Can anyone tell how the fishing is in the fall ?What is this lake known for bass
pike,crappie? Thanks for your help

Jon

Lake best known for "fortune tellers" as best as I recall.

Hey Jon

I've live at and have fished chautauqua all my life. In my opinion fall is the best fishing on the lake all year. All the spoiled yuppie boaters think the lake closes after labor day and most others are hunters and forget about fishing. The lake is renowned for muskie, but doesn't have much size. There are 50 inch+ fish but mostly they are 30 - 45 inches. The nice thing about it is that the catch rate for muskies compared to other waters is fantastic. An expert muskie fisherman can land 5 a day. Very few bodies of water can match it.

Personally, I catch muskies when I'm walleye fishing in the fall mainly by accident. I catch anywhere from 2 - 10 muskies each fall while walleye fishing. Fall walleye fishing after halloween can be spectacular with the chance of catching a 10+lb fish. Smallies are great all during fall and can get very large. I know TN fisherman who come to chautauqua to smallie fish. Regularly over 5lbs with real chances for a state record over 8. Chautauqua, about 8 yrs ago and before was the best crappie fishing lake in the northeast, but it has declined dramatically with the resurgance of the walleye and muskie. The numbers are returning and size as well but it will be years before I am catching 2+lbers again and having 300+ fish per day outings. During the best years I was catching 3-5000/yr. More 2lbrs than I can remember and usually 3+ or 2 a year. Lots of largemouth in the lake, but I don't fish them much with the excellent smallies. All kinds of panfish are pleanty. Fall is also a great time to head over the hill to Lake Erie and do some smallie,walleye, steelhead or brown trout fishing. The Brown trout runs over the last few years have been like watching popcorn popping in the barcelona harbour.

Chautauqua is an awesome fishing lake, but its mayhem in the summer and I stay away from it till after labor day. During the summer I fish Kinzua/Alleghany rez.

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Thanks for the info grizz ,very helpfull ,i might try to get up there this fall ,
we went to black lake last spring ,a cold front came in just before we got there and had only 1 nice day ,we caught a 50 or 6o readears, a had a good time .

Jon

Grizz- Can you help me and my buddy on Chautauqua for this weekend? I haven't fished the lake in years except thru the ice.
My pal wants me to take him around on his boat. He and his wife are coming up for a week in the middle of September.
What to target or where? Nite 'eyes, bass, muskies or panfish?
We don't mind. We're Lake Erie fishermen from Avon Lake, OH.
Thanks in advance.
Bud

September is a whole different story than summer. All the yahoo's think the lake closes after labor day and the lake empties right out and the fishin is the best of the year in the fall. Great crappies smallie muskie and decent walleye but the real walleye fishing starts after halloween.

__________________
Be happy where you are



Fish today - worry tomorrow. Then again fish today and tomorrow and forget the worrying.

www.OneLastCast.net

Hello

I use to fish there as a child, I remember perch bitting bare hooks, and the hundred + crappie fish days (From the dock!)
I still here some catching loads of crappie near maryville or mayvill something like that, however it's all in a boat, I had good memories fishing that lake, good fishing all!

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mike (papermouth scaler)

New to this site and the area around the lake... is there any good fishing from shore during november for walleye or crappie? I suspect the walleye may be out deep but i suspect the crappie may be close enough to cast to

Did you see the walleyes in the main forums posts about Chautauqua lake? Caught all from shore. Plenty of places to fish from shore on Chautauqua, and now till freeze up is one of the best times of the year.

__________________
Be happy where you are



Fish today - worry tomorrow. Then again fish today and tomorrow and forget the worrying.

www.OneLastCast.net

Grizz ,great pic That must have been great fun and good eating .with hunting season here and me b about out of vacation i dont see me getting up there till next year ,unless its over a weekend ,thanks

Jon