Pictured above: Nice male landlocked caught with Upstate Guide Service on a fly in Cayuga Lake. Photo provided by Mike Crawford
Greater Niagara Region
Bill Hilts, Jr.
Lower Niagara River
Trout action improved the past week and anglers have been doing well with egg sacs or emerald shiners fished off three-way rigs from boats. Kwikfish and MagLips will also work off three-ways, but you have to make sure you are getting the wobble of the plug. Jeff and Justin Tedesco of Lewiston were using gold Kwikfish with pink scale recently to take steelhead up to 17 pounds and they had to power troll to get the action they needed to trigger fish bites. Devil’s Hole and Artpark have been good drifts to target, but you may have to use your trolling motor to speed you up or slow you down – depending on what bait you are using. Shoreline casters are still tossing spoons and spinners and picking up a few trout. Mike Rzucidlo of Niagara Falls was out on Wednesday along Artpark and he hit six lake trout, two rainbows and two smallmouth bass while casting spinners. One of the rainbows was 12 pounds. The LOC Derby opener is May 5 to 14. Go to www.loc.org to find out details including registration points and weigh stations. The Lewiston smelt festival is set for May 5. For more details on that, go to the www.niagarariverregion.com.
There is still a state of emergency along the Lake Ontario shoreline for high water levels. This isn’t really going to affect the fishing that much, but the Niagara County Sheriff is asking that boats creating a wake stay at least 500 feet from shore. This doesn’t include trolling. Caution is advised for floating debris when you are out in the lake moving around. For fishing, it’s been a mixed bag for trollers. Stickbaits or spoons in tight to shore off boards or riggers in 10 to 25 feet of water for browns, a bit deeper for Coho salmon and the occasional king salmon. If there is a mud line, work it. Head out to 50 to 125 feet of water for lake trout on the bottom and Cohos up top, too. John Van Hoff of North Tonawanda had good king success last weekend using 5 and 7 colors of lead core and dipsy divers just west of the Niagara Bar and we heard other successful trollers hitting kings just west of the Bar. The key was finding good green water where it met with the clear water. The Lake Ontario Pro-Am Salmon Team Tournament is set for May 19-21 out of Wilson and Olcott. The registration link is now live for registering. Go to www.lakeontarioproam.net. The Wilson Harbor Invitational Tournament is May 13. Check out www.wilsonharborinvitational.com for details. The creeks still have trout in them but the water is stained. The piers are questionable because of the high water levels. Don’t take any chances out there. The pier at the foot of Route 425 is currently underwater. Yes, it’s over 20-inches high out in the lake.
Upper Niagara River
In the upper Niagara River there have been good perch reports from all around Grand Island. Emerald shiners are the best bait to use…if you can find them.
Eastern Finger Lakes / Central New York Fishing Report
Mike Crawford of upstateguideservice.com
The rain has held off this past week and air temperatures continue to be in high 60’s during the afternoon. Today, the 26th, was a spectacular calm and sunshine filled day. Trout anglers were out in full force on Nine Mile Creek and other area trout streams.
Photo provided by Mike Crawford
Local trout streams are settling down and clearing after several difficult weeks of high water. The warm air has started hatches on several creeks, but flows are still moderately high and water is slightly off-color in streams in Central New York. Conditions should be perfect by the weekend.
To the North, the ice is gone from lakes and ponds and while there are no reports of smelt runs yet, the brook trout fishing is very good.
Panfishing is getting better by the day on Oneida Lake and the Finger Lakes. Anglers are enjoying good catches of bluegill, yellow perch and crappie in the Eastern Finger Lakes as the shallow water temperatures climb into the 50’s.
Lake trout fishing is excellent on Cayuga and Seneca Lake. Both trolling rigs and jigging is taking fish.
Trout fishing, perhaps all fishing, is quickly reaching its peak here in Upstate New York!
Oswego County
Mary Ellen Barbeau
Oswego River Report
The water flow has not varied a lot over the last several days. This morning it is running at 19,000cfs. This remains a high level for fishing so there is not much activity to report.
Lake Ontario report:
According to Capt. Andy Bliss of Chasin’ Tail Adventures:
We were on the lake three days straight earlier this week and the fishing did not disappoint. We saw everything except a king come over the back of the boat but we did see some. Won’t be long before we start catching a few. We even captured the rare Cisco.
According to Capt. Kevin Davis of Catch the Drift:
We have some giant lakers in the area. The quality this year is awesome. The brown trout bite yesterday was good early but slowed right down.
