On the River
Marinas & Dockage
Cape Vincent Marina
231 North Point St
(315) 654-2001
East End Waterfront Park
corner of Broadway & Elm Street
Park is open from 5am until 10pm
Pavilion is for public use. Private groups or large parties should contact the Cape Vincent Village Office to make reservations.
(315) 654-2533
Martins Marina
28494 County Rt. 6
(315) 654-3104
Pond's Marina
Pond's Marina Drive
(315) 654-2186
Precision Marine at Peos Bay, Inc.
34477 NYS Rt. 12 E
(315) 654-3722
River Retreat Dock Sales
33379 NYS Route 12E
(315) 793-9522
Seaway Shipyard
583 E Broadway Street
(315) 775-6641
Stony Point Marina
27472 Lisa Drive
(315) 778-8095
Thousand Islands Marina
34797 County Rd 7
(315) 654-2174
Village Dock
corner of Esselstyne & Gouvello Street
Look for the QR codes on the dock pedestals to register your stay
Pocket Parks
Cape Vincent’s pocket parks with riverfront access provide residents and visitors with a series of scenic, accessible, and peaceful spots along the St. Lawrence River. Located at the DEC Fishery Station and at the ends of Point, Market, Real, and Kanady Streets, these parks offer a variety of public amenities including benches, picnic areas, and open views of the river and shipping channel. The DEC Fishery Station also features an aquarium, fishing and viewing platforms, and accessible facilities, making it a unique destination for recreation and education. The street-end parks, though small in scale, serve as valuable public spaces that enhance waterfront access, preserve scenic viewsheds, and contribute to the charm and walkability of the village. These parks reflect Cape Vincent’s commitment to maintaining its connection to the water and providing inclusive, low-impact ways for the public to enjoy the natural beauty of the area.
Cape Vincent isn’t just a fishing village — it now stands on the doorstep of New York’s first Great Lakes “underwater park,” offering scuba divers a rare chance to combine recreation and history: wreck diving, heritage exploration, and the tranquility of Lake Ontario’s deep-water environment.
Cape Vincent sits right where eastern Lake Ontario meets the upper St. Lawrence River, making it a natural gateway for exploring the newly designated sanctuary waters. In 2024, the sanctuary was officially established, covering roughly 1,722 square miles of eastern Lake Ontario and adjacent bottomlands — waters that are within reach of Cape Vincent-area divers.
The Sanctuary preserves a rich collection of underwater cultural heritage: dozens of known shipwrecks (and potentially many more “lost” wrecks), a submerged aircraft, and other archaeological sites — all resting in Lake Ontario’s cold, fresh, and relatively preservation-friendly waters.
For scuba divers, this means Cape Vincent offers access to a kind of “underwater museum.” Divers — with proper training, gear (especially cold-water gear), and respect for preservation rules — may explore historic wrecks such as the St. Louis wreck dive site at East End Waterfront Park.
Swimming
East End Waterfront Park
〰
Wilson's Bay
〰
Cedar Point State Park
〰
Market Street Pocket Park
〰
East End Waterfront Park 〰 Wilson's Bay 〰 Cedar Point State Park 〰 Market Street Pocket Park 〰
Wilson’s Bay
Cape Vincent, NY – Year-Round Fishing Calendar
January
Ice Fishing (when safe): Yellow perch, panfish, northern pike.
Fishing takes place mostly in sheltered bays and river inlets.
February
Ice Fishing continues: Perch remain active; pike action often peaks.
Occasional walleye activity under the ice in deeper river sections.
March
Ice begins breaking up; open water slowly returns.
Early runs of steelhead begin in tributaries nearby.
Perch and panfish remain consistent.
April
Prime for cold-water species:
Brown trout
Lake trout
Early Atlantic/Chinook salmon
Shore and nearshore trolling improves as waters warm.
May
Excellent for trout & salmon offshore.
Walleye season opens—great in river channels and shoals.
Pike active in shallow weed edges.
June
Transition month: both trout/salmon and warmwater species are strong.
Smallmouth bass activity picks up (pre-spawn & spawn).
Good multispecies fishing from boats or from shore.
July
Peak smallmouth bass fishing in rocky shoals and island structures.
Largemouth bass active in weed beds.
Salmon and trout move deeper but remain targetable by trollers.
August
Bass fishing remains excellent.
Deep-water lake trout and salmon trolling continues offshore.
Evening walleye bites in channels and drop-offs.
September
Chinook & coho salmon begin staging near river mouths—great trolling month.
Smallmouth bass feed heavily before fall turnover.
October
Prime salmon month in Lake Ontario and edges of the St. Lawrence.
Steelhead fishing improves.
Bass remain active until temperatures drop sharply.
November
Steelhead strongest during late fall.
Pike re-emerge in shallower waters.
Light trout and salmon action continues offshore.
December
Early ice begins forming; safe ice may appear in sheltered areas.
Panfish and perch remain catchable in protected bays.
Boat Launch
East End Waterfront Park
corner of Broadway & Elm Street
Park is open from 5am until 10pm
Pavilion is for public use. Private groups or large parties should contact the Cape Vincent Village Office to make reservations.
(315) 654-2533
Key Fishing Hot-Spots Around Cape Vincent
Harbor & Village Dock / NYSDEC Fisheries Station
The harbor in Cape Vincent, including the public docks at the DEC Fisheries Station, is a convenient spot for shore or boat fishing. You can catch panfish, bass, pike and more there.
Good especially for casual fishing, beginners, or when you don’t have a large boat.
Nearby Bays and Island Areas: Mud Bay (near Fox / Grenadier Islands)
Mud Bay — on the inside of islands near Cape Vincent — is mentioned specifically in local fishing guides as a good area for perch (spring, fall) and as a possible ice-fishing location in safe winter conditions.
Because of its sheltered water, Mud Bay is often a go-to when Lake Ontario is rough or for calmer day-fishing.
Points, Shoals, and Island Drop-offs of the St. Lawrence River (Islands, shoals, rocky points)
According to the official DEC guide for St. Lawrence River fishing: islands (and their drop-offs), points, shoals and bays are prime smallmouth bass, pike, walleye, and panfish habitat.
Examples include points around islands such as Carleton, Round, and Linda; and shoals / point-structures at places like Bartlett, Chippewa, Grass, and other points.
Bays & Protected Waters Around Nearby Islands / River-Channels (e.g. bays of islands, sheltered inlets)
Bays — shallow, sheltered waters — are often ideal for pike, perch, panfish; also good for ice fishing in winter. The DEC specifically names several bays near Cape Vincent, Chaumont, and other neighboring villages.
These spots are often calmer, good for casting or jigging, and accessible even without a large boat when conditions on the main river/Lake Ontario are unfavorable.
