Big Lake Fishing From Shore

Hey all!

 

Today im going to fish Lake Ronkonkoma from shore today. I've never caught anything here, probably because i've only fished here once.

I am not sure how to approach this lake, I normally only fish ponds so im new to this type of fishing. As you will read, structure and habitat have been added to lake. I know a spot from shore where i can access one of these structure piles.

I was thinking about using a senko or a soft plastic jerk bait, maybe even a jig

 

Please read information:

Lake Ronkonkoma Fishing Information

Formed by ancient glaciers, Lake Ronkonkoma is the largest and perhaps best known of Long Island's freshwater lakes. Portions of its irregular basin are unusually deep for Long Island (65 feet), but most of the lake is less than 15 feet deep.

As a rule of thumb, it is unproductive to fish deeper than 15 feet in Lake Ronkonkoma because there is seldom enough dissolved oxygen to sustain fish beyond this depth. The primary gamefish are largemouth bass and smallmouth bass. Lake Ronkonkoma holds large bass, but locating them is a challenge due to the scarcity of natural structure to attract these fish. Stumps have been placed into the lake for habitat enhancement (see below). Chain pickerel are extremely rare.

In the last two decades, white perch and yellow perch populations have increased to the point of upsetting the ecological balance of the lake. To control these species, the DEC began stocking walleye in 1994. Walleye over 27 inches long can be caught and provide a good targeted fishery. For more information on this species see the walleye fact sheet. (* 118 KB pdf file) Lake Ronkonkoma also contains sunfish and crappie though large specimens are not common.

Lake Ronkonkoma Bass Habitat Enhancement Project

On a frosty December 2002 morning, a crowd of anglers, conservation professionals and curious onlookers cheered as a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter from the New York Army National Guard airlifted over 150 weighted hardwood tree stumps and dropped them into Lake Ronkonkoma. This seemingly odd activity was part of a project to construct submerged reefs. The stumps sink to the bottom of the lake, where they provide fish with places to feed, rest and hide. The project was completed via a partnership among DEC, DOT, the New York State Division of Military and Naval Affairs, the Long Island Bassmasters and the Suffolk County Department of Parks, Recreation and Conservation.

Fishing is an important recreational activity at Lake Ronkonkoma. A DEC study conducted during the summer of 2000 estimated that anglers spent more than 13,000 hours fishing at the lake between May and October. For several years, DEC fisheries staff and members of the Bassmasters wanted to supplement scarce fish habitat and improve fishing in the lake but had no practical means of moving the extremely heavy stumps.

The solution was GuardHELP, the New York National Guard's community support program, which links the Guard's training requirements to community needs across New York State. The Lake Ronkonkoma project provided an opportunity for troops based at MacArthur Airport to train in slingload operations--a necessary skill for Blackhawk aviators and crews. Instead of merely moving objects around at a military installation, crews received training while simultaneously providing a service to the people of Long Island.

Physical Features:

Area: 243 acres
Maximum depth: 65 feet

Species Present (naturally reproducing):

Largemouth Bass
Smallmouth Bass
Chain Pickerel
Bluegill
Pumpkinseed
Black Crappie
Yellow Perch
White Perch
Carp
Brown Bullhead

Species Present (stocked):

Walleye