Greater Niagara Region
Bill Hilts, Jr.
Lake Ontario And Tributaries
At the time of this report, we are in the middle of receiving between one and two inches of rain. Luckily it’s not cold enough for ice or snow or we would be buried. That said, the water flow at 18 Mile Creek had been down to 550 cfs and it was a little dirty from snow melt. After this rain, though, conditions will undoubtedly be high and muddy. When things settle down, the first wave of big breeder steelhead should be arriving according to Wes Walker at The Slippery Sinker in Olcott. There are some brown trout in the creek, too. The ice is out of the harbor in Olcott, but there was ice on the piers before the rains. That ice could be gone after the rain. Wilson is still in a transition with some unsafe ice still hanging around and open water starting to take over. Keg Creek was fishable before the rain with reports of steelhead and suckers moving in. However, you will have to wait until things settle down right now. And when the waters start to clear there should be plenty of perch around, too. So in the meantime there is some inside business that you can attend to. On March 3 there will be a State of Lake Ontario meeting for updates on status of the lake’s fisheries with numerous management agencies. It will be held at Cornell Cooperative Extension Niagara, 4487 Lake Avenue, Lockport starting at 6:30 pm. It’s important to get people attending, especially after the year we had on the lake last year, to get some answers to your questions. One of the big considerations will be a change in the pen rearing programs around the lake. Also, the Niagara County Federation of Conservation Clubs is seeking nominations for its annual awards program, an opportunity to recognize people behind the scenes as it pertains to our natural resources, shooting sports, fisheries and hunter safety training. It’s important to get those nominations in because, like the state lottery, you have to be in it to win it! Deadline to register is Feb. 29. To get a nomination form, see a Federation delegate or contact John Butcher at 433-1014. Take 5 minutes to give someone a pat on the back – it’s the least we can do!
Lower Niagara River
In the lower Niagara River, action was pretty good last weekend but who knows what will happen after the rain and wind hits the area. Earlier in the week fishing was tougher for drifters using minnows or Kwikfish to try and take some trout. It was a difficult bite on Monday, probably because of a north wind affecting the drift. The storm at mid-week could hurt the current conditions. Wind direction will continue to play a role in whether or not the water will muddy up. The worst wind is southwest and it didn’t look like it was part of the forecast. The excessive amount of rain could stain the water up, though. Shore casters may have the advantage once again. Spoons, spinners, eggs or egg imitations will all catch fish.
Upper Niagara River
Winds and rain are putting a damper on the upper river action. You might want to consider attending the Western New York Boat Show at the Buffalo Bills Field House in Orchard Park through February 28th. The 27th Annual Antique Fishing Tackle Show will be held at the Lockport Elks Lodge No. 41 on North Canal Road on Saturday, March 5 from 11 am to 2 pm. If you have some old fishing tackle lying around, this is the perfect opportunity to break it out. Call Dan Bedford at 713-9410 for more info.
Oswego County
Mary Ellen Barbeau
Oswego River Report:
With the rain and runoff over the last few days the water level has spiked to 22,000cfs. This makes it very difficult to fish along the river. When conditions settle down, look for steelhead and brown trout activity throughout 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 along the top bar on the home page. 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 Report:
According to the Douglaston Salmon Run:
Over the weekend approximately half of our clients reported moderate to good success with fresh steelhead, the other half reported little to no success. No one part of the run seemed to produce better than the other parts. The same was true of flies or eggs / beads. Today’s temperature will reach 40 degrees but with a brisk wind and rain changing to snow showers tonight. The water flow is currently running at 1,500cfs.
Oneida Lake Report
Temperatures over the next several days will be up and down. A high in the mid 40s today, cooler in the 20s tomorrow and the weekend will be upper 30s on Saturday and near 50 degrees on Sunday. With the rain we have had, reports are indicating the ice is softening in many areas. Places near running water and along the shoreline are not safe. We will have to see how the next day or so affect the ice.
Sandy Pond report
According to Woody’s Tackle:
Temperatures are expected to reach into the 40s again early today but begin to drop this afternoon with the high tomorrow in the mid 20s. Snow showers are expected to return tonight and tomorrow. Reports from anglers fishing off the Elm’s this morning indicate that the ice was good in that area. Anglers are finding a mix of perch, walleye and panfish.
According to Greene Point Marina:
There is good ice on the pond in this area. With the rain we have had and warmer temperatures there is no snow cover at this time. There are some areas where the ice has separated from the shore. Colder temperatures will be here tonight through tomorrow night. With these up and down temperatures use caution and check the ice as you venture out.
Wayne County Fishing Update
Chris Kenyon
Streams
There have been some steelhead catches in Maxwell Creek. There are open areas and although there is an ice-pack shoreline it’s still fishable.
Use the usual bright beads, egg sacks, and imitations. Some anglers are using small red sponges. The water is flowing rapidly and the steelies are bright and colorful.
Bays
There is not much to say about the ice fishing this season. All ice is too thin for fishing. Some anglers were out on Port Bay today, although we certainly would not recommend it. It’s not safe ice… so don’t take a chance.
If we only had open water we could launch boats, however we are stuck with what we have. Just think how sharp your auger will be next year or how many fish remain in the bays. How’s that for optimism?
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
The ice on the canal is a little safer than the bays but you should use a spud to test the thickness.
Orleans County
Orleans County Tourism
The more up than down temperatures of the past several days have caused water levels and flows on all of the tributaries within Orleans County to be at high levels with visibility to be less than a foot in most cases.
It has also caused most of the tributaries to clear the majority of ice that they have had.
With precipitation in the form of both rain and snow in the forecast over the next week, water levels should remain high.
On the “Oak” the turbines at the Waterport Power Station seems to be running full bore which means that the turbine channel should contain most of the fish on the move.
Steelhead should still be the most prevalent fish in any of the tributaries followed by Brown trout and I’m still getting reports of an occasional Coho being caught.
Some fishermen are having some success on Johnson Creek now that it has pretty well opened up from the ice pack but no reports of what is being caught yet.
Lake Alice is still iced over but with the warming trend it is totally unsafe to be on.
Salmon River
Michael De Rosa – Zero Limit Adventures – Tailwater Lodge
It continues to be a very difficult winter with water levels and weather frequently changing, confusing fishermen and, probably the fish. We had one day of significant rainfall estimated at 1” – 2” and several moderate snowfalls. But, the amount of overall precipitation is well behind the last two severe winters. If this pattern continues we should have good water flows this spring.
Numbers of fisherman continue to be down throughout the watershed. Douglaston Salmon Run has been reporting some fresh-run steelhead. Upriver has had few fishermen and the fly zone is averaging between 4 & 10, way off for this time of year. Currently the water level is 1250 cfs at the dam with moderate to high flows in all the Salmon River tributaries adding to the downstream flow. Mild weather, with air temperatures reaching the 40s is predicted through the rest of the week.