86 car-and-trailer spaces, toilets; managed by DEC
More boat launches near Canandaigua Lake
- High Tor Wildlife Management Area on West River near Naples (east)West River, 9 miles south
- High Tor Wildlife Management Area on West River near Naples (west)West River, 9 miles south
- Sandy Bottom ParkHoneoye Lake, 11 miles west
- Honeoye Lake Boat Launch State ParkHoneoye Lake, 11 miles west
- Public Launch on Canandaigua OutletCanandaigua Outlet, 12 miles north
- Hemlock-Canadice State Forest Launch on Canadice Lake near HoneoyeCanadice Lake, 14 miles west
DEC boat launch and fishing access layers, retrieved October 24, 2026.
Seasons and creel rules at Canandaigua Lake
| Species | Daily limit and size | Season |
|---|---|---|
| Northern Pike | 5; minimum 22" | May 1 – Mar 15 |
| Walleye | 3; minimum 18" | May 1 – Mar 15 |
| Brook Trout | 5, no more than 2 longer than 12" | Apr 1 – Oct 15 |
| Black Bass | 5; minimum 12" | Jun 15 – Mar 15 |
| Black Bass | No harvest; Catch and release only | Mar 16 – Jun 14 |
| Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout, Lake Trout, Atlantic Salmon | 5 combined; minimum 15" | All year |
| Sunfish | 15; minimum 8" | All year |
| Alewife | No harvest | Closed |
| Tiger Muskellunge | 1; minimum 36" | May 1 – Mar 15 |
| Trout | 5; minimum 12" | All year |
| Walleye | No daily limit; minimum 12" | All year |
DEC prints a Finger Lakes table, and Canandaigua Lake falls under it.
2026 DEC freshwater fishing regulations (statewide table effective April 1, 2026); county special regulations from the DEC region pages; retrieved October 24, 2026, figures checked against the DEC pages October 25, 2026.
What DEC puts in Canandaigua Lake
DEC stocked Canandaigua Lake 10 times in 2023 to 2026; lake trout top the count.
| Year | Species | Type | Entries | Fish | Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Brown Trout | planned spring 2026 | 1 | 7,210 | 8 inches |
| 2025 | Lake Trout | stocked | 2 | 35,100 | 6.1 in, 8 in |
| 2025 | Brown Trout | stocked | 1 | 7,140 | 7.8 in |
| 2024 | Lake Trout | stocked | 2 | 33,540 | 6.5 in, 7.3 in |
| 2024 | Brown Trout | stocked | 1 | 7,280 | 8.8 in |
| 2023 | Lake Trout | stocked | 2 | 35,780 | 6.3 in, 8.4 in |
| 2023 | Brown Trout | stocked | 1 | 6,800 | 7.7 in |
DEC Fish Stocking Lists (Actual), 2023 to 2025, and DEC Current Season Spring Trout Stocking, 2026 (data.ny.gov), retrieved October 24, 2026. New York stocking.
Comparing Canandaigua Lake with nearby water
| Lake | Distance | Acres | Launches | DEC species | Stocked 2023-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canandaigua Lake | 10,528 | 3 | 5 | yes | |
| Honeoye Lake | 11 miles west | 1,796 | 2 | 8 | yes |
| Canadice Lake | 14 miles west | 722 | 2 | 8 | yes |
| Hemlock Lake | 16 miles west | 2,074 | 2 | 10 | yes |
| Keuka Lake | 20 miles southeast | 11,667 | 2 | 10 | yes |
| Conesus Lake | 21 miles west | 3,206 | 3 | 8 | yes |
NYS Hydrography, DEC launch layers, DEC lake list and stocking lists, retrieved October 24, 2026.
A few miles from Canandaigua Lake
New York lakes in the Canandaigua Lake area
- Honeoye Lake11 miles west
- Canadice Lake14 miles west
- Hemlock Lake16 miles west
- Keuka Lake20 miles southeast
- Conesus Lake21 miles west
Shops worth a stop en route to Canandaigua Lake
- Bristol Harbour Marinamarina, Ontario, 3 miles
- Sutter'smarina, Ontario, 7 miles
- Seager Marinemarina, Ontario, 7 miles
- Canandaigua Lake State Marine Parkmarina, Ontario, 7 miles
- Seager Marinemarina, Ontario, 7 miles
- Trident Marinemarina, Honeoye, 10 miles
Fishing guides who work Canandaigua Lake
- Cornell Cooperative Ext.fishing guide, Dundee
- Eagle Eye Outfittersfishing guide, Penn Yan
Towns handy for Canandaigua Lake trips
- Canandaigua8 miles
- Bloomfield10 miles
- Shortsville13 miles
Counties along Canandaigua Lake
- Ontario Countycounty seat Canandaigua
- Yates Countycounty seat Penn Yan
Piscifun picks for fishing Canandaigua Lake
Piscifun and Amazon links are affiliate links; the site earns a commission on qualifying purchases.
Shores, kills and lakes by Canandaigua Lake, pictured
Photo: Andre Carrotflower, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: See1,Do1,Teach1, CC BY 2.0
.jpg){kind=link}
Photo: Coldbloodedsideburns, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: See1,Do1,Teach1, CC BY 2.0
.jpg){kind=link}
Canandaigua Lake, asked and answered for Empire State anglers
Which New York county is Canandaigua Lake in?
Find it in Ontario County and Yates County, DEC Western Finger Lakes, about 3 miles from Crystal Beach.
How wide a footprint does Canandaigua Lake have?
10,528 acres, give or take.
Which launch site sits closest to Canandaigua Lake?
3 mapped launches on file, Canandaigua Lake State Marine Park among them.
Does Canandaigua Lake hold bass or trout?
DEC files list brown trout, rainbow trout, lake trout, smallmouth bass and yellow perch.
Which DEC rules cover Canandaigua Lake?
Black Bass: 5; minimum 12"; Jun 15 – Mar 15.
What is the out-of-state fee for angling at Canandaigua Lake?
Trout and salmon need no stamp in New York; the DEC freshwater license ($25.00 resident, $50.00 nonresident, $5.00 for residents 70 and older) covers them.
Does DEC stock Canandaigua Lake?
10 rows on the DEC lists, 2023 to 2026.
Which listed tackle counter is nearest Canandaigua Lake?
Bristol Harbour Marina sits about 3 miles from the water.
Does DEC permit ice fishing at Canandaigua Lake?
DEC notes Ice Fishing Permitted.
Hitch up and haul the boat to Canandaigua Lake
Every New York fee and season sits on one page.