Greater Niagara Region
Bill Hilts, Jr.
Niagara River
The Niagara River Angler Association’s Roger Tobey Memorial Steelhead Contest will be going on starting at sunrise on Saturday Feb. 4 and you can sign up at Creek Road Bait and Tackle, The Slippery Sinker and off the NRAA website at niagarariveranglers.com. Call 731-4780 for more information. It’s not just for the lower Niagara River either. Boundaries also include Lake Ontario tributaries. For fishing conditions, it sure is difficult to predict. Because Lake Erie is not frozen over, it seems like any kind of a wind event out of the west or south will cause the lake to muddy up. That muddy water will then go through the river system and shut fishing down for a while. It’s very difficult for the charter guys, too. With many customers coming in from out of town, it’s been a roll of the dice whether or not they can get it right. If the water is stained, go with baits that are brightly colored like a charteuse. Egg sacs have also been working and use brightly-colored mesh. Some of the guides have been using the Pautzke fire dye on minnows to get the fish to hit. Three-way rigs are the way to go. Plugs like 3.0 MagLips and K-8 or K-9 Kwikfish will also work for you. Make sure you are getting some action on those lures. If not, move your boat along with your trolling motor. Boat control is key. Shore fishermen are still using spoons, spinners, jigs, egg sacs or egg imitations like beads. Steelhead and lake trout are both readily available throughout the river. The occasional brown trout is also caught. Some nice walleye up to 11.5 pounds have been caught the past week. Remember that you can only keep one fish per person through March 15. If you are looking for one for the frying pan, keep one of the smaller ones. Let the bigger females go so that they can spawn this spring.
Lake Ontario And Tributaries
Burt Dam and 18 Mile Creek is still the place to go in Niagara USA for tributary action. Conditions have been good and small jigs fished under a float and tipped with a wax worm is always a good options. Egg sacs or egg imitations can catch a fish or two. Brown trout and steelhead are both being caught. The occasional Coho salmon is still showing up, too. Lots of perch in 18 Mile along with a few pike. Over in Wilson, skim ice is starting to form in the harbor and it will be cold at night through the weekend. Not sure if we will see safe ice before it warms up again. We started seeing some colder temperatures again. Remember the state will be holding a free ice fishing weekend Feb. 18-19 if we get some hard water. No one will need a license that weekend. Go to the DEC website atdec.ny.gov. Some of the smaller streams like Keg and Four Mile might not be open at the mouth to allow entry. If they are closed, cast the mouth with spoons and spinners. If they are open, look for some trout to be available.
Oswego County
Mary Ellen Barbeau
Oswego River Report
The water flow has been up around 13,000-14,000cfs over the last few days. This morning it is flowing at 11,800cfs. This flow continues to make fishing difficult along the river. With the lake effect snow bands we have experienced the last day or so there has not been much to report from 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 Whitaker’s Sport Shop & Motel:
Despite snow squalls and white out conditions at times yesterday, anglers we had staying in the motel reported having a good day in the lower end of the river while float fishing with egg sacs and beads.
According to the Douglaston Salmon Run:
Even with some lake effect snow yesterday, we had clients on the river and most reported having a good day. Several reported a number of fresh “chrome” fish, most over 10 pounds in the lower section of the run. Lake effect continues to be in the forecast through Saturday, however clients are reporting that except for some initial slush after the band of snow moves through, the water is clear and slush free.
Oneida Lake report:
Although we have had cold temperatures this week, we have not had any reports from Oneida Lake. With the warm up a couple of weeks ago, most of the ice deteriorated with large areas of open water. We are expecting temperatures only in the 20s over the next few days but they are expected to warm up to near 40 degrees by midweek.
Sandy Pond report
According to Dave Wood of Woody’s Tackle:
We have had very few reports from the pond since last week when the ice softened up. With the stretch of cold weather there is likely some solid ice beginning to form but we have also had lake effect snow which makes it more difficult to determine the condition of the ice. We did get a report yesterday of about 6 inches of snow on the pond with more expected over the next day or so.
Wayne County Fishing Update
Chris Kenyon
Streams
It’s the last day of January and the stream fishing is darn good. It better be because that’s all we have…no ice on bays.
Maxwell and Bear Creek have some brown trout action with a nice five pound BT coming from Bear. The brown hit a bucktail jig (how about that).
The steelhead are hitting in Maxwell. Anglers are using beads and egg sacs. If you need bait stop by B-E Fishing in Ontario or Bay Bridge at the south end of Sodus Bay.
The recent snow fall was fluffy so that hasn’t hurt the shoreline of Maxwell. The flow is slower at the north side of Lake Road.
Bays
There is no safe ice on any bays or ponds in Wayne County. Don’t even try. It may appear to be thick, however it’s not.
I wrote the above last week, however it’s the same this week. Stay-off the ice.
There might some good news with temps hovering below 30 during the day and registering a cold 15 to 20 at night. If this keeps-up, we might be on the ice this weekend. Port and Sodus Bays have iced-over in certain locations. It’s like “starting all over again.” That could be a country music title!
If we get on the ice, make sure you spud your way out or follow the crowds. Don’t take chances.
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
The canal is frozen but we don’t know the thickness. Wait for this weekend. Fish on Sunday. You don’t want to watch football anyway.
Orleans County
Orleans County Tourism
Just when it seems like the weather is turning in favor of the ice fishermen; Mother Nature takes it back yet again.
Colder weather stays with us thru part of the weekend but then again goes above freezing for the first part of next week.
Shore ice is forming along the banks of all of the tributaries within Orleans County so caution should be taken when entering any of our streams for the rest of this week.
There are some fresh steelhead being taken along with the resident fish and those conditions should remain thru next week.
The smaller tributaries should begin to ice over but then should reopen as next week’s warm up takes place,
For the ice fishermen it’s just one disappointment after another this year.
On the lower portions of the “Oak” conditions are not good for small boats but that can change by early next week.
On Lake Alice open water is starting to ice over again but the warm up will take care of that.
For 9 days, starting this Saturday, I will be attending the Great American Outdoor Show in Harrisburg, Pa. so if you are in the area stop by booth 4614 and say hi.