Greater Niagara Region
Bill Hilts, Jr.
Lake Ontario And Tributaries
The topsy turvy weather has put a damper on fishing action for sure. Cold temperatures and a few inches of snow at the very least kept many fishermen home instead of on the water the past week. Piers were ice covered again when they weren’t under water; high winds kept boaters from trolling the shoreline. Some action in the tributaries for trout in places like 18 Mile Creek and Burt Dam, but water was high and muddy. The better fishing was in the smaller streams like Keg Creek. It probably won’t warm up at all until next week. A few bullhead and catfish are being caught in Wilson, but it’s not easy fishing. Worms and dead minnows are producing a few fish. The Wilson Conservation Club will be running a bullhead contest this weekend starting April 8 at 5 pm and running through April 10 at 1 pm. Weigh in for your best two fish will be held on Sunday morning between 9 am and 1 pm at the Wilson Conservation Club, Route 425, Wilson. Register at The Slippery Sinker in Olcott (778-0713) or CMC Auto Repair in Wilson. We told you about the Lake Ontario Trout and Salmon Assn. getting their pens ready to accept fish from the state on April 9th. Be at the Town of Newfane Marina at 9 am to help. They will also need help feeding the fish after they are put into the pens, which it was just announced that it would take place on April 13 at 1 pm. Check out the group’s website at LOTSA1.org for details on how you can help. Speaking of LOTSA, the group will be holding its monthly meeting on April 14 and keynote speaker will be Capt. Rich Hajecki with Crazy Yankee Sportfishing, one of the top tournament fishermen on the lake. The meeting will take place at Cornell Cooperative Extension Niagara, 4487 Lake Avenue (Route 78), Lockport starting at 7 pm.
Lower Niagara River
After the recent storms muddied the water up earlier in the week, things started getting clear by Tuesday. Wednesday was good for Capt. Frank Campbell with a couple customers from Georgia (Chip and Douglass Holloway) who were in town visiting Craig Avery of Lewiston. Using chartreuse colored Pautzke Fire Dye on minnows, they caught about a dozen steelies in three hours, the biggest tipping the scales at 13 pounds. However, we’ll have to wait and see what the 40-plus mile an hour winds will do on Wednesday afternoon and into the evening to the water conditions. Trout can be found from Devil’s Hole to the Niagara Bar when it’s fishable, but the bigger numbers seemed to be down river. Minnows, egg sacs and wobbling baits like Kwikfish or MagLips are all good baits to try when you can get back out there. Steelhead and lake trout top the list; a few browns are also available. Shore casters can use spinners, egg sacs or egg imitations fished under a float. Remember that the stairs at Whirlpool State Park are closed. And when we get wintery weather like this, the NYPA fish platform gets shut down, as does the shoreline access and the reservoir. It will re-open when it gets warmer. No reports on smelt by dippers yet.
Upper Niagara River
Stained water and winter conditions impacted fishing the past week. Trout should still be available off Unity Island and out of Broderick Park, as well as off Bird Island Pier when you can get out there. Egg sacs, minnows and spoons or spinners will catch fish. Use emerald shiners for perch or other panfish. On April 8, Oppenheim Park Pond in Wheatfield will receive 200 rainbow trout and 100 two year old browns at 10 am. That same day at 11 am, Hyde Park Lake in Niagara Falls received 1,720 brown trout and 200 two year old browns. Gill Creek, the outflow of the lake, will also receive 560 yearling browns. Get out there and take advantage of those trout!
Oswego County
Mary Ellen Barbeau
Lake Ontario report:
According to Capt. Kevin Davis of Catch the Drift:
Took a chance on Wednesday at some lake fishing – we were attached to many brown trout the whole day.
Oswego River Report:
The river level has been up some running between 3,500cfs and just under 7,000cfs. The flow this morning is 4,750cfs. Anglers are finding a few steelhead and brown trout but it appears that most of the trout have returned to the lake. Jigs and pink worms have been successful. Just a reminder that walleye season is closed and will reopen on May 7. Bullhead are active at Wright’s Landing with worms and minnows the suggested baits.
