OSWEGO COUNTY – Oswego County’s world-class fishing and hunting opportunities are on display in the recently published 2021-2022 Oswego County Fishing and Hunting Guide, which is now available online and in print.
The 67-page guide includes a detailed overview of fishing opportunities on eastern Lake Ontario, Oneida Lake, the Oswego and Salmon rivers and a variety of other tributaries, as well as the more than 40,000 acres of public lands available for hunting.
Readers can find directories of marinas, charter boats, recreational opportunities, campgrounds, tackle shops and river guides, in addition to maps of fishing and hunting sites throughout Oswego County.
Visitor spending in Oswego County totaled more than $120 million in 2020, a nearly 30% decrease from the $170 million in the previous year. Travel and tourism slowed around the world due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but data shows Americans are increasingly turning to outdoor activities – some for the first time.
“While the COVID-19 pandemic has changed many things in the world around us, the fact remains that Oswego Country is blessed with an abundance of natural resources to be enjoyed by our residents and visitors alike,” said David Turner, director of the Oswego County Community Development, Tourism and Planning Department.
The Oswego County tourism industry generated nearly $17 million in state and local taxes in 2020 despite the COVID-19 pandemic. The county offers a wide variety of outdoor recreation, from boating to hiking to cycling, but fishing and hunting remain among the area’s biggest draws each year.
“Oswego County offers enormous opportunities for fishing and hunting throughout the year,” said Tim Stahl, chair of the county’s Economic Development and Planning Committee. “From hunting waterfowl behind a blind in a Lake Ontario wetland to the world-class fisheries on the Oswego and Salmon rivers, Oswego County is a sportsmen’s paradise. The 2021-2022 Fishing and Hunting Guide is a valuable resource for sports enthusiasts near and far who are looking for the best our county has to offer.”
Fishing is one of Oswego County’s major tourism draws each year, illustrated by the more than 30,000 fishing licenses sold annually to out-of-state and international visitors in the county. The economic impact from fishing alone supported more than 900 jobs and generated more than $190 million in economic activity in 2017, according to a state report.
“It is well documented that Oswego County annually hosts anglers from across America and around the world,” Turner said. “Webster’s defines destination as ‘a place worthy of travel or an extended visit,’ and there is little debate that we are, in fact, a destination for men and women that enjoy the great outdoors. We hope that this guide will enhance the experience for those that come to enjoy our year-round fishery while also helping others who have yet to discover our great outdoors.”
Special sections include tips for steelhead and smallmouth fishing on the Salmon River, and the opportunities available on Oneida Lake. The 2021-2022 guide also provides an overview of fishing for each season in Oswego County – from ice fishing on North Sandy Pond and winter fishing on the Oswego River, to spring and summer angling on Lake Ontario and the famous salmon run each fall.
Editorial content in the Fishing and Hunting Guide was provided by Daniel Zazworsky, Jacqueline McManus, Gary Edwards, Ryan Chelius and Oswego County Tourism staff. A special piece by Wendy Gonyea, a Beaver Clan mother of the Onondaga Nation, highlights the long and storied history of fishing and hunting in the region that dates back to the Haudenosaunee Confederacy.
More than 50,000 copies of the guide will be distributed at outdoor recreation and travel shows, tourism information centers, marinas, tackle shops, campgrounds and other local businesses and attractions throughout New York and surrounding states. Targeted areas include the Capital Region, Finger Lakes and Southern Tier, along with areas across Pennsylvania, Connecticut and western Massachusetts.
The new Fishing and Hunting Guide will soon be available online at www.visitoswegocounty.com, where you can now find year-round fishing conditions and other visitor information. The biennial Oswego County Visitors Guide is available online or in print, and offers information on boating, local restaurants, hiking, history and popular events.
For more information or to request a copy of either guide, call 315-349-8322 or email [email protected].
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