The Kings of Lake Ontario -- Intense Salmon Action Aided with Quality Gear and Top Electronics

“How much further?” I shouted above the windy, watery din.

Four of us stood shoulder-to-shoulder at the back of Randy Jaroszewski’s 2005 Everglades 290 Pilot boat, tightly gripping every post, rail, table or each other - anything that would steady us as the boat attacked the four-foot seas nearly head on. I was standing at the left port-side corner, only partially shielded by the boat’s pilot house. Spray from the waves washed over me and I was thankful for the thermal underwear and extra layers of warm clothing and rubber boots I had put on that morning beneath my Helle Hansen rubber bibs and Frogg Toggs Pilot II waterproof jacket.

Unfortunately, I had neglected to bring warm, waterproof gloves. My bare hands, gripping white-knuckle around a corner support rail, were freezing. Early morning temperatures were in the mid-40s this May 3, 2026, and Lake Ontario’s waters weren’t much warmer. Factor in the boat’s running speed and it seemed icy cold. Every muscle was tense, reacting as the boat pounded into wind-whipped waves. I’m certain a Pilates class has nothing on this in terms of a “core” workout. 

Joining me at the back of the boat was Dave Salvalzo, one of Randy’s fishing partners with “Team IceBreaker,” along with two representatives from SPRO Europe’s sales and marketing team. Markus Brill-Heck is based in Germany and Jelle Westerhuis in the Netherlands. Westerhuis, based on my past experiences in the military, was a quintessential, friendly and gregarious Dutchman; Markus, a little more reserved and quieter, although that may have been due to a building bout of seasickness.

“I think we’re about halfway,” Dave said, halfway meaning we still had about five miles to go. “Maybe I’m getting too old for this,” I muttered to myself. 

https://youtu.be/3gjlj6W2sqU

Rough – Rolling and Tumbling

When we had launched from the harbor in Wilson, New York, about 90 minutes earlier, my wife Maria and I sat on the front seat of the boat, facing the bow. It was sunny and cold as we cruised slowly through the harbor before confronting the gnarly situation on the big water. Randy babied it, trying to time the waves in the rough conditions. I only caught a couple of waves breaking over the bow. He began marking a few fish a couple of miles offshore and we set lines, trolling for salmon and lake trout.

Markus got things rolling with a nice lake trout with Jelle following up with his first Great Lakes king salmon. Still, the fishing was hit and miss, mostly miss. We missed a couple of bites when something decided to hit, and the hooks pulled on two salmon when the line tension released as the fish broke through the top of a wave and moved into a trough. Randy advised pulling the lines and making about a 10-mile run down toward the Niagara bar, where the Lower Niagara River empties into Lake Ontario. Maria joined him in the protected pilot house. The rest of us huddled at the stern.

It was a good call. Jaroszewski is a Garmin guy, when it comes to his boat’s electronics. The company sponsors him and he recently upgraded from Garmin’s 8600 series units to the new, high-speed (as in ultrafast) 9000 series. Specifically, he uses a 9213xsv (13-inch) at the back of the boat and the larger 9217xsv (17-inch) in the pilot house. He adds a ⁠Garmin GT56 UHD Transducer, an “all-in-one” sonar tool that delivers ultra-high-definition “ClearVü” and “SideVü” scanning sonar, plus high wide CHIRP traditional sonar with an array of available color palettes. He also has LiveScope. In short, he’s loaded for bear – well, big fish anyway. Salmon and walleye fishing in big, deep lakes is a technical pursuit. Jaroszewski’s electronics give him exquisite awareness of what’s going on all around him – on top of the water and below the surface.  (Note: See this quick video for Randy’s overview of his Garmin 9000 unit)

https://youtu.be/y7dkaboseNI

We began marking a lot more fish. The box began filling, even though the rough conditions saw us losing a few and, unknowingly, fishing with a couple of lines on the outside planers hooked up with “dink” undersized fish. The “rats” as they’re sometimes called, were big enough to bite but not big enough to allow you to detect the bite on the planer, especially in the rough seas. The lesson there was we should have been cranking those in periodically to check for fish versus assuming we hadn’t had any hits.

The long run back to the harbor was a little better, with the wind largely at our back. It had been an adventurous morning.

