Chautauqua Lake New York Fishing

Chautauqua Lake - Reviewed

If you are an avid fisherman and looking for a new lake to cast your line. Chautauqua Lake just might be the place for you. Come and fish in Chautauqua Lake and you might even see a rainbow or two.

Chautauqua Lake is located in western New York, just east of Erie Pennsylvania, and south of Buffalo New York. The lake is the largest inland lake in western New York. Stretching 17 miles long and 2 miles wide at its widest point, with 42.5 miles of shoreline.

We have lived here since 1989 and consider this our home. We live just two blocks away from the lake and can never get enough of it.

Many fishermen come here to fish for Muskie a North American fresh-water fish, it is the largest fish in the pike family. In the lake, they range from 40 to 50 inches. I've done my share of fishing in Chautauqua Lake, but have never landed a muskie.

Popular Species of Fish in Chautauqua Lake:

• Muskie
• Walleye
• Largemouth Bass
• Smallmouth Bass
• Crappie
• Perch
• Bluegill 

The north basin of the lake is 75 ft. at its deepest with an average depth of 25 Ft. The south basin is much shallower at 19 Ft. at its deepest with an average depth of 11 Ft. The south basin with its shallow waters and weedy areas make this the perfect environment for bass fishing.

If ice fishing is for you, here in the winter months you will find many colorful fishing huts over the frozen surface of the lake. As for me, you will find me in the house with a warm blanket during the winter. 

There are many fishing tournaments throughout the year at Chautauqua Lake. Click here for a list of the tournaments and much more do here in Chautauqua Lake Region. Then, make your plans,  pack your gear and bring your boat. Maybe I'll see you on the lake.

Make it a family vacation. Find out here just how much there is to see and do in the Chautauqua Region.

 Following are some of my recipes for the fresh fish of Chautauqua Lake:

Broiled Walleye Fillets

Pan-Fried Crappie Fillets

Beer Battered Walleye Recipe

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Greater Than a Tourist- Chautauqua Lake Region New York USA: 50 Travel Tips from a Local (Greater Than a Tourist New York Series)

 

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Kinzua Dam a Fall Destination Reviewed

 

A scenic view in October from Kinzua Area

Fall will be upon us. Sunny cool days and the leaves will be turning so many beautiful colors. We live in Western New York not far from the Kinzua Dam.

Every year when the leaves are at their peak, we take the drive down I86 East, from there we take some back roads into Pennsylvania, through the Allegheny National Forest to the Kinzua Area, the ride is breathtakingly scenic.

If you are in the process of planning a fall vacation, consider the Kinzua Dam. The dam is located about 6 miles east of Warren Pennsylvania, along route 59 nestled in the 500,000 acres of the Allegheny National Forest. I’m going to include a little history and all the fun activities in the Kinzua area.

So, if you like camping, hiking, fishing, canoeing, kayaking, boating, or just relaxing and taking in the views it’s all here at Kinzua. If you’re the outdoors type pack your bags and get ready for some breathtaking views and fun. First here is some history of the area.

Kinzua Dam Construction and Why:

Construction began in 1960 by the US Army Corps of Engineers and was completed in 1965. The main purpose of the dam was for flood control on the Allegheny River. Kinzua controls drainage on a watershed of 2,180 square miles.

Several side benefits from the construction of the dam include drought control, hydroelectric power production, and recreation. The dam created Pennsylvania’s deepest lake, the Allegheny Reservoir, also known as Kinzua Lake.

The cost was approximately $108 million. According to the US Army Corps of Engineers, the dam paid for itself in 1972 when tropical storm Agnes’s heavy rains on the watershed brought the reservoir to within three feet of its maximum capacity.

Downstream flood damage would have been devastating at an estimated $247 million. The Kinzua Dam has saved an estimated $1 billion in flood damages since it became operational.

Recreation at Kinzua Dam:

There are many recreational activities at the Allegheny Reservoir and the surrounding area. If you’re the outdoors type, then there is something here for you. Along the reservoir, there is camping, boating, fishing, hiking, and a beach. If you’re the winter type there is snowmobiling and cross country skiing along the trails.

