Oswego River/Lake Ontario
This report courtesy of the Oswego County Department of Community Development, Tourism and Planning
According to Larry Muroski of Larry’s Oswego Salmon Shop, after having higher water through the weekend, the level has dropped to 1,600cfs as of this morning. There are still salmon at the dam and trout are moving in with steelhead, rainbows and browns throughout the river. It’s time to float Pautzke cured skein and beads with this low water.
According to Capt. Kevin Davis of Catch the Drift, Tuesday was a nice relaxing day on the river. We were back to low water but the fish still wanted to nibble. The king bite was just crazy. An easy double-digit day plus many more; 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, click on the Brookfield Varick Fish Safely Brochure below. 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.
Salmon River report – According to Garrett Brancy of the Douglaston Salmon Run, the last couple of days we have had mixed reports. Most anglers on the run had to work for their hook ups as the bite depended on being in “the right place at the right time”! Larger fly patterns seemed to be a better option for getting that reaction strike rather than finessing small fly patterns. Egg sacs were not so productive but the few center pin fishermen did well. Most anglers I spoke with indicated there were plenty of fish. It’s just that they had a tough time getting them to commit.
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. Covering lots of water continues to be the best method for producing steady results. Egg patterns, woolly buggers, egg sacs and beads are working well.
Oneida Lake – Conditions are about the same on the lake. The shore night bite for walleye is picking up. 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. When you can get out, perch have been somewhat active in about 15 feet of water taking minnows.
Sandy Pond – According to Dave Wood of Woody’s Tackle, the activity on the pond is quiet this time of year.
Niagara Fishing Report
Lake Ontario and tributaries – Brown trout action below Burt Dam continues to be the best bite for your bait. Because water on 18 Mile Creek is still low and clear, the top bait has been single eggs or single egg imitations like beads or yarn flies. Woolly buggers and egg sucking leech patterns will also produce a trout. Steelhead are also being caught in those same waters, with the occasional king or coho salmon also being reported. When you can get out on the piers in Olcott, some browns and rainbows are showing up for casters. In Wilson, browns, northern pike and perch are all being reeled in. Because of the lack of water in the smaller streams, casting or trolling the creek mouths is a good option until the waters return.
Lower Niagara River – Trout fishing continues to be very good from shore and boat along the Artpark drift and up in Devil’s Hole. With the recent southwest winds, boaters have opted to pull wobbling baits. One of the best has been the 3.5 inch MagLip, one of the baits promoted by Buzz Ramsey with the Yakima Bait Company when he was here in the spring. Silver and green or chartreuse has been a hot color combination for lake trout and steelhead of late, followed by the same color pattern for Kwikfish. Water conditions have been good, despite the winds. Shore fishermen have been drifting eggs, single eggs and beads to take trout, including some browns. The NYPA Access road is now open for those looking to fish off the platform or gain access to the shoreline via the stairs. It should remain open until Dec. 1 unless things turn snowy and icy before then. Keep your fingers crossed. Bass are still available at the mouth of the river around Fort Niagara.
Upper Niagara River – With waters cooling into the 50s, musky action has improved. Capt. Chris Cinelli of Grand Island reported one day recently when he was two for seven on fish. His main approach is using a live bait rig and using a three-way rig to bounce the bottom outside weed edges. Bass fishing continues to be good with live bait like golden shiners or crayfish. Tubes and drop shot rigs will also catch fish. Shore fishermen are disappointed that the Ferry Street Bridge is closed for repairs. You’ll have a little bit of a hike to get to Broderick Park but they have been catching some trout, walleye and perch there. Some bass and perch are being caught at Ontario Street, too.
Wayne Fishing Report
Streams– A little more flow this week, however stream fishing has been a challenge. Maxwell Creek had some brown action with some nice kings also being netted. That hasn’t been the case every day. All the tribs have been really slow this year.
Pier fishing has also been spotty with Sodus Bay’s channel producing some steelhead. You need to spend a lot of time to catch trout and salmon. Try egg sacs and cast out spoons if you get bored.
Fishing the streams has been slow, but the catch rate can change daily. Maybe with some more we can encourage a decent run.
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 – Largemouth bass are being caught in Port Bay. Anglers are fishing the old weedlines using rubber. Sodus Bay has perch action in deeper water at the south end. You can also catch perch between the islands, targeting 16 to 20 feet of water.
Check out the rest of the Wayne County Tourism web page for the locations and hours of local bait and tackle shops. 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 – Anglers are still fishing the canal, primarily for bass. You should launch at Widewaters. Bass season is over November 30th.
Chautauqua County Fishing Report
Lake Erie and Tribs – Cattaraugus Creek has generally been the only tributary with decent flow this fall. The creek has been fishing well, with catches reported throughout the system. The Catt was in good shape earlier this week and reported flow of just over 200 cubic feet per second. With the rain we received this past weekend that should increase the Catt’s flow and bring other streams like Chautauqua and Twenty Mile up also. There seems to be more fish in the upper sections of the smaller creeks, with not much happening on the lower ends. The forecasted rains should help. Tributary steelhead commonly hit natural baits like egg sacs or worms, flies such as egg imitations, streamers and bugger patters in the fall and early winter. When fishing low and clear conditions, it is best to use smaller baits, hooks and light line. Anglers can also target steelhead from the Cattaraugus Creek breakwall or off creek mouths by casting spoons, spinners and stickbaits.
With the low creek conditions, steelhead are cruising the shallows off creek mouths. Boaters have good opportunity to catch steelhead in those areas. Casting spoons and spinners or trolling with stickbaits are good bets.
Some Lake Erie anglers were chasing yellow perch when weather permitted this week. Deeper has been better, with multiple limit catches coming from depths around 65 feet, off Cattaraugus Creek in Sunset Bay.
Chautauqua Lake – 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.