Located in southwest Ontario County, Canadice Lake lies 30 miles south of Rochester. It is the smallest and highest of the Finger Lakes and its shorelines are virtually undeveloped. The following description is from Canadice Lake Page on NY Dept. of Environmental Conservation website: Physical Features: Water Quality: Canadice Lake is one of the sources of water for the City of Rochester. It is typically clear but suffers moderate oxygen depletion in summer.
While this condition does not seriously threaten trout, it does, temporarily, confine them to a narrow layer of the water column. Special Regulations: Recreational use of Canadice Lake is regulated by the City of Rochester Water Department. Fishing and boating are allowed by permit only. Boats may not exceed 16 feet in length and motors may not exceed 10 h.p.
Check your watershed visitor permit for details. Annual permits can be obtained free of charge from a self-service booth at the north end of nearby Hemlock Lake. Public Access Sites: Public boat access is available on the lake's east side near the intersection of Canadice Road and Birch Hill Road, via an unimproved gravel ramp. There are other informal access points along the east shore suitable for cartop boats, shore fishing and ice fishing.
Access is by special permit only. Fish Management: Fishery surveys begun in the 1950's revealed a good lake trout population. Records show that lake trout were stocked into Canadice Lake as early as 1942. To diversify the fishery, brown trout and rainbow trout were later added.
Stocking of all three continues to the present time along with occasional stocking of surplus landlocked salmon. Trout and salmon may be taken year-round at Canadice. Check your Fishing Regulations Guide for size and bag limits. Smelt and alewives provide the primary salmonid forage with some contributed from yellow perch and minnows.
Although Canadice is best suited for salmonid and smallmouth bass, it also provides significant fishing opportunities for largemouth bass and chain pickerel in its limited, shallow water habitat. Similarly, "panfish," including rock bass, yellow perch, bluegills, pumpkinseeds and bullhead, are also important contributors to the fishery.
Notes and References More Great Photos on Flickr.com Photos on Webshots.com Canadice Lake, photos and description on the commercial website nyfalls.com History of Canadice Lake Canadice Lake Links on InfoRochester.com Canadice Lake Trail on FootPrintPress.com Canadice and Hemlock Lake on Nature.org - "Of the eleven Finger Lakes, Hemlock Lake and Canadice Lake are the only two whose shorelines are undeveloped." GORP.Away.com - notes on fishing and setting. Canadice Overview & Real Estate Listings from ZagPad