Greater Niagara Fishing Report

Lake Ontario and tributaries – Early reports of salmon showing up off the piers in Olcott have come in from some night fishermen casting glow-in-the-dark spoons and rattlebaits. A few brown trout are also being reported off the piers so it’s only a matter of time before those fish start to make their runs up to places like Burt Dam. While it’s still early, one good cold rain should bring the first fish up the creeks. In the meantime, warm water fish like bass, pike and perch will continue to dominate catches in Wilson and Olcott harbors. Out on the Niagara Bar at the drop off, it’s been hit or miss on the salmon. However steelhead and salmon action has been good out deep according to Capt. Matt Yablonsky of Youngstown. Towards Wilson and Olcott, some staging fish are being caught out to 150 feet according to Wes Walker at The Slippery Sinker; brown trout inside of 60 feet. Spoons, flasher-fly and cut bait are working on the salmon; spoons or flasher-fly on the trout and Cohos. In the Lake Ontario Counties Trout and Salmon Derby that ended on Labor Day, Fredrick Dedrick of Cairo, NY hooked into a 36 pound, 8 ounce salmon out of Mexico Bay – a fish that held up in the 18 day derby to win the $25,000 Grand Prize. First place in the Salmon Division was Lena-Jean Poulin of New Hampshire, catching a 35 pound, 15 ounce salmon on her 50thbirthday the final weekend of the contest. She earned a check for $5,000 for her Oswego-based fish. In the Rainbow/steelhead Division, Scott Brownell of Penfield hauled in an 18 pound, 11 ounce fish to win a check for $2,500 while fishing out of Irondequoit Bay. Top brown trout was the 17 pound, 13 ounce fish that was reeled in by Larry Goehring of Spraggs, Pennsylvania while fishing east of Olcott. Check out www.loc.org for a complete leaderboard.

Lower Niagara River – Bass and walleye action continues to be consistent throughout the river system. Bass can be found from the gorge to Fort Niagara and out on the Niagara Bar. Crayfish, shiners or tube jigs work best on bass. Walleye can be found in many of those same waters, with a worm harness fished off a three-way rig the bait of choice. A few dead salmon have been seen floating down through the river system, but no reports of anyone catching one yet. One of the best places to catch a salmon is from the New York Power Authority Fishing Platform attached to the Niagara Power Project. However, the corner turbine should be on to increase your chances for success. NYPA recently announced that the utility will be making some major safety improvements on the South Assess Road leading the fishing platform starting on Sept. 9. As a result, half of the lower parking lot will be closed off while the construction is taking place. Parking will be available in the upper lot. The stairs leading the shoreline will also be closed off. For information on the road renovations call 796-0135 Ext. 45.

Upper Niagara River – The white bass bite along Broderick Park continues to be very good with emerald shiners the best bait to use. You can also use a small white twister tail tipped on a jig or plain hook. Some perch and bass are also being caught. The Bird Island Pier is back open again. Bass fishing continues to be good in the West River, around Strawberry and Motor islands and at the head of the river.

Wayne County Fishing Report

Lake Ontario – The LOC Derby ended yesterday and the leaderboard was dominated by 30 plus pound salmon. The mighty kings of Lake Ontario were caught from every section of the lake.

The Grand Prize winner took home $25,100. And it was his first salmon and first time fishing the lake. His fish was 36.08 pounds.

Currently the salmon are starting to stage before entering the streams. They can be found in 350 feet to 100 feet of water.

Anglers are using flasher-flies, spoons and some cutbait. The E-Chip flasher rigged before a fly has been lethal.

Charter captains in Wayne County are running their rigs using downriggers, Dipsys on the wire and copper line running straight back.

The crowds on the water are now gone. Labor Day is over and if you fish now you’ll have the entire lake to yourself.

Bays – Lunker bass are coming from Port, Sodus, and East Bays. The warm water in the bays has the fish on the move and they are eating everything in sight.

One of the hottest ways to catch largemouths in Sodus is to use soft plastic baits like Senkos, soft jerkbaits and plastic worms.

The best time to fish late summer bass is early morning or at dusk. They tend to stay under cover during hot days.

The bait shops in Wayne County have very consistent hours. If you need egg sacs, flies, jigs or spikes you’ll find everything you need. Check out the Wayne County Tourism web page for their locations. www.waynecountytourism.com.

We have a brand new Wayne County Fishing Brochure. This publication features where to go, what to use, and what to catch. Call our office for a free fishing packet, including the new brochure. 1-800-527-6510.

Erie Canal – The largemouths are hitting in the canal. Fish the Widewaters section or anywhere along route 31.

Chautauqua County Fishing Report

by Craig Robbins

Lake Erie – Walleye fishing has been good out of Chautauqua County Harbors of Barcelona and Dunkirk. The walleye are scattered in deeper water between 75-100 feet of water off Barcelona.

Trollers are seeing some good action off Brocton Shoal. Dunkirk anglers are working the water both east and west of the harbor in the same depths.

The walleye action was good last weekend near the international line off Cattaraugus Creek with some limit catches reported.

West of Dunkirk, walleye trollers also see the occasional steelhead, brown trout or lake trout catch. Anglers should run “cheater lines” for some supplemental steelhead action. A cheater line can be 6-8 feet of fluorocarbon line with a snap swivel on one end and spoon on the other.

There are good lake trout catches to be had between Dunkirk and the PA border at depths over 75 feet. Flashy spoons run off downriggers near the bottom can bring in consistent catches of lake trout averaging 6-8 pounds, with the occasional fish pushing the 20 pound mark.

Yellow perch action generally heats up in late summer. Anglers have bee find feeding schools deep off Cattaraugus Creek and Silver Creek in 70-85 feet of water. Minnows fished near the bottom produced good catches including some limits. Some decent perch catches also came just east of Dunkirk in 60-70 feet of water.

Smallmouth bass fishing has picked up around reef in shoal areas. Good areas to try include and Van Buren Reef. Drop-shot rigs combined with crayfish, minnows, tube jigs or other plastic baits works well

Chautauqua Lake – Musky fishing has been solid this past week. Trollers have caught musky along weed edges on stickbaits and bucktail trolling spinners and some suspended musky have been caught over depths of 20-25 feet in the northern basin off Chautauqua Institution.

Largemouth bass fishing is good along weed edges, pockets and around docks. Top water lures, weedless rigged power worms and wacky rigged senkos work good around docks in the Southern Basin. Bluegill fishing is good in the same areas. A simple bobber and worm set-up or small jigs with wax worms works well. Anglers are starting to catch some walleye around the rims of the deep holes.

Fairhaven/Cayuga County

by Capt. Werner Stenger

Well the Lake Ontario Salmon season is nearing its end. Some stellar fishing
still presents its self as salmon stage in the 80-120′ depths. White flies
and flashers as well as glow plugs are hot at first light. Switch to
brighter colors as the sun comes up. Steelhead and browns will follow the
salmon migration. You may have to pick your days carefully as we head toward
the fall but still great fishing on Lake Ontario. I have noticed schools of
perch forming off shore and they should start heading for the bay as the
weather cools. For the hunters out the water geese are starting to show but
it’s still been slow. Cooler temperatures will help that along.