Pictured above: James Moraveck of Connecticut caught and released this lake trout from the Artpark drift while fishing with Capt. Matt Yablonsky and Wet Net Charters
Greater Niagara Region
Bill Hilts, Jr.
Big game season is just around the corner, opening on Nov. 19. If you don’t hunt, this is the perfect time to wet a line and chase some fish since fishing pressure will ultimately be down across the board.
Lake Ontario And Tributaries
The hottest tributary in Niagara continues to be 18 Mike Creek and Burt Dam. Brown trout are taking up residence in greater numbers, there are still a few salmon hanging around, and anglers are reported a few steelhead and Atlantic salmon to keep them busy. They are calling for some rain and possibly some snow by Sunday night. In the meantime, conditions have been low and clear so downsize your baits and line. Egg sacs, egg imitations, woolly buggers in black and small streamer flies will catch fish. When you can get on the piers, try tossing a spoon or spinner at Olcott or Wilson. The harbors are still holding perch and pike, as well as an occasional bass.
Lower Niagara River
Lake trout have been dominating catches from both boat and shore. A few steelhead, muskellunge and salmon have been reported. Steelheads are in the early stages of the run; musky season runs through Dec. 15 in the lower river and Lake Ontario; and salmon are at the very end of its life cycle for mature fish. Casting spoons, spinners, jigs or egg sacs/beads will work from shore; boaters have been drifting Kwikfish and MapLips off three-way rigs. Bass and walleye can still be caught, too, if you want to try and target them. Lake trout season is closed until the end of the year. However, the Province of Ontario lake trout season opens on Dec. 1. If you do venture across the border, make sure you abide by all of the rules. The most recent rule is requiring charter boat skippers to obtain working papers to fish in Canadian waters. Once they call in, they are hit with GST and PST taxes for their trip.
Upper Niagara River
Musky action has picked up for trollers, casters, jiggers and drifters. Water temp has hit that 50 degree mark. Biggest fish we heard about this week was a heavy 48-inch slob reeled in by Capt. Chris Cinelli of Grand Island. It probably weighed in the upper 30 pound range. Musky season in the upper river closes on November 30th.
Oswego County
Mary Ellen Barbeau
Oswego River Report
The water flow has been up and down over the last couple of days running between 4,000cfs to as low as 800cfs for a very brief time on Tuesday. This morning it is flowing at 2,510cfs.
According to Capt. Kevin Davis of Catch the Drift:
The lower water is definitely bringing all the boats and shore anglers out. Still producing some great fish but working for them.
According to Jake Metcalf of fishoswegoriver.com:
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 Capt. Troy Creasy of High Adventure Sportfishing:
Our clients put a lot of time in on the river yesterday but were eventually rewarded with a couple of decent fish along with some small ones.
According to Fat Nancy’s Tackle Shop:
The river is running at 500cfs and a decent number of steelhead have been caught from Sportsman Pool upstream. The best bait has been 10mm glo roe beads and blue egg sacs.
According to Whitaker’s Sport Shop & Motel:
The mild weather conditions are expected to continue for the remainder of the week with not much change in fishing conditions over the last couple of days. Anglers are still working hard while covering lots of water but the weather has been great. The extended forecast is calling for a definite change on Sunday into next week. Anglers we have staying in the motel and stopping into the shop reported landing a few steelhead in the lower end of the river while bottom bouncing or float fishing with egg sacs.
According to the Douglaston Salmon Run:
It has been about the same story over the last few days. Most anglers have reported hooking 1-3 steelhead. No particular part of the run had been more active although yesterday reports indicated the middle section was most productive.
Oneida Lake Report
Conditions are about the same on Oneida Lake. Anglers are finding perch in 10-14 feet of water with minnows and worms. The walleye bite has been decent although the temperatures have been above normal for this time of year. That is about to change on Sunday with much colder temperatures moving into the area. Hopefully this will spark more action. Casting stickbaits just before and after dark is the suggested application.
Sandy Pond report
There is not much activity on the pond this time of year.
Wayne County Fishing Update
Chris Kenyon
Streams
We could use a few more raindrops for Wayne County’s tribs. They are catching browns on the north side of Maxwell. Use egg sacs and fish the slower water. You can still walk to the lake and cast out from the mouth of Maxwell. The water level in the lake is low enough, creating plenty of shoreline.
Some nice-colored steelhead came from Salmon Creek in Pultneyville and you can cast out at the mouth of Bear Creek in Ontario. These are all small streams with limited access, however they do hold fish.
Hughes’ Marina and pier fishing at Sodus Bay are also options if Maxwell isn’t producing. The Sodus Point pier will never run out of water.
Bays
Fishing the bays is always great during autumn. The perch are still scattered, however look for the gulls feeding on bait and set-up where they are flying.
You still have a few weeks to catch your limit of bass and the action is great along the shoreline of Port Bay. Not many anglers take advantage of the excellent fishing…probably because they are in the woods hunting whitetails.
Remember…you need to wear your PFD from November 1st until April. It must be worn or you’ll be ticketed.
Check out the rest of the Wayne County Tourism web page for the locations and hours of local bait and tackle shops. 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
Bass boats were fishing the Widewaters on Sunday. They were probably targeting bass. The crappies are still biting under the Port Gibson bridge.
Orleans County
Orleans County Tourism
The weather rollercoaster will be very wild this week with temperatures possibly setting a new high on Friday and then the possibility of snow by Sunday.
I wonder what else Mother Nature can throw into the mix.
Fishing on the tributaries within Orleans County remains at a higher level than normal partially due to the warmer than normal fall so far.
There are still some fresh salmon entering the system along with an ever increasing number of Brown trout, Steelhead and a fair number of Atlantic salmon.
Flows on the “Oak” are at a moderate level with clear water and the other tributaries are a low flows with clear water.
Parking and meals at the Archer’s Club has ended for the season but you can still access the area by walking down the hill.
On the lower stretches of the “Oak” Perch and Smallmouth bass are still being caught by sizes remain on the small side.
Lake Alice is still giving up Bass and Bluegills but the numbers are decreasing as time goes by.
With gun hunting season opening in our area on Saturday and the Thanksgiving holiday next week, fishing pressure should slack off for a period of time.
The Erie Canal will close this Sunday at 5 PM and then dewatering should start later in the week unless there is some work that needs to be done that requires the canal to remain watered for a short period of time.