Wade Fishing - Onondanga Cave State Park

[mic]

I'm headed down to Onondanga Cave State Park for Columbus Day weekend on Friday. My family wants to focus on hiking instead of floating this trip. I was going to try to get some wade fishing in the mornings while they sleep. Are there any good holes in the park's river front. Post or send me a PM.

I realize this is a fishing forum, but feel free to recommend a good hike...specially if there is fishing on the way:lol:

Al, got your PM will be looking for transitioning fish. Thanks.

[Gavin]

Its not great wading around there...but you have a few options...Huzzah Conservation Area is right across the river...you can wade the Huzzah in a couple spots there..Get a map of of MDC's website...or take Possum Hollow Rd. over to Blue Spring Creek. Have fun.

[mic]

Its not great wading around there...but you have a few options...Huzzah Conservation Area is right across the river...you can wade the Huzzah in a couple spots there..Get a map of of MDC's website...or take Possum Hollow Rd. over to Blue Spring Creek. Have fun.

Well maybe I can get into some blue gill.

[Al Agnew]

Yep, you're limited on wading. Chest deep water and deeper above the bridge, and if you make it to the riffle upstream the next two holes are big and deep from bank to bank. Downstream from the bridge you might be able to wade a while on the opposite side of the river from the park. You can hike up to the two big holes above and fish from the bank in several places, although you'll have to hike over the top of the bluff on the lower hole to get into places you can reach at the upper end of it and lower portion of the upper hole.

[cwc87]

Go to the primitive camping area on the courtois and wade upriver as far as u dare. Plus there may be some tagged fish so keep your eye on there little backs.

[brother dave]

Fishin down stream and on the huzzah is great too

[mic]

Well you all were right, the wade fishing isn't the best.

However, I did catch my first smallie on a fly rod. Nothing to speak... an 8 incher but I broke the ice. I caught him on a olive woolly under the bridge. I also caught a hand full of google eye in a slack water hole down from the public canoe launch. I launched a creek chub over my shoulder on a back cast at the camping area, but don't know if I can count that. There was some good looking water below the bridge and across/above the public canoe launch, but I assume all the people at Ozark outdoors keep the numbers down. I thought for sure I would catch a blue gill or something along the rip rap by the Onondanga boat ranch (above the bridge), but not even a minnow to look at. So much to learn about fishing moving water, but that is half the fun. I can't wait for the spring and summer. Oh well, time to get back into the trout. My wife had a nasty head cold so I stayed close by and didn't make it over the Huzzah. Thanks again for the advice.

[ozark trout fisher]

Well you all were right, the wade fishing isn't the best.

However, I did catch my first smallie on a fly rod. Nothing to speak... an 8 incher but I broke the ice. I caught him on a olive woolly under the bridge. I also caught a hand full of google eye in a slack water hole down from the public canoe launch. I launched a creek chub over my shoulder on a back cast at the camping area, but don't know if I can count that. There was some good looking water below the bridge and across/above the public canoe launch, but I assume all the people at Ozark outdoors keep the numbers down. I thought for sure I would catch a blue gill or something along the rip rap by the Onondanga boat ranch (above the bridge), but not even a minnow to look at. So much to learn about fishing moving water, but that is half the fun. I can't wait for the spring and summer. Oh well, time to get back into the trout. My wife had a nasty head cold so I stayed close by and didn't make it over the Huzzah. Thanks again for the advice.

Sounds like a good trip, and congrats on your first smallie on the fly. Keep at it. I am also still in the process of learning how to consistently catch smallies on the fly and it isn't always easy. Sure is worth it though.

I was over there wade fishing this weekend as well, although I fished the Huzzah just a very short ways down the road. Next time you head that way you might try that. I think you'll find the wading to a little easier there, though it ain't a breeze by any stretch of the imagination and requires some bushwhacking to cover a lot of water. I was also tossing mostly olive woollies. The sub-12 inch smallies and the goggle-eye were on but nothing much bigger. Oh well, no complaints. It sure is beautiful down there this time of year, isn't it?