Greater Niagara Region
Bill Hilts, Jr.
Niagara Bar, Wilson and Olcott
A cold front finally came through the Western New York area, bringing some much-needed relief from the heat. With some 15 days of 80-plus degree temperatures during the month of September, water temperatures in area waters shot back up. Combined with the lack of precipitation, some of the fishing has been put on hold. Lake action for mature kings at the Niagara Bar, Wilson and Olcott is still holding on but you do have to work for them. Some mature king and Coho salmon are being taken regularly by pier head trollers pounding the waters with flasher-fly, flasher-meat, J-plugs or magnum spoons. Niagara Bar anglers are still reporting good numbers of salmon on the drop off in 70 to 80 feet of water using the same hardware that the pier head guys are using. Right now, there have been an equal number of Coho salmon and Kings being caught. This means that they are staging, hopefully to run up the Niagara River. Another option in the lake is to head out deep to 400-plus feet of water for a mix of salmon and steelhead. Target the top 80 feet of water with spoons or flasher-fly offerings. Make sure you throw on a free-floating slider spoon on your downrigger lines to pick up steelhead up high. If you want to learn more about salmon fishing in the lake, consider taking the LOTSA Salmon School set for Jan. 20 at the Conference and Event Center Niagara Falls. Sign up at www.lotsa1.org. Pier head casters are picking up a few salmon and trout off Wilson and Olcott, but a solid rain should trigger a run of fish. There could be some decent rain on Friday, just what the fish doctor ordered. Burt Dam and 18 Mile Creek has a few fish showing up, but the best is yet to come. The dam area is ready for fishermen after some extensive work by the Town of Newfane to repair paths and the shoreline.
Lower Niagara River
Meanwhile, in the Lower Niagara River, salmon fishing in Devil’s Hole has slowed a bit because water temperatures have come up some 5 degrees in the last couple of weeks. While some salmon are being caught, many anglers are reporting a mixed bag of fish that have included bass, walleye, silver bass, catfish and even the occasional sturgeon. Shoreline casters are still picking up some salmon and walleye by tossing spoons or spinners. Glow in the dark Little Gem spoons are working at dawn or just before. Glow in the dark spinners will also work under low light conditions. Walleye and bass are still being caught in the river fromLewiston on down. Tubes and shiners work for bass; spinner and a worm for walleye if you want to try and target them. Of course you will catch other warm water species of fish. Remember lake trout season closes on Oct. 1 for three months. While they have not arrived in any big numbers yet, remember that they must be released unharmed.
Upper Niagara River
Upper Niagara River action has been decent for a mix of bass and walleye. Spinner and a worm for walleye at the head of the river and around Strawberry Island; bass will frequent those same spots with tubes, shiners or crabs being the best enticements.
Oswego County
Mary Ellen Barbeau
Lake Ontario Report
The fishing continues to be very good as the lake season is winding down. However with the very warm temperatures and sunny days over the last week, these conditions have kept a number of salmon in the lake so the fishing is still very good. The weather did change overnight with temperatures only reaching the low 60s today. There are plenty of salmon, both kings and cohos, in up to 100+ feet of water with the waters off the Oswego River and Nine Mile Point being popular areas. The same baits are continuing to work well – flies and flashers, spoons, cut bait and j-plugs. With the next few days being cool, look for a push of salmon into the rivers and tributaries.
According to Catch the Drift:
It was September 24 and I was fishing 80-100 feet of water with the driftboat for salmon. It’s crazy but you have to go where the fish are. With much cooler weather coming in, it is back to the river.
Oswego River Report
The very warm temperatures have finally ended with almost a 30 degree drop from yesterday to today. With this change, we are expecting the next big run of salmon into the river over the next day or so with the temperatures staying cool through the weekend. Possible scattered showers later tomorrow and early Saturday will likely help. Stickbaits or using skein under a float are suggested applications. The water flow has been fairly consistent the last few days. This morning it is flowing at 1210cfs.
The very warm temperatures have finally ended with almost a 30 degree drop from yesterday to today. With this change, we are expecting the next big run of salmon into the river over the next day or so with the temperatures staying cool through the weekend. Possible scattered showers later tomorrow and early Saturday will likely help. Stickbaits or using skein under a float are suggested applications. The water flow has been fairly consistent the last few days. This morning it is flowing at 1210cfs.
Notice: The bridge to Leto Island is closed, and there are mandatory personal flotation device (PFD) zones on the river. For more information, visit our website at www.visitoswegocounty.com and click on the Fishing Report along the top bar on the home page.
Pulaski Area and Salmon River report:
According to Dave Wood of Woody’s Tackle:
The fishing is outstanding. The lake has remained very good through the warm weather. With the change in temperature through the next few days, we are expecting a marked increase in movement into and through the river. Glow spoons are working very well along with flies and flashers in the lake. Egg sacs, floating egg sacs and flies are suggested baits for the river.
