Greater Niagara Fishing Forecast
Lake Ontario and tributaries – If you were looking for a time when there was less fishing pressure in some of the more popular areas like 18 Mile Creek and Burt Dam, this is the weekend for that with the opener of the regular big game season in the Southern Zone on Saturday. It’s perfect time for some trout fishing and there’s even a few salmon still hanging around. Brown trout fishing continues to be good at Burt Dam and steelhead fishing is picking up. Use single eggs or egg imitations like trout beads in the low, clear water. A few anglers were fishing jigs tipped with a wax worm and fished under a float, take some trout in the process, too. Unless we get some rain, look for the next impact to the creek coming next week with the dewatering of the Erie Canal. Pier action in Olcott has been decent for trout and perch. At least, when the winds will let you out there. In addition to spoons and spinners for the trout, a few egg sac casters have been drifting this popular trout bait under a float when the waves aren’t too bad. Over in Wilson, pike and perch have been the primary target.
Lower Niagara River – In the lower Niagara, trout fishing has been good there, too, for both boat and shoreline fishermen. If you are fishing the lower river from shore, be aware that the new stairs at Artpark are now open, but with a caveat – the stairs will be closed at times Nov. 17-21 during the day when workers will be doing some welding on the stairs. While beads have been a hot bait for some (Paul Yaeger of Grand Island took three browns, one steelie and a lake trout earlier this week on chartreuse-colored beads), spinners can also work wonders for casters. Local writer Bob DiCesare hooked into ten trout from shore this week by casting Mepps and Vibrax spinners in silver, red or blue. Out of the ten hookups, he managed to land half – four lakers and a steelie. Remember that lake trout season is closed until the end of the year in New York. The New York Power Authority access road is now open to the fishing platform. The NYPA access will only be open until Dec. 1 or until the snow starts flying – whatever comes first. This includes the platform, the stairs to the shoreline and the reservoir access. Boaters have also been enjoying success by dragging wobbling baits like Kwikfish or MagLips. Capt. Joe Marra of Lewiston took out Alin Fodorciuc from Romania last Sunday and even though the water was a little off-color they still managed to reel in three steelhead and six lake trout in just three hours of fishing. Chartreuse colored yarn and silver Kwikfish in 20-25 feet of water was the ticket for consistent success.
Upper Niagara River – Not too many people fishing of late but those that are seem to be doing pretty well. Musky action has been consistent for the most part, whether you are bouncing large tubes along the bottom or dragging live bait off three-way rigs. Some trollers are using large body baits to entice a hit. Bass fishing continues to be decent. Seek out any kind of bottom structure, such as the humps at the head of Strawberry Island or the shoals in the West River. Shore fishing at Broderick Park and the Bird Island Pier is a bit more difficult because of the closing of the Ferry Street bridge. You will have to access those areas by the bridge at the north end of Squaw Island and walking the path. Perch, trout and walleye are all being reported by casters.
Wayne County
Streams – Maxwell Creek added a little water last week; however it’s once again low. The browns are there but you need to use lighter line and don’t be aggressive with your presentation. I think they now call it finesse fishing.
Use mono that is clear because the browns are finicky. The salmon run is just about over and now we are waiting for some steelhead action.
Pier fishing is also another way to catch browns and they will hit small spoons and egg sacs. The wind has been angler’s worse enemy fishing the pier heads. One day it’s from the south, the next will be a west blow, and then it will crank from the north-east.
Another option is Hughes’ Marina on Lake Road just east of Pultneyville. There is a $5 permit fee and you can fish the small lagoons which connect to the lake.
Bays – Perch are starting to hit in Sodus Bay. Use small jigs with spikes. Port Bay also has seen some perch action starting.
Largemouth bass fishing has been excellent in all Wayne County bays. They are fishing the weedlines.
Check out the rest of the Wayne County Tourism web page for the locations and hours of local bait and tackle shops at 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. We also have a new publication on Great Lakes fishing.
Erie Canal – Canal fishing is still productive with largemouth the main attraction. It’s the best time of year for bass fishing. Do it now because the cold weather is coming down from Canada.
Chautauqua County Fishing Report
Lake Erie and Tribs – The famous Cattaraugus Creek has offered a moderate flow and color the past few days. With a mix of snow and rain forecasted for the next several days the Catt should be still fishable through the first of the week.
Steelhead are spread throughout the Cattaraugus Creek system. The creek has been fishing well for about a month. With consistently low and clear conditions, the steelhead bite on the other creeks has remained slow, except for small windows when the flows briefly bump up. It looks like the much needed rain is on the way, so expect higher flows this weekend.