The US Forest Service has four reservoir campgrounds and five primitive (boat to or hike only) camping areas. Most of the recreation areas surround Allegheny Lake.

We love to go there any time of the year and soak in the beautiful scenery and walk the trails. Since we live in Western New York, which is not so far from Kinzua, it’s a nice drive, especially in the fall.

Hiking Trails and Beautiful Scenic Views

There are many scenic overlooks at Kinzua. There are two areas that we never miss and never tire of visiting, they are Jake’s Rock and Rim Rock. The intro photo of this article was taken from Rim Rock.

The views from these overlooks are beautiful any time of the year, but we prefer to go in the fall when the views are breathtaking. We have been there many times and it’s always the same, “Beautiful”

Did You Know That Johnny Cash recorded a song about the Kinzua Dam?

As a tribute to the Seneca Nation of Indians, Johnny Cash recorded, As Long as the Grass Will Grow. The construction of the Dam forced 600 Seneca Indians to relocate because 10,000 acres of their land had to be flooded.

This land had been occupied by the Seneca Nation since the treaty of 1794. President Kennedy had been asked to halt the project but declined because of the need for flood control.

President Kennedy ordered government agencies to assist in finding land for the placement of the Seneca Nation of Indians.

If you are a fan on Johnny Cash here is the song

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Charleston South Carolina Historic Vacation Reviewed

South Carolina Folly Beach Pier

 If you're planning a vacation in the new year and you love history, or maybe you just like to relax on you're vacation, consider Charleston South Carolina.

We’re lucky enough to have family living in Charleston. If we didn’t have family living there I don’t know if we would have ever have considered taking a vacation there. What a mistake that would be, as we’ve traveled there many times to visit and every time there is something new to see and do.

As you know this is where the Civil War started, when confederate soldiers fired on Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor, which was occupied by Union forces. This was known as the first shot fired in the Civil War. Okay, enough history; you can read this anywhere online. What I want to tell you are some of the fun things that we like to do when we visit Charleston.

Folly Beach is on James Island, we always make it a point to visit this beach in the morning. We walked to the beach and collected some beautiful seashells. We’ll later use these seashells to do some crafts with our grandchildren.

The beach is so very peaceful in the morning, and if you can get there early enough to see the sunrise it’s a beautiful sight. Although we didn’t do this every day, come on, I’m on vacation right. If you miss the sunrise, the sunsets on Folly Beach are epic.

Charleston the downtown market

Take a day to visit the huge outside market in downtown Charleston, we like walking through and stopping to see the many vendors and their wares. You’ll find everything here from fine art to the smallest trinket to take home as a keepsake. There are some very talented people, who hand weave these baskets. Well, it’s hard to see the people in this photo, but I really wanted you to see the baskets.

As you walk through, you’ll see people throughout the market crafting and weaving their baskets. We have purchased several; after all, you can never have enough baskets, right? Some of them are a bit pricey, but most time the vendors a willing to make a deal.

Once you're downtown take some time to check out the carriage ride guided tours of the city. These tours have so many different routes around the city, and you can take a different one every time. It’s a beautiful ride through the streets of Old Charleston, the tour guides are well versed in the history of the city, and the horses are very friendly too. If you’re going to visit Charleston, put this on your things-to-do list, you won’t be sorry.

 This is the tour that we have taken a couple of times. The Palmetto Carriage Tour is an hour-long carriage ride through the city. I love the history on these tours, I learn something new every time.

Walk around the city just to enjoy the beauty and architecture. Soak in the history of Old Charleston. 

Walking along the Battery off in the distance, you can see Fort Sumter. Very often you can see dolphins jumping around the shoreline.

As I walk through the streets of this historic city. I can’t help but think of all the generations that have lived in these homes. Homes that have been here for hundreds of years, the history just pours out of them. After the war, Charleston didn’t have a lot of money to rebuild so they restored and restored, keeping the old buildings for us to enjoy.

This is my favorite thing to do as I see something new every time we take a walk around the city. These are some of the things we like to do when we visit Charleston. There is so much more to enjoy here, with so many wonderful restaurants and parks to visit.

Charleston Where History Lives

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Charleston! Charleston!: The History of a Southern City

 

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