What a Difference Three Days Make      

That Lake Ontario trip was the first outing during my week-long expedition to Lewiston, New York, where I joined a fishing camp of outdoor communicators and industry pros coordinated by local guide Frank Campbell, who also serves as outdoor promotions director for Destination Niagara USA. That area offers a perfect trifecta of fishing excellence. The Lower Niagara River fronts Lewiston. Lake Ontario and Wilson-Tuscarora State Park and Bootlegger’s Cove Marina is only 15-20 minutes north. Head in the other direction toward Buffalo and Lake Erie, walleye and jumbo smallmouth heaven, beckons.

We fished in the river during our second two outings, the waters and protected banks offering a little respite from the wind. A couple of trips to the Niagara Bar, the mouth of the river, yielded more salmon hookups, these on medium-light spinning gear. By May 6, though, the winds vanished and high broken clouds reigned. It was time for another trip onto Lake Ontario. And, OMG, what a difference. Randy’s boat could run at top speed, getting us to prime fishing areas quickly. The water conditions allowed for a maximum set in terms of lines in the water, with a variety of lures in play. We pulled SPRO stickbaits like the Madeye Minnow 120, Yakima Mag Lips coated with a Mad Scientist Tackle pink reflective coating (salmon crunched it) and A-Tom-Mik meat rig combo with teasers and a slow spinning flasher in the “Grinch” pattern. Planers pulled some lures to the side. Others dove, pulled down by Dipsey Diver discs. Downriggers were at the stern on each corner.

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There’s no need for a blow-by-blow here of the fishing. The beautiful conditions saw the lake loaded with fishing boats and the salmon were cooperative. We had bites early and often, with a couple of doubles. The Garmin sonar regularly revealed clouds of baitfish and prowling kings. Arches hugging the bottom were likely lake trout. These Lake Ontario salmon are schooling fish. Like most schooling fish, they tend to hang out with fish in their same year-class. We had a boat limit within a couple of hours. What a morning!  

Generous Stocking Levels 

According to the New York Department of Environmental Conservation, approximately 1.4 million king salmon and 245,000 coho salmon are stocked annually in Lake Ontario by New York State. Most of the main tributaries in New York received between 90,000 and 300,000 stocked salmon in 2023. Some of the stocked salmon come via a “pen-stocked” cooperative effort between the DEC and regional sportsman groups. One such pen is situated on the Lower Niagara River, about a mile from the river’s mouth. The fingerling fish are placed in the pens where they acclimate to the river while enjoying protection from predators. The fingerlings quickly “smolt," imprinting on the scent of the stream. After about three weeks, the fish are released.

Coho salmon may stay in the tributaries for up to a year, according to DEC, but they grow quickly once moving into the lake. Kings move into the lake and then return to rivers where they were stocked, with fish aged 2 and 3 years old comprising 90 percent of the run. The annual run begins when the mature salmon begin to "stage" off the river mouths, usually around mid-to-late August. Rainfall and water flow dictate when the run begins in earnest, but salmon often move into tributaries sometimes in September with the run often peaking in early October.

Kings of Lake Ontario Dinner Plate Trophies

We never did find that magical group of older fish – older being relative in that king salmon grow rapidly and can weigh 20 pounds or more by three years old – but we caught loads of fish in the 10-pound to 17-pound range, fish that made for some excellent steaks and fillets. These delicious fillets, whether smoked, baked, grilled or pan-sauteed, are a hit at many dinner tables with family and friends. The salmon with Tuscan Cream sauce was incredible! And, as to the question of “getting too old for this,” nah, no way.

Note: Jaroszewski isn’t a commercial fishing guide. In his “day job,” he owns and operates, with his wife Tracy, Lakeshore Hardware & Tool Rental by ARTIE in Hamburg, New York.  But anglers wanting to enlist a guide will find plenty of options in the Lewiston area. Check out https://www.niagarafallsusa.com/things-to-do/outdoor-adventure/fishing/charters/ for some reliable choices. We also tried a new fillet knife when cleaning the fish - the Relentless fillet knife, said to be self-sharpening.

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/af66bd_71dd92f9adc94a948f1bcb9051eea169/1080p/mp4/file.mp4