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 Whitaker’s Sport Shop & Motel:
With the recent cold weather very few anglers have been on the water. We still have a mix of drop backs scattered throughout the river and steelhead that are in the spawning process. Anglers staying in the motel reported landing some drop backs in the Lower Fly Zone on a mix of egg patterns and nymphs. Anglers stopping into the shop also reported landing some drop backs in the mid to upper end of the river while bottom bouncing or float fishing with egg sacs.
According to the Douglaston Salmon Run:
There have been just a few anglers on the run the last couple of days presumably due to the chilly temperatures. Yet a few drop back steelies were still willing to play. Temperatures are a bit warmer today but are expected to be in the 30s through the weekend with some warmer temperatures returning on Monday.
According to Capt. Kevin Davis of Catch the Drift:
Tuesday was a cold day on the Salmon River but the drop backs were biting.
Oneida Lake Report
Conditions over the next few days do not look to be the best for fishing. Wind along with cooler temperatures and some rain and snow showers are all in the forecast. When conditions allow, anglers are finding perch in the bays using minnows. Remember walleye season is closed until May 7.
Sandy Pond report
Activity on the pond has been quiet. Just a reminder that walleye and northern pike seasons are closed and will reopen on May 7.
Wayne County Fishing Update
Chris Kenyon
Streams
The water flow is decent and there are a few steelhead in Maxwell Creek. If you fish the streams for the last few times this season, make sure you don’t mess with any spring spawning walleye. Maxwell is home to these fish.
You can also fish steelhead on the piers. The Sodus Bay channel pier is a long one which enables you to cover a large area. Just wait until there is no ice-buildup on the concrete.
Lake Ontario
Yesterday was a nice blow…a typical 30 plus wind that has been around all winter. There are browns close to shore, west of Sodus and in front of Hughes’ Marina.
So…when you get a chance to fish the lake look for the mudlines and temp breaks in 10 to 20 fow.
There are small “shakers” in the mix with the browns and a few steelhead are hitting. The reports are slow because no one can fish Ontario because of wind.
Bays
Bay fishing has been a scattered affair with some small perch near the islands of Sodus Bay. They are also catching bullhead at Bay Bridge, however the colder temps have slowed the bite. Warmer temps this week should start the bullhead fishing.
Just like the browns in the lake, warmer water temperatures create more activity.
The DEC docks are not in but higher water levels will make for easier boat launches.
Erie Canal
Sections of the canal won’t be flooded until May, however you can fish near Lyons and the Widewaters in Newark. You can also fish along the shoreline near the locks.
The crappies have always been the targeted spring species near the Port Gibson bridge.
Orleans County
Orleans County Tourism
Mother Nature seems to be giving us one last late delivery of winter before giving way to spring.
Temperatures for the rest of this week remain on the cold side but next week seems finally be more spring like.
The colder weather has dropped tributary temperatures to more seasonal levels.
Flows in all of the tributaries within Orleans County are at levels that offer some great fishing opportunities for those fish that remain in the system.
Both drop back and fresh steelhead are being caught by the few fishermen that are still in the area.
On Lake Ontario the big problem is the wind.
When conditions are good catches of brown trout, steelhead and some Coho salmon are being reported.
On Lake Alice the colder temperatures have started producing ice again but hopefully that will not last too long.
Next Tuesday, April 12th, we will be getting our Chinook salmon and Steelhead stocking for our pen rearing project.
This means that the real work of pen rearing these fish begins.
Feeding up to 5 times a day and cleaning of the pens takes a tremendous amount of effort and manpower.
If you have some time during your day why not sign up for one of these tasks and help ensure the continuation of our great fishery.
Salmon River
Michael De Rosa – Zero Limit Adventures – Tailwater Lodge
Water releases have been at 750 cfs with moderate run-off. Temps here reached the high 50’s for a few hours last week and then we were hit by a significant cold front with scattered snow. Monday night temps plunged to 12 degrees and a new low since 1942. The cold front plus the raise in the flow from 500 to 750 cfs slowed spawning. Water Temps remain in the high 30’s and holding. Drop-Backs were found scattered throughout the river. Douglaston Salmon Run reports some Drop-Backs being caught.
Fishermen who stay on the water are being rewarded. The 10 day forecast shows a warming trend. It will only take a couple of degrees of warmer water for the fish to begin spawning again. The Altmar Hatchery has opened the gates to release the steelhead in their ponds but the fish are holding and should start their journey down river as soon as water temps bump up.