ESPN Freshwater

SODUS POINT, N.Y. — Maxwell Creek is a small and intimate tributary to Lake Ontario 2 miles west of Sodus Point.

From the lake to the first impassible barrier by fish is a scant ½-mile, but in that short distance it offers something for every type of angler.

Mouth of the bay

Starting at the sand bar that protects Maxwell Bay, you can surf cast into Lake Ontario for football-size brown trout.

Toss stickbaits such as a Rapala in a shad pattern or a bright metal spoon like a Little Cleo.

Long rods and center-pin reels are making inroads to quality steelhead fishing on Maxwell Creek.

If you're a flyrodder, use a sink-tip line in the 7 to 10-weight range so you can spit a streamer into the constant breeze coming off the lake.

Smelt or alewife patterns, such as White Zonkers will work as well as anything. Steelhead, attracted to this stream, generally will not be caught off the shore in the lake.

They seem to make a direct run to the spawning grounds while the browns and even an occasional salmon will work the shallows for bait attracted to the warmer water discharged from the stream at this time of year.

To get to the lakefront, park at the angler's lot on the north side of Lake Road and east of Maxwell Creek and take the trail through the orchard.

There are trails that will also run to the lake on the Beechwood State Park side, though the park has yet to be developed.

There is currently no vehicle traffic allowed on this property.

The bay

Maxwell Bay is not for wading.

The muck and tangles are daunting obstacles that can only be overcome by a belly boat or small craft that you can easily transport from the parking lot.

You can fish the edges of the bay from shore using the casting methods so productive on the Ontario side of the bar.

Stream

Where the stream begins to narrow is the favored location of most anglers.

This is relatively flat water, but you'll find logs and muck in at least a few locations, so use caution when wading.

Most anglers will fish this area from either shore.

With the aid of polarized sunglasses you can frequently see steelhead as well as brown trout waiting for loose spawn.

Drift spawn sacks, bouncing the bottom in a free roll that mimics the real thing.

Another good method is to drift a small, brightly colored jig under a bobber that runs the jig just over the bottom.

The jig is generally in the one-sixtennths-ounce class. Chartreuse with a red collar and perhaps some added crystal flash to give sparkle to the skirt is a favorite.

Black is also used in stained water, but make sure you use a jig with a red collar.

For fly fishing, a stonefly in black will turn most fish at this time of year.

Off-limits area

At the northern end of the parking lot, if you look west across the stream, you'll see some posted signs.

These mark the boundary of a small portion of the steam that is the private water belonging to the Maxwell Creek Inn Bed and Breakfast (315-483-2222).

The Inn is an 1846 cobblestone house where guests not only have comfortable quarters, but the use of this private section of stream.

Below the road

South of Lake Road and to the west of the stream is another angler parking lot. The stream on this side of the road is totally different.

This is fast pocket water with slick rocks and deep holes.

Wash spawn sacks through the deep holes.

Use plenty of split shot on the line 12 inches or so above the spawn or a three-way swivel with a drop weight and a short leader to the spawn sack.

The advantage of the drop line is the fact that in a hang-up, you'll normally only lose the weight.

When you place split shot directly on the line you generally have to replace everything.

Rigging

My usual setup includes a red Gamakatsu octopus hook in size 6 or 4. These will outfish gold egg hooks four times over.

While many anglers will use a spinning rod and reel, especially on the upper section's close quarters, a fly rod loaded with monofilament line on the reel is the more traditional tackle.

The length of the fly rod gives you reach to get the spawn sack to the proper drift, and the long rod has plenty of absorbency for the tackle busting jolts of the steelhead.

Long rods and center-pin reels have started to make inroads in the tackle market.

My 13-foot rod and center-pin reel lets me fish trophy caliber trout and salmon in fast-current streams with 6-pound test.

The light line is a distinct advantage in clear water and when fishing steelhead where success is often measured by hook-ups rather than fish landed.

Purchased spawn sacks must be made with salmon eggs, but I prefer trout eggs.

Of course, at issue is that you must first catch a female steelhead to get the eggs.

I carry a plastic bag with me on the stream as many anglers will be happy to share the treasured bounty.

In fact, at this time of year the female may be dripping eggs that you can catch in your bag but would otherwise be lost.

If you carry a bait maker with you, it's possible to construct a spawn sack at streamside.

But fresh spawn does not hold up as well as treated eggs.

Pro Cure or plain Borax are my choice of cures and I use a diluted mix that will just start to firm the shell of the egg.

Too much cure will make the eggs as hard as little rubber balls and they won't milk.

Rather than tying off the egg sacs, I use a burning pencil to close the opening of nylon mesh after it is compressed in the bait maker.

A thumbnail-size sac is ideal, and you can also add floating beads to the sac to give it a bit of lift off the bottom.

The nylon mesh comes in a variety of colors, but pink, red and chartreuse are the successful baits on Maxwell Creek.

Get there

From I-90, the Thruway, take exit 42 at Geneva and then Route 14 to the north. You will cross Route 104 if that's more convenient than the Thruway.

After winding past the southwest sector of Sodus Bay you'll come to a stop sign. Turn left and go 2.1 miles to Maxwell Creek.

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