Niagara County · facts last verified October 5, 2026 · conditions updated Nov 4, 4:14pm ET

Wilson fishing report

Sourced guide to Wilson, NY on Lake America (Lake Ontario): launches, current NY DEC regulations, stocking and seasonal pattern, each linked to its source.

Live conditions

Readings come from the NOAA stations and buoys shown, which are not necessarily near Wilson. Use them as lake-wide context.

Marine forecast — Niagara River to Hamlin Beach

All tributary flows →

Overview

• The NWS nearshore marine forecast zone is LOZ042, "Niagara River to Hamlin Beach NY". [api.weather.gov]
• US Army Corps of Engineers (October 2025): Wilson Harbor is "Located on Lake Ontario at the mouth of Twelve Mile Creek in the town of Wilson, Niagara County"; a "Shallow draft recreational harbor"; "Project depths are 8 feet in the entrance channel and 6 feet within the Tuscarora Bay"; "Wilson is a harbor of refuge"; "Harbor offers 465 slips". [lre-ops.usace.army.mil]
• US Army Corps of Engineers: the channel is "approximately 4,900 feet long, 80 feet wide"; "east and west piers protect a total of 1,331 feet"; dredging every 3 to 5 years, last full dredge 2018 (45,000 cubic yards). [lre-ops.usace.army.mil]

Launches and access

• Wilson-Tuscarora State Park (OPRHP): hard-surface launch, parking listed by DEC as "50 cars and trailers", fish cleaning station (43.313656 N, 78.844083 W). [dec.ny.gov]
• NY State Parks: "Boat Launch: Mid-April to Mid-October, 5:30am-6pm"; "Boat Ramp: $8/day". [parks.ny.gov]
• DEC also lists a municipal hard-surface launch on Lake Ontario/Twelvemile Creek, Wilson (43.309579 N, 78.855495 W), 10 cars and trailers: "Launching not always possible due to shoaling (low water levels)." [dec.ny.gov]

Current regulations (quoted from NY DEC)

• DEC seasons and limits for Lake Ontario, the St. Lawrence River and tributaries: Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout (including Steelhead), Coho Salmon and Chinook Salmon are open "All year", minimum length 15", "except for Rainbow Trout or Steelhead: 21" in the lake and 25" in tributaries". Daily limit: "3 in combination, not to include more than 2 Rainbow Trout (or Steelhead) in the lake, and not to include more than 1 Rainbow Trout (or Steelhead) and 1 Brown Trout in the tributaries". [dec.ny.gov]
• DEC: Lake Trout open season "December 1 - September 30", daily limit 2, no minimum length "(except no more than 1 shall be between 25" and 30")". [dec.ny.gov]
• DEC tributary seasonal regulations: "Seasonal fishing regulations apply September 1 - March 31". "Fishing from 1/2 hour after sunset to 1/2 hour before sunrise is prohibited" (the Black River in Jefferson County from Lake Ontario upstream to the Rte. 180 bridge in Dexter is excepted). "Only one hook with a single hook point is permitted". [dec.ny.gov]

Seasonal pattern

• DEC: "Offshore fishing for chinooks ramps up in July and runs through September. Popular ports for offshore fishing are Wilson, Olcott and Youngstown." [dec.ny.gov]

Stocking

• 2022-2026 stocking strategy annual targets: brown trout at Wilson 21,500; steelhead at Wilson 6,375; Twelvemile Creek West Branch steelhead 4,250. [extapps.dec.ny.gov]
• DEC 2023 annual report: lake trout were stocked "by barge at Stony Point, Oswego, Oak Orchard, and Wilson". [dec.ny.gov]

Local charters and businesses

No businesses are listed for Wilson yet. See the charter directory →

Sources

Every statement on this page comes from one of these primary sources. Last verified October 5, 2026. Regulations change: confirm on the linked DEC page before you fish.

• https://api.weather.gov/zones/forecast/LOZ042 (verified 2026-10-05)
• https://lre-ops.usace.army.mil/OandM/factsheets/WilsonHarbor.pdf (verified 2026-10-05)
• https://dec.ny.gov/things-to-do/boating/launch-sites/niagara-county (verified 2026-10-05)
• https://parks.ny.gov/parks/wilsontuscarora/details.aspx (verified 2026-10-05)
• https://dec.ny.gov/things-to-do/freshwater-fishing/regulations/great-lakes-tributaries (verified 2026-10-05)
• https://dec.ny.gov/things-to-do/freshwater-fishing/places-to-fish/great-lakes-niagara-river-st-lawrence-river/western-lake-ontario (verified 2026-10-05)
• https://extapps.dec.ny.gov/docs/fish_marine_pdf/lostockingstrategy.pdf (verified 2026-10-05)
• https://dec.ny.gov/sites/default/files/2025-02/lakeontarioannualreport.pdf (verified 2026-10-05)

Other ports on Lake America

• All ports
• Olcott
• Point Breeze
• Rochester
• Sodus Bay
• Fair Haven
• Oswego
• Mexico Bay
• Henderson Harbor
• Cape Vincent
• Chaumont
• Niagara Bar

Species

• King Salmon
• Brown Trout
• Steelhead
• Lake Trout
• Coho Salmon
• Walleye
• Smallmouth Bass