Sweet Isolation - Salmon River Lake Ontario Beach House

About the Owner

About Mike Barnell:

The 'brothers-in-law' Mike & Abe welcome you to join us, as our extended family has been enjoying the Salmon River Point since the 1930s, and we now have many family members and close family friends who own summer homes on the Point and further up the river along Pine Grove Road. Having grown up at the lake, enjoying the fishing, water sports, restful days in the sun and sand, marveling at the way the wind, waves and lake storms can entertain you, with rainy days spent working a jigsaw puzzle or reading a novel while enjoying views of the lake being some of our most memorable times. Or getting to stay up late roasting marshmallows over a beach fire, followed the next morning by a pancake breakfast after returning from fishing with our parents. Smallmouth bass and yellow perch fishing used to be the focus of our angling efforts, and those catches are arguably still the best tasting. But in the 1970s, the Salmon fishery developed and since then, Brown Trout can be caught in abundance along the lakeshore as the water warms in May and June. The fishing charters run all summer long out to the deep waters of the lake, many departing directly from the Salmon River Marina right across the river. In the fall, the fishing gets especially active in the river, as the salmon migrate to run upstream. Year after year, our families and friends have enjoyed this special place and all that it has to offer. We are now sharing this special place with a few others at times when our family cannot be at the lake. And so we make our beach house available from time to time, hopefully, to be booked by the same families or groups of fishing friends year after year.

Mike Barnell purchased this House in 2012

Why Mike Barnell chose Port Ontario:
There is perhaps no better sandy beachfront location on all of Lake Ontario, with views directly across the water west to gorgeous sunsets that are different every day of the year. And adding to the sense of isolation and beauty of this place, this beach house is at 'land's end', at the pier, and point where the Salmon River meets the lake. With Brown Trout fishing in Spring, Smallmouth Bass and Perch fishing in Summer, Chinook and Coho salmon fishing all through Summer and Autumn culminating in the dramatic September & October salmon and steelhead run up the Salmon River, there is a no more exciting place for those who love fresh water sportfishing. And to enjoy all that while staying in the northernmost beach cottage on the point, at the very mouth of the Salmon River, directly across the river from the Lighthouse, is very special. Being at the beach in the early season (May & June) is tremendous, as often you will share the beach with only seagulls and other shorebirds. The beach is all sand, in the water and out, directly out the front door of your house on the beach. In Late Spring and in Autumn, as ducks and geese trade up the Lake and the air chills, the cottage is a perfect place for a fishing party to stay, returning to comfort on the beach after a day on the lake or river. Or, for those who don't like to fish, but love to view the action, the cottage is a comfortable place to enjoy the natural beauty of the lakeshore, watching the fishing charters come and go from the harbor. Day trips to Sackets Harbor, the Thousand Islands, Kingston, Syracuse, Old Forge, the Salmon River Hatchery and other surrounding sites are all fun activities when looking for fun other than on the beach and the water.

What makes this House unique?

For those who like to participate in the salmon fishing run in late summer and fall, you can enjoy a beach house located right in the middle of the action, at the very mouth of the Salmon River and directly across from the Salmon River Lighthouse & Marina. With Lake Ontario at your doorstep, you can see all the fishing boats trolling for salmon in the lake and see salmon surfacing as they run up the river. Some days are windy, some are calm, many are sunny and some are brisk, but stay for a week in September or October and you will enjoy the entire experience. In May and June, the action shifts to Brown Trout and then Smallmouth Bass later in June. No matter what the month, or the mix of weather, the fishing is always great, and you will love being on the beach, surrounded by sand dunes, and enjoying the many faces and ever-changing moods of the lake. The house is maintained in a beach-friendly style that allows for the accommodation of pets. The large living/dining room hosts a large beach-stone wood-burning fireplace, and the closed-in front porch is comfortable even on cooler, windy spring and fall days. The 4 airy upstairs bedrooms sleep as many as 8, with 2 queen, 2 double and 3 twin beds, with an air-conditioned downstairs master bedroom featuring a king bed and full lake view. River dockage is available if you have a boat of your own, with launch facilities at the Marina and at the NY State launch site upriver. You don't need to be a fisherman to enjoy the upcoming fall experience at the mouth of the Salmon River. The beach and river are beautiful in the spring and fall, and a romantic spot for couples to enjoy while watching all that is happening at the river then. But if you are a fisherman, what better place to stay - right in the middle of the action....