Drifting egg sacs, trout beads and egg pattern flies are good bets for steelhead. Light colored streamers and bugger patterns are good options in clear conditions, while darker patterns in black or purple work better in stained conditions. Worms are also a good bait, especially during runoff events. Schools of emerald shiners have moved into the low ends of the creeks. Drifting a live emerald shiner or swinging a shiner imitation streamer is a good bet in those locations.
Chautauqua Lake – It won’t be long before ice begins to form on Chautauqua Lake, which means game fish like bass, walleye and muskie are feeding in the shallows will be getting ready to their winter.
Anglers can find perch and sunfish in near shore areas of 8-15 feet of water, which in turn are great areas to cast for bass and muskie. Small minnows and worms are working well for perch and sunnies. Fall crappie concentrations can often be found in Ashville and Lakewood Bays. Small tube jigs or minnows work best for crappie.
Muskie trollers can target musky off weed edges with perch colored stick baits, keeping baits just off the bottom. Fish for smallmouth bass outside weed edges with live shiners or tube jigs near the bottom. Fishing for walleye around off Long Point and upper Dewittville Bay in the deeper holes in 25-45 feet of water. Vertical jigging with spoons, jigging Rapalas or medium sized shiners are best baits for fall walleyes.
The muskie bite has been good for trollers off weed edges in Bemus and Warners Bays. Trolling with medium to large stickbaits is a good bet. Walleye fishing has been decent around deeper holes in 25-45 feet of water directly off Long Point State Beach and Upper Dewittville Bay. Vertical jigging with spoons, jigging Rapalas or medium sized shiners are good tactics. Shore anglers are also catching a few walleye at night by casting shallow diving stickbaits. With dropping water temperatures, smallmouth bass action is heating up. Anglers report a good bass bite outside weed edges. Live shiners, tube jigs or lead head jigs and plastics work well, fished near the bottom.
Bass anglers are finding that both small and largemouth are holding in deeper water with shallow rocky points close by. Upper Dewittville Point/Bay and the Belle Tower are great areas to working tube style baits and perch colored crank baits.
Walleye trollers are picking up a few “eyes” working the weed edges off Ashville and Bemus Bays and Long Point. Mid size jointed stick baits in perch and silver/black is working best.
Pan fish bite has been hot in The Narrows between the Bridge and the Ferry. Drifting a split shot rig tipped off with a night crawler or minnow is working best.
Oswego County Fishing Report
Oswego River/Lake Ontario – According to Larry Muroski of Larry’s Oswego Salmon Shop, the water level remained very close to 5,000cfs for about three days. This morning it is running at 4,290cfs. Trout have moved throughout the river with steelhead most active along with a few rainbows and browns. Baits of choice include smack beads, egg sacs, skein and estaz flies. After a few very windy days, the wind has died down and the temperatures are dropping into the 40s.
According to Capt. Kevin Davis of Catch the Drift, you definitely could tell this was a holiday weekend with lots of boats and shore fishermen around. Saturday we had a slow start to the day but a crush fest for the last couple of hours. Sunday we had a very good morning bite with lots of attachments but difficult getting them to the net. There are lots of steelhead around this morning. Many double-digit days and all released to fight another day.
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. The Oswego Fire Department offers a Loaner for Life program, offering loaner life jackets at no cost at the east side fire station, 35 E. Cayuga St., Oswego. For more information call 315-343-2161.
during a successful trip at South Sandy (Crack of the Earth) Ellisburg, NY.
Salmon River – According to Garrett Brancy of the Douglaston Salmon Run, “occasional hook-ups” seem to be the consistent story up and down the run. Most anglers are concentrating on the middle to lower sections but have worked pretty hard for their fish. Stonefly nymphs have come into the mix of successful patterns while egg patterns in a variety of colors and egg sacs continue to produce. More typical weather for this time of year will be with us over the next few days with some snow possible. What we can say is that we are now into the steelhead season.
According to Whitaker’s Sport Shop & Motel, we currently have steelhead spread out in the river from top to bottom. The heads and tailouts of the larger pools are producing some results but the majority of action has been in the transition water. The area between Altmar and Pineville is holding good numbers of steelhead but is also getting the most fishing pressure.
Anglers staying in the motel reported getting into fish in the Upper and Lower Fly Zone, below the Altmar bridge, Bovines, Upper Trestle, Pineville and Staircase.
Oneida Lake – Conditions are about the same on the lake. The shore night bite for walleye has been steady. Casting stickbaits and crankbaits is the suggested application. Open water fishing has been difficult as the wind has been an issue again over the last few days. The temperature is also dropping into the forties so the lake fishing has dropped off as we await the ice fishing season.
Sandy Pond – According to Dave Wood of Woody’s Tackle, the activity on the pond is quiet this time of year.