Keuka Launch Question

[jcuts9]

My club was up Keuka on Sunday and we always launch out of Penn Yan. Nice to see they raised it to $12 to launch there. I looked on the state site, but I could not find a price. Is there a fee to launch on the other side at the state luanch?

thanks

[Fireball]

At this time of the year I doubt NYS Parks are still collecting. Never been to that launch, so I don't know if they remove the docks or leave them in all year. Whatever, I highly doubt you will charged to launch. BTW if over 62 you get free launches Mon- Fri at all NYS Park launches.

[paul40269]

How did your club do up there?

[jcuts9]

lots of limits. Smaller fish though. I think winning weight was 15 half

[bschwoep]

State parks used to be $8, but not sure if they’ve raised it, been a few years since I’ve used one to launch. If most of the guys are fishing the Penn Yann side, you’d be better off just launching there by the time you factor in boat gas.

Get used to higher launch fees, seems it’s happening everywhere. Cross Lake just went to $15.

[Rick Howard]

The DEC Launches are free. Paid for by the sale of licenses. Money well spent if ya ask me. Check the DEC website. They list all of their launch sites by county or you can get the kmz file that pins all the DEC launch sites on Google earth. Be aware and read the launch description before you make a long drive. Some are hand launches or unimproved while others have limited parking. Waneta Lamoka launch parking is very small. You might have trouble getting a club event to fit there.

[mflora98ss]

I just buy the New York State Empire Pass for $72 a year and can lunch at any State park for free. I figure it saves me at least the cost of the pass per year. Money well spent.

https://parks.ny.gov/admission/empire-passport/

[Pagregss]

I'd love to buy the Empire Pass, but last I knew you had to be a NY resident to buy one. Empire Pass won't work at Penn Yann launch on Keuka, unfortunately, since that launch is owned by Penn Yan and not the state.

[mflora98ss]

I didn’t think that you needed to be a New York State resident in order to get the Empire Pass. I could be wrong though.

I never launch at the Penn Yan launch and always go to the State Park instead.

[OBT]

The DEC Launches are free. Paid for by the sale of licenses. Money well spent if ya ask me. Check the DEC website. They list all of their launch sites by county or you can get the kmz file that pins all the DEC launch sites on Google earth. Be aware and read the launch description before you make a long drive. Some are hand launches or unimproved while others have limited parking. Waneta Lamoka launch parking is very small. You might have trouble getting a club event to fit there.

No DEC launches on Keuka, at least to my knowledge. There is a kind of a dirt ramp up the creek a ways on the north end of the west branch. "Sugar Creek NYS Fishing Access Site" but when they lower the lake levels in the fall, depth might be a little sketchy.

As for the state launch in Branchport, (West Branch of the lake) I believe that after a certain date, and I don't know what that date is, they close the gate house, so no charge, but the ramp remains open. (Their nice rest rooms at the ramp get locked up for the season though, so keep that in you plans!