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
The Salmon River Fish Hatchery building continues to be closed due to construction. The grounds, including picnic area and fish ladder, are still open dawn to dusk. We anticipate construction to be finished early summer. If you are planning a visit, we suggest calling the Salmon River Fish Hatchery in advance. You can reach the hatchery at 315-298-5051, Monday through Friday 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM.
According to Whitaker’s Sport Shop and Motel:
We still have steelhead spawning in the mid to upper section of river in and around the gravel areas. We also have drop backs scattered throughout the river from top to bottom. These fish tend to be suspended in the water column and are generally holding in the faster water at the head of the deeper holes and larger runs. For those anglers who are fly fishing this is a great time of year for swinging streamers with sinking leaders. The anglers who are bottom bouncing or float fishing are having success with egg sacs, beads and pink worms.
According to the Douglaston Salmon Run:
We have had some very nice weather and some activity on the Run. One angler reported landing a 15′ smallmouth bass in the middle section. Another angler reported 15 steelhead (lots of fresh fish) centerpinning from top to bottom of the run rotating eggs, beads and pink worms. We had a report of “almost double digits” for steelhead including a “dime bright” one from an angler drifting egg sacs under a bobber. This action reportedly occurred yesterday before noon prior to the clouds giving way to bright sunshine.
Oneida Lake Report:
Anglers are reporting a yellow perch bite on minnows and a few bullhead are being reported. Just a reminder that walleye season is closed and will reopen on May 6. Use caution when boating as there will likely be debris in the water with the high water level.
Sandy Pond report:
There is some activity taking place on the pond. Anglers are finding a good perch bite and some crappies. Just a reminder that walleye season is closed and will reopen on May 6.
Wayne County Fishing Update
Chris Kenyon
Lake Ontario
The browns are hitting at the mouth of Maxwell, however if the fleet of boats is too much, try the mouth of Port Bay or straight out from Sodus Bay. Cohos and some Atlantic salmon are in the spring mix and some rainbows.
Fish in 10 feet of water and look for the temp breaks and the mudlines. Yesterday’s north wind has created some stained water. Currently the lake has laid down, however it’s still an east wind. The temps in the lake are 45 to 47 degrees. Look for the warmest pockets.
Use Bay Rats, and bright colored spoons are also working. Or Jr. Thunderstiks.
Because of the high-water situation, the speed on the bays is idle. For launch sites use the public ramp at Margaretta Road for Sodus Bay. The other ramps at Sodus Point are under water. The Coast Guard ramp is available; however, the dock is under water.
Both the north and south DEC ramps at Port Bay are open. Again, the speed limit on all bays is idle.
Bays
Bay fishing has been good for perch and some crappies. Use spikes and bright colored jigs.
The pike season opens the first Saturday in May.
They are catching bullheads at Bay Bridge, which is the south end of Sodus Bay.
Check out the rest of the Wayne County Tourism web page for the locations and hours of local bait and tackle shops. waynecountytourism.com.
Erie Canal
Crappies are being caught along the northern shoreline of the canal near Port Gibson. Use can fish from the canal trail or launch at the Widewaters park. Some canal sections never lower the water and the official opening for the Erie Canal is May 17th.
Orleans County
Orleans County Tourism
The rain keeps coming and the lake level keeps rising.
Property owners along Lake Ontario are bracing for even higher water and hoping that we don’t get a strong wind from any northerly direction.
Let’s start with the inland waters report.
Lake Alice hasn’t totally cleared of muddy water yet but is offering some great opportunities for Blue Gill, Crappie, Perch, Rock Bass, White Bass, Bullhead and Channel Cats.
The tributaries still have some Steelhead and an occasional Brown trout along with suckers, perch, bass, pike and Bullhead.
On Lake Ontario, great catches of Brown trout, Cohoes and some steelhead are being reported along with Lake trout that are out deeper.
There’s even a few reports about Chinook salmon being caught.
Those fishing the big lake should be ever mindful of the great amount of debris that the higher water conditions have deposited in the lake, some of which you can see and some is just below the surface.
Monday the DEC stocked 7,000 steelhead up by Captain’s Cove and then 133,160 Chinook salmon at Lake Breeze Marina.
The salmon were supposed to be held in pens but the decision was made to direct stock them due to the high temperature in the “Oak” and then protection provided by the muddy water conditions.
This was a hard decision to make but in my opinion it was the very best decision that could have been made.
A week from this Friday will be the opening of the Spring LOC Derby which will run through May 14th this year.
With the fishing conditions being what they are, we should see some great weights on the leaderboard.