Niagara Region Fishing Report
by Bill Hilts, Jr.
Lake Ontario and tributaries – With slightly warmer temperatures this weekend in the forecast, look for some of the streams to open up and give anglers some water to cast to. The go-to location for stream fishermen locally is the Burt Dam area of 18 Mile Creek and there was open water there according to Wes Walker at The Slippery Sinker in Olcott. Jigs fished under a float and tipped with a wax worm are catching a few fish but egg sacs are starting to turn on. Walker reported that some anglers have been catching steelhead that are dropping eggs. All in the Same Boat Tackle Shop was reporting the use of white and pink colored jigs, as well as a special single cured salmon egg that was working well. Ice fishing in Wilson was producing some trout and pike in the main channel; panfish and perch in the back bay. March 15 is the end date for several fishing seasons in the Empire State including walleye, Northern pike, pickerel and statewide tiger musky. All will reopen the first Saturday in May. Tiger musky in the Great Lakes closed when the regular muskellunge seasons closed and those will reopen when the regular musky season opens the third Saturday in June. The inland tiger musky season opens the first Saturday in May. Mark your calendars for a bullhead contest being sponsored by the Wilson Conservation Club April 11-13. Registration points are All in the Same Boat, Newfane and CMC Auto Repair, Wilson. It will be a 100 percent payback.
Lower Niagara River – Action in the lower river has been decent considering the weather. Cold temperatures and ice floes are hampering fish-catching action, but boaters are still doing well all things considered. A mix of steelhead, brown trout and lake trout are all being reported on Kwikfish, egg sacs or minnows. Double digit days are not uncommon, depending on weather or not the fish stay on your line all the way to the boat. The Niagara River Anglers Association will be hosting its annual John Long, Sr. Memorial Raffle and Feast at St. Vincent de Paul Hall located on Military Road, Niagara Falls on March 23 starting at 2 pm. Check out the website www.niagarariveranglers.com for details. This is the main fund raiser for youth programs in the club.
Upper Niagara River – Not too much to report other than some ice fishing action around Grand Island at the Holiday Inn and Beaver Island State Park Marina. At Buffalo Boat Harbor, nothing changed there with a mix of perch and panfish, most of which are smaller in size. Some nicer perch catches have been reported in the channels and bays off the harbor around the Bell Slip Harbor and Freezer Queen to name a few locations.
Chautauqua County Fishing Report
by Craig Robbins
Lake Erie, Lake Erie Harbors and Tribs – Anglers have been catching some steelhead and brown trout from open water areas in the Dunkirk Harbor. The fishing platform by the warm water discharge is a good bet. The area around the city pier was open at mid-week, before this latest polar freeze. Spoons, spinners, live minnows and egg sacs are good offerings for harbor trout.
This past week where was a little bit of stream fishing with some streams opening up for a short period but are currently ice covered again.
Barcelona Harbor has solid ice, and ice anglers have reported catches of smelt and a few steelhead.
Chautauqua Lake – Chautauqua Lake ice remains good but with a brief warm up last week, some of the stream mouths may be a bit soft. Walleye anglers are doing well off Prendergast, Long Point, Dewittville, Magnolia and the drop-off near Mayville. Target depths of 20-30 feet of water during low light periods. Jigging Rapalas, jigging spoons, jigs with minnows or shiners set on tip-ups are good offerings for walleye, with keeping your offerings just off the bottom.
Anglers are doing well with perch throughout the lake, the key seems to keeping your offerings outside of 8 feet all the out. While most perch being caught are small, 8 to 10 inchers are mixed in. Jigging with larger lures like Swedish pimples all the way down to smaller jigging raps tipped off with larger minnows helps keep the smaller runt perch hook-ups. Anglers are catching modest numbers of crappie off Lakeville, in Burtis Bay and off Mayville. Better catches have come after dark on jigs and wax worms or emerald shiners.
Oswego County Fishing Report
This report courtesy of the Oswego County Department of Community Development, Tourism and Planning
Oswego River – The river has been running between 5,000-8,000cfs for several days. This morning it is flowing at 5,910cfs. This makes areas along the river more accessible. With some moderating temperatures in the forecast for the end of the week there will likely be some anglers in search of the steelhead bite in the river. The bridge to Leto Island is closed, and there are Mandatory Personal Flotation Device (PFD) zones on the Oswego River below the Varick Dam. For more information, view the Oswego County Tourism web site at www.visitoswegocounty.com and look for the fishing report under fishing and hunting.
Pulaski area/Salmon River – According to Whitaker’s Sport Shop and Motel, we have some good news as we head into the weekend with warmer temperatures and improving conditions. Yesterday the few anglers we spoke with reported getting into fishing in the upper end of the river. With the low water conditions, the fish have been holding in the deeper holes. Baits remain the same with nymphs, single egg patterns, egg sacs, beads and pink worms working well.
According to the Douglaston Salmon Run, with temperatures staying well below normal, conditions have been difficult and not a lot of anglers have been on the water. Changes are in store for the end of the week with Friday and Saturday being the pick days if you want to get out on the river to go after some steel. Temperatures will warm into the 30s and the flows remain at 285cfs through tonight. On Tuesday, one angler ventured out and on a whim tried a chartreuse egg sac and was rewarded with his only fish of the day, a fat 8-10lb hen steelhead.
Oneida Lake – After a very cold night with some temperatures below 0° in the area, temperatures will rebound into the 20s today with 30° through the next few days. Nights will, however, be below freezing so we should have ice for a while yet. Reports are indicating there has been some perch action in the shallow water but moving around and sorting through the small ones has been key. Anglers are reporting a few walleye in the deeper water as well as some action in the more shallow depths. Just a reminder that the walleye season closes on March 15 until May 4.
Sandy Pond – According to Dave Wood of Woody’s Tackle, we have fantastic ice conditions on the pond. With 20 inches and no major warm up in the future forecast, we should have a minimum of three more weeks of good fishing conditions. The perch bite has been good with access from near the Wigwam or the Elm’s side. We have a consistent northern pike bite and on the warmer days crappie have been active near Greene Point. Small jigs tipped with grubs are working for the perch along with small minnows; tip ups with large shiners for pike and small green and red jigs tipped with minnows for crappies.