Pictured above: Rich (left) and Bob Klemm holding up the 31 pound brown trout caught Monday while fishing with Capt. Frank Campbell of Niagara Falls. It was caught on a spottail shiner.
Greater Niagara Region
Bill Hilts, Jr.
The big news this week was the 31 pound brown trout caught by Bob Klemm of Pennsylvania fishing with Capt. Frank Campbell of Niagara Region Charters. That’s all we are going to tell you this week because it will be a feature in the Buffalo News next week on Thursday, April 6. You have to hear the whole story on this one. Lower Niagara River trout action has been decent from both boat and shore. Some days you have to work a little more than others. Best drifts have been Devil’s Hole and Artpark for rainbows and lake trout, but you should be able to find trout throughout the river system. Egg sacs have been working best on the steelhead; minnows for the lake trout. Boat drifters are using 3-way rigs to bounce the bottom. For browns, target down river closer to the lake with minnows or shiners. From shore, casters are still using spoons, spinners and egg sacs in the gorge from Artpark to the Whirlpool. The New York Power Authority Fishing Platform in the Niagara Gorge, as well as the stairs leading down to the shoreline along the NYPA access road near Niagara University, will be open for business on April 1. Also on April 1, the NYPA reservoir is also open for fishing.The NRAA John Long, Sr. Memorial Raffle and Feast is April 2 from 2 to 6 p.m. at the Niagara Active Hose on Lockport Rd. in Niagara Falls. Great eats!
The weather forecasters are calling for some rain this Friday so that could put a damper on the stream action off Lake Ontario. Burt Dam and 18 Mile Creek is stained, but there is good flow. Silver steelies are being caught but you do have to work for them. Jigs tipped with wax worms or grubs will work as will small floating stickbaits two to three inches long in rainbow color patterns. There is no ice on the piers any more so catching hardware like spoons and spinners is the way to go. Minnows and worms will also work. Smaller creeks like Keg, Hopkins and both branches of 12 Mile were flowing nicely. Some bullheads are being caught in Wilson, perfect timing. The Wilson Conservation Club bullhead contest is set for April 7-9. Weigh in is held out of the Wilson Conservation Club, 2934 Wilson Cambria Road (Route 425), Wilson. The tournament is based on your best two fish with the tie-breaker being the overall length of the two fish. Any Niagara County waters are eligible. Entry fee is $10 for 13 years of age and older; free for junior anglers 12 and under. The fun contest actually starts at 5 p.m. on Friday and runs until 1 p.m. on Sunday. All weigh-ins will take place from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Wilson club. You can register at CMC Auto Repair, 418 Lake Street, Wilson or The Slippery Sinker, 5780 W. Main Street (at Jackson), Olcott. If you have any questions, contact Eric at 628-6078.
On April 8, the LOTSA pen rearing project will start at the Town of Newfane Marina starting at 9 a.m. They will ready the pens and get them in the water to prepare to receive the fish.
The Hyde Park Lake, Gill Creek and Oppenheim Park Pond trout stockings will take place on April 5. Oppenheim Park Pond, along Niagara Falls Blvd. in Wheatfield, will receive 100 browns and 200 rainbows around 10 a.m. Hyde Park Lake in Niagara Falls will receive 200 two-year-old browns and 1,650 yearlings at 11 a.m. In addition, Gill Creek will be the recipient of 540 browns from Buffalo Avenue upstream to the dam at the lake. They will be fair fame to the public as soon as they are stocked.
Oswego County
Mary Ellen Barbeau
Oswego River Report
With the snow melt and rain we have had the water flow has spiked to 19,900cfs yesterday afternoon. Today it has dropped to 17,500. This flow is very high and makes most of the river unfishable at this point.
According to Capt. Kevin Davis of Catch the Drift:
We had a great day on the river on Sunday and a really good day brown trout fishing on Monday. Increasing water flow, looks like I’ll be flooded out in the river for a little while.
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:
A handful of anglers came out Monday and reported mixed success. A few came away with a fish or two, one angler reporting a 10 pounder on the line. Others experienced slow conditions without even a bite during their time on the Run. Anglers reported that the water was a bit stained. Yesterday activity was quiet except for one angler who reported landing a +15 lb. steelie as well as a 5-6 lb. steelie both in the upper end of the Run.
According to Whitaker’s Sport Shop and Motel:
Over the last couple of days very few anglers have been on the water. Anglers staying in the motel reported having some action in the Lower Fly Zone. Just a reminder that the Upper Fly Zone will reopen on Saturday, April 1. In the mid to upper section of river anglers who are bottom bouncing or float fishing have had success with blue egg sacs, beads and pink worms. Anglers who are fishing some of the smaller local tributaries have done well on chartreuse or pink egg sacs.
Oneida Lake and Sandy Pond Report:
We have little to report from these areas as we patiently wait for open water season.
Wayne County Fishing Update
Chris Kenyon
Streams
Maxwell was flowing today with a good current on both sides of Lake Road. It was a little of the fast side, however you can use some heavier sinkers if you want to get to the bottom. Or go with some small spoons which will work for steelhead.
They are catching browns with egg sacs tied to heavy torpedo bobbers. You can fish on both sides of the road. The slower water is on the north and the south has current and some good cover for browns.
Other streams are active and the ice is no longer on the Sodus Pier if you want to try casting for trout.
Bays
Sodus has some ice in different locations, however you can launch at the north end if you want to try for perch. There are no docks…just ramps, so use caution. There were also anglers fishing off Bay Bridge at the south end of the bay.
Most anglers are trying to catch crappies, but it won’t be long until there is some serious bullhead fishing. Maybe by next week we’ll see Bay Bridge lit-up with lanterns during the night time bullhead run.
Port Bay has no ice on the north end of the bay, however the road to the ramp is not very safe. There is still ice build-up. It should be gone by this weekend.
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 should be wide open by this weekend. Remember that the waterway is not flooded until early May. There are sections that are never drained during the winter. The Widewaters-west of Newark- is the most popular place to fish.
Orleans County
Orleans County Tourism
Daytime temperatures in the mid to high 40’s and night time lows in the high 30’s will melt whatever snowpack that is left.
The snowmelt has caused the “Oak” flows to be high and dirty for the time being with the turbine channel going full bore.
The smaller tributaries within Orleans County are at much more fishable levels with stained water and are producing some good to very good fishing conditions.
Steelhead are providing most of the fishing action on the tributaries and should continue to do so for another week or so.
The “Oak” flows should start receding by the end of the week and clarity returning to stained conditions as well.
This is the time of year that the change from tributary to lake fishing occurs as evidenced by Brown trout fishing beginning on the big lake which will soon be followed by the other cold water species.
It won’t be long before the marinas are alive with activity as boat owners ready their craft for another great season.
Lake Alice is still riled up but should also calm down and should start producing most of the warm water species in the very near future.
Please don’t forget that this Saturday is the day to help out assembling the pens for the pen rearing project that takes place at Ernest’s Lake Breeze Marina.