Trailer ramp · Lake Ontario · New York

Sandy Creek DEC launch

A public trailer ramp on North Sandy Pond / Lake Ontario in Sandy Creek, Oswego County, New York. Managed by NYSDEC.

Directions All Ontario launches

The launch

What the agency lists

Launch type: Trailer ramp — hard surface launch
Water: North Sandy Pond/Lake Ontario
Parking: 25 cars and trailers
Accessible features: Listed by the agency
Fee: Not published in the source — ask the manager
Managed by: NYSDEC
Location: Sandy Creek, Oswego County, New York
Coordinates: 43.6570° N, 76.1601° W

Before you launch

Lake Ontario is big water

Creek-mouth launches depend on lake level and sand. Some shoal in low water, and the DEC notes where that is a known problem. Out front, the lake is deep and cold close to shore, and a north or west wind stacks waves at the harbor entrances.

Lake-effect snow squalls off the east end. Oswego and Tug Hill can get several feet in a day, and a squall can arrive on a boat ramp with almost no warning in November.
Deep water very close to shore on the south side, which means fish are far offshore in summer — 8 to 15 mile runs are normal and the weather can change during them.
Strong current and standing water at the Niagara Bar. The river outflow meets lake water and creates real hydraulics; small boats get into trouble there in wind against current.

Read how to read a Great Lakes marine forecast and trailering and launching on big water. Pack the big-water safety kit.

From this launch

What to fish on Lake Ontario

Our Ontario fishing guides name spots at or near Sandy Creek:

Coho Salmon · Late July through September, concentrated in the eastern basin

Coho Salmon Fishing on Lake Ontario

Sandy Creek and Selkirk Shores: The stretch between Sandy Creek and Selkirk fishes shallow and holds coho tight to the temperature break in August. Good water for a smaller boat.

Northern Pike · May through June, September until ice-up, and December through mid-March through the ice

Lake Ontario Northern Pike: Chaumont Bay, Henderson Harbor & the South-Shore Bays

North and South Sandy Ponds: Called ponds, fished like bays. NYSDEC rates them among Lake Ontario's best for pike. The marsh between them at Lakeview Wildlife Management Area has had wetland work aimed partly at pike spawning and nursery habitat. Launch at Sandy Creek.

Steelhead · October through April in the tributaries, peaking December and again in late March; June through August offshore

Steelhead Fishing on Lake Ontario

Sandy Creek and the eastern tributaries: Smaller water east of Rochester with less pressure than the Salmon River and a good March run.

Brown Trout · Late March through May, with a second window in October and November near the river mouths

Brown Trout Fishing on Lake Ontario

Lake Ontario is the best brown trout water in the Great Lakes and it is not particularly close. Spring browns hold inside 20 feet of water along the south shore and on the Niagara Bar, which means genuine 15-pound trout are catchable from a small boat within sight of the beach.

Chinook Salmon · Mid-June through mid-September, peaking with the staging fish off Oswego and Mexico Bay in late August

Chinook Salmon Fishing on Lake Ontario

Pound for pound Lake Ontario produces the biggest chinook in the Great Lakes, and a 25-pound fish here is a good day rather than a career fish. The offshore run is shorter than Lake Michigan's and the south-shore ports put you over 400 feet of water within a few miles.

Lake Trout · May and June shallow, July through September deep, with a fall concentration on the eastern shoals

Lake Trout Fishing on Lake Ontario

Lake Ontario has more lake trout than most of the boats out there are trying to catch, because the fleet is chasing chinook. Drop one rigger to the bottom in 120 to 200 feet along the south shore or fish the eastern basin shoals off Galloo Island and you will find them all summer.

Muskellunge Smallmouth Bass Walleye Yellow Perch

Ontario by season

SpringBrown trout on the Bar and along the beach SummerKings offshore, deep and heavy FallThe Salmon River, and the biggest event on the chain WinterTributaries stay open, the lake mostly does

Next ramp over

Nearest Ontario launches

Selkirk Shores State Park6.6 mi · unimproved trailer launch · NY
Mexico Point10 mi · trailer ramp · NY
Henderson state park launch12 mi · trailer ramp · NY
Henderson municipal launch13 mi · trailer ramp · NY
Westcott Beach State Park17 mi · trailer ramp · NY
Market Square Park20 mi · trailer ramp · NY

Straight-line distance, not a boating route.

Landmarks from the water

Lighthouses nearby

Selkirk Light6.1 mi · deactivated

For the crew ashore

Beaches nearby

Sandy Island Beach State Park2.6 mi
ONTARIO SHORES (Rainbow Shores)3.3 mi

Camp or picnic

State parks nearby

Sandy Pond Beach Unique Area1.8 mi
Sandy Island Beach State Park2.5 mi

On shore nearby

Worth the stop

Sackets Harbor20 mi · town

Source

Launch facts are from the NYSDEC, Boat Launch Sites for Oswego County, retrieved 2026-10-05. Ramps close for repairs, fees change and water levels move; confirm with NYSDEC before you tow. Fishing rules are set by theNYSDEC.

Chart shoreline generalized from Natural Earth (public domain). Not for navigation. Something wrong or missing? Write to contact@greatamericanlakes.com.

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