Nearly 50 miles of Lake Erie shoreline makes up Chautauqua County’s northwestern border. It is the warmest and most biologically productive of the Great Lakes and accounts for roughly 50% of the total fish population in all of the Great Lakes, with the walleye fishery widely considered the best in the world, making Lake Erie fishing ideal. Other abundant species include perch, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, brown and rainbow trout. Bassmaster Magazine recognized New York’s stretch of Lake Erie’s shoreline as a 2024 Top Three Bass Fishing Lake in all of northeastern US, an accolade not unfamiliar to the region. Several Lake Erie charter fishing boats and captains are ready to help you land a trophy catch!
Visitors can take a walk or play on one of the many Lake Erie beaches and parks from Ripley to Hanover, camp at Lake Erie State Park, go sailing or rent a boat or kayaks at area marinas. Barcelona Harbor and Dunkirk Harbor are centers of activity with both communities featuring lake access, lakeside events and indoor/outdoor dining options. You're sure to find the perfect Lake Erie beach vacation spot.
Don't miss numerous Lake Erie attractions, including two picturesque lighthouses along the Seaway Trail: Barcelona Lighthouse State Park and Dunkirk Lighthouse, Park and Veterans Museum.
Lake Erie creates a microclimate that allows for the cultivation of both American, mainly labrusca style grapes like Concords, hybrid and European grape varietals. In fact, the Lake Erie Concord Grape Belt is a designated Agriculture Heritage Location in New York State and Westfield is home to the Grape Discovery Center. Lake Erie is also the reason why parts of Chautauqua County receive an average of 200” of snowfall each winter. As cool air from Canada sweeps over the warmer waters of Lake Erie and dumps the precipitation throughout the region, it lays the foundation for our winter recreation activities like downhill and cross country skiing, snowmobiling, snowshoeing and fat tire biking. Plan a Lake Erie vacation and take advantage of all the area has to offer.
