Greater Niagara Region
Bill Hilts, Jr.
Lake Ontario and tributaries
The local open water fishing scene has been tough this winter but with some temperatures finally rising above freezing, look for some open water at Burt Dam and 18 Mile Creek to entice some anglers out. Snow melt and recent rain should help the water color a bit, as well as attract come new fish into the system. Olcott and Wilson harbors still have ice fishing options available and Olcott has been reporting some decent pike catches above the bridge. They are also catching a few trout and perch. Don’t forget the State of Lake Ontario meeting run by DEC is set for March 16 at Lockport’s Cornell Cooperative Extension Niagara starting at 6:30 pm.
Lower Niagara River
Some favorable conditions are being reported in the Lower Niagara River … finally. If you fish the lower Niagara, you will need to adapt to the clear water with lighter line, smaller hooks and smaller baits. That could change a little with the recent rains and run off. Capt. Frank Campbell with Niagara Region Charters made it out earlier in the week and customers managed to get 15 trout for the morning, mostly steelhead. Minnows or Kwikfish/MagLips are the best baits to use off three-way rigs. Fish could be found from Devil’s Hole to the Johnson Drift. Beyond that, winds played a role in how and where they fished. With the water so clear, pay attention to fishing pressure, too. Too many boats on a drift could cause the fish to shut down or move out to slightly deeper waters. Diehard shore fishermen have managed to catch some steelhead in the gorge using float rigs with sacs or beads according to Capt. Jake Joseph with Jiggin’ Jake’s Charters. Forecast for next week sees high temps in the 30’s – a heat wave for us this year.
Upper Niagara River
Not too much changed from the last few weeks with ice fishing action around Grand Island or Buffalo Boat Harbor your best option. It’s that time of year again for the Western New York Sport and Travel Show out at the Erie County Fairgrounds in Hamburg through March 8. The Agri-Center will be filled to the rim, along with several other buildings, with outdoors-related booths. Guest speakers include Pat and Nicole Reeves from the hit Outdoor Channel show “Driven.” Gerry Rightmyer and Steve Schicker with Forever Wild Outdoor Adrenaline Adventures will also be on hand exhibiting and giving seminars. We can’t cover everything that’s at the show here so your best bet is to head to the website at www.eriepromotions.com and see what’s available. It’s a great way to relieve that cabin fever … especially this year! And if you like bass fishing, you’ll want to check out the Outdoor Beat on March 11 when WNY Bassmasters president Jim Lamb of Williamsville will be on the show on Time Warner’s LCTV live at 4 pm. We’ll be talking bass and how to get yourself ready for the early bass season on Lake Erie. That’s Channel 22 if you have cable. If not, check out www.lctv.net.
Oswego County
Mary Ellen Barbeau
Oswego River
The water level has been steadily running at about 3,000cfs for several days. This morning it is flowing at 3,230cfs. There has not been much activity on the river but the forecast is calling for temperatures to begin moderating to near normal over the next few days. High temperatures in the 30s for the weekend and into the low 40s for the first part of next week signal spring may actually be coming. Look for some great steelhead fishing plus good brown trout action along the shoreline in the weeks ahead.
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 loaner life jackets at no charge through its “Loaner For Life” program. For more information contact the fire station, 35 E. Cayuga St., at 315-343-2161.
Salmon River
The Douglaston Salmon Run reports that with the warmer temperatures Tuesday and Wednesday, slush was flushing out of the river and the channel is starting to open up a bit. In some spots it will take a few more days as indicated by the Town Pool yesterday. There was shelf ice from bank left to bank right. The weekend should be near 30 degrees and the extended forecast is calling for near 40 next week. Look for activity to pick up and watch the steelhead explode out of their winter lethargy.
Oneida Lake
Temperatures are finally expected to moderate in the next few days. There are some drifts but anglers seem to be navigating through the snow. With temperatures a bit warmer earlier this week and again going into the weekend, expect to find slush under the snow and as always use caution. Although the bite has been slow overall, anglers are finding some crappie action in Big Bay and a few perch in deeper water.
Sandy Pond
The conditions on the pond are varied with some hard-packed snow, drifts and areas of slush. As the temperatures warm to near 30 degrees this weekend expect more slush. Some anglers have reported a few perch but overall the bite is slow. Others have found some pike and Greene Point has been producing a decent crappie bite.