According to the Douglaston Salmon Run:
Anglers that came off the run yesterday indicated another good day of fishing. No big pushes of fish but there are plenty of fish that seem to be holding up and not anxious to run upstream. The hot weather we have had is likely a contributing factor. Not too many fish reported in the estuary but that is likely changing with the rather sudden drop in temperature from yesterday. Cooler temperatures over the next few days should push a good run of fish through the river. Water from the reservoir remains at 335cfs and 414cfs at Pineville.
According to Whitaker’s Sport Shop and Motel:
Despite the warm weather the fishing has been good in the lower end of the river and anglers have reported good fish movement with mostly kings and a few cohos. With the temperatures only in the 60s over the next few days, look for action to pick up throughout the river. Depending on the day anglers have been doing well in the Ballpark, Town Pool, Staircase/Longbridge, and the Black Hole. The mid to upper section of the river has fish holding in and around the deeper holes such as Sportsman Pool, Pineville and Trestle Pool. Both the Upper and Lower Fly Zones are currently open and anglers have reported getting into fish in both of these areas.
Oneida Lake Report:
Smallmouth bass are feeding on gizzard shad so keep an eye out for surface feeding. Walleye are active in deep water with worm harnesses and blade baits working well. Temperatures need to cool down to spark some good fall walleye fishing. Anglers are also finding some yellow perch with small minnows.
Sandy Pond report:
Weed growth is making conditions difficult which is typical for this time of year. A few anglers are using weedless baits for bass.
Eastern Finger Lakes / Central New York Fishing Report
Mike Crawford of upstateguideservice.com
Central New York is enjoying the finest weather of the year. Blue skies and sunshine. As a fisherman I don’t like it.
As a native of Syracuse, I don’t complain about it, and welcome the sun and warm temperatures!
The Salmon River is having a great season and my guide service, as many others, are enjoying the beautiful conditions and awesome fish the river brings.
Step away from the invented fishery of Pacific Salmon on the Lake Ontario tributaries into the inland lakes and streams, and anglers will find the fishing is on average poor.
September is a repeat of August with dog days and heat lingering, and lake fish remain in a stagnant mode. The exception being lakes and ponds in higher elevations, which are cooling down faster and trout fishing in the Adirondacks will be reaching peak soon.
The heat and mostly windless days for the last two weeks have created soupy conditions on many of the Eastern Finger Lakes. And made most trout streams high in temperature making fishing for resident trout perilous… for the trout.
Trout are struggling in the small lakes, and confined to vast open basins and thermocline. Strong south winds should turn things over soon, but nice weather looks to be the norm for foreseeable future.
Salmon on a fly, backcountry brookies and tiger musky’s are on my schedule in weeks ahead. Hoping waters cool down quickly!
Wayne County Fishing Update
Chris Kenyon
Lake Ontario
The kings are staging and although they are not the brilliant silver of summer, they do give a fight.
Out from Sodus it’s been an early bite. Try 90 to 100 feet of water and use flasher flies.
Riggers are at 10 feet and the dipsy back 250 has worked. Some guys are using cut bait and spoons still work.
Yesterday was 88 degrees and today is another sultry day on Lake Ontario. A front is coming later this week, so that might change the late season bite.
Bays
Bay fishing has been excellent. The Sodus Bay perch are still hitting in 20 to 25 feet of water near the islands and on the south-east side of the bay. There have been some 10 to 12 inchers.
Port Bay has some terrific bass fishing. The largemouths are hitting just about anything you throw at them. Fish the coves and the southern end of the bay.
There is also a crappie bite at Port Bay…at the south-east end of the bay. They have been rather small but still big enough to keep (nine-inch regulation)
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
The canal still offers some of the best fishing in the county. It has all fish except trout and salmon. The bass are weighing-in at five pounds plus.
Orleans County
Orleans County Tourism
Where have these summerlike temperatures been all summer?
Trout and salmon are moving back out into the lake from their near-shore haunts and lake fishing is fantastic right now.
Fishing in the 50 to 200 feet of water range is producing some great catches of a mixed bag of fish.
When this warm-up started a few salmon scooted to the dam on Oak Orchard but by far the majority went back to the lake.
This has been like a bonus season for those who still have their boats in the water and this is after an already bonus season.
I guess the tributary fishermen will have to be patient just a little while longer, but not too much longer.
The weather forecast calls for a drastic cool down to more seasonal temperatures by the end of this week which should bring these confused fish back to shore to the delight of tributary fishermen young and old.
Don’t forget to register for the St. Mary’s Archers Club Catch and Release Fly Fishing Derby which will take place October 18th, 19th and 20th this year.
Great food, fantastic fishing and the chance to meet people from all over the states await you.
The “Oak” is producing a fair number of largemouth bass, pike, and perch.
On Lake Alice, these warmer temperatures have moved the fish to deeper waters for now but that may be very short lived with the cool down close at hand.
The Erie Canal is scheduled to close on October 11th this year but it is my understanding that dewatering will not begin immediately.
dynomite fishing lower better now