Greater Niagara Region
Bill Hilts, Jr.
As this is being written, it’s February 1 and the temperature is near 40 degrees. The sun is shining. However, before the day is over the temperatures will plummet into the teens and it is supposed to be cold all weekend. That will continue into next week. In the meantime, fishing action has been very good in the lower Niagara River for boaters drifting egg sacs or minnows off three-way rigs. If the winds are out of the southwest (like they are today), throw on a 2.5 or 3.0 MagLip or a K8 or K9 Kwikfish to get a trout to hit. Steelhead, browns and lake trout are all being caught with regularity. And if you are using minnows, add in walleyes. There has been good walleye fishing all week but you have to pick your spots for them. Actually you can catch trout and walleye from Devil’s Hole to the Niagara Bar. If you do catch some walleye, remember that the minimum size is 18 inches and from Jan. 1 to March 15 the daily creel is one fish per person per day. The intent there is to protect the females that are getting ready to spawn soon. While shore fishing is still an option in the gorge, caution is advised due to the shelf ice. Be careful out there. That water is 32 degrees flowing down through the river.
Things are looking promising for the Niagara River Anglers Association’s Roger Tobey Memorial Steelhead Contest on Saturday, Feb. 3. Sign up at the launch ramp in Lewiston early Saturday or stop in to Creek Road Bait and Tackle or The Slippery Sinker. If you are interested in musky, the Niagara Musky Association will be holding their monthly meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 6 at the Eldredge Club, 17 Broad Street in Tonawanda starting at 7 p.m.
Stream fishermen are still picking up some trout at Burt Dam and 18 Mile Creek. Jigs tipped with a wax worm, egg sacs by themselves or egg imitations are still working to trick a steelhead or brown. A variety of flies and nymph patterns will also produce a trout or two, as will some streamer patterns. How long the water will remain open depends on how long the cold will grab hold. It looks like the lower temps will be hanging around for at least a week. While there is no ice left in Olcott Harbor (a few people were seen casting in the harbor earlier this week), there was a little in the Back Bay at Wilson. Be careful if you give it a try. Take no unnecessary chances!
If you are already looking to nice weather in the spring, the LOC Derby newspaper is now out and being distributed at weigh stations and registration outlets. Check out loc.org for more information.
Oswego County
Mary Ellen Barbeau
Oswego River Report
Conditions are about the same on the river. After being over 15,000cfs for more than a week, the water flow is running at 14,700cfs this morning. This is still high and makes fishing difficult along the river so there is not much to report. Temperatures will reach into the 30s today but we are then in for a stretch of colder days with the high not reaching 32 degrees until mid week along with a little snow here and there.
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.
Salmon River Report:
According to Whitaker’s Sport Shop & Motel:
Anglers we had staying in the motel reported having another good day in the upper end of the river on Wednesday. They reported getting into a mix of colored up fish and a few fresh fish with dead drifting nymphs producing the most action. Anglers who were bottom bouncing or float fishing had the most success with egg sacs and beads. In the lower end of the river slush ice was a factor and did not clear.
According to the Douglaston Salmon Run:
Despite the weather we had one angler fish the Run on Wednesday and reported landing almost double digits of steelies/rainbows using egg sacs. All of the steelhead were dime bright. There was slush until late morning but it did clear up for a time. In some places shelf ice is starting to form again. The flow remains at 500cfs through midnight tonight.
Oneida Lake Report:
Anglers reported good ice conditions over the weekend. There was no snow so creepers were helpful making it out on the slick ice. We did receive a couple of inches of snow yesterday and colder temperatures with some snow possible are forecasted through the weekend. Reports indicated that anglers have worked for their catches. Anglers were finding some perch and walleyes although there were a number of shorts but they enjoyed a couple of nice days on the ice.
Sandy Pond report:
According to Woody’s Tackle:
Anglers are continuing to take advantage of good ice conditions on the pond. There has been no snow on the ice and anglers were finding creepers very useful over the weekend. The temperatures have dropped and the area did receive a couple of inches of snow yesterday. Anglers are finding perch, walleye and Northern pike.
Wayne County Fishing Update
Chris Kenyon
Streams
Maxwell Creek was open this past weekend and some steelhead were being caught using egg sacs. Today the temps are in the 20’s so the creek might freeze over. Remember, the best steelhead fishing is right now if you can locate open water.
Bays
The perch fishing continues to be the best in decades with Sodus Bay being the hot spot. Currently the fish are in deeper water around 30 to 40 feet. You can find the perch near Katlynn Marine (old trestle) at the Sodus Point Loop and by Second Creek, which is on Shaker Heights Road.
Try larger jigs for the perch. Swedish Pimples work well.
The ice is around 10 inches thick…just use caution where the different creeks enter the bay.
They’re also catching some nice pike near LeRoy Island on the east side of Sodus. The pike are hitting minnows.
The action at Port Bay has slowed. The 13-inch perch are in the bay, it’s just more difficult to catch them.
The south DEC Road to Port Bay is open, however that can change with any significant show fall.
Remember, as ice anglers you are visiting the bays, so don’t trespass on land where you don’t have permission to park. And don’t leave stuff on the ice, like propane tanks. The word is that there have been parking issues and litter left behind near the loop at Sodus Point. Make sure you respect where you are because the hospitality given to ice anglers can end quickly.
Wayne County has an ice fishing guide which gives you the basics of fishing on our bays. Contact the tourism office if you wish the brochure.
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
Anglers are ice fishing the Widewaters section of the canal and they’re catching crappies, bluegills and some perch.
Orleans County
Orleans County Tourism and Ron Bierstine at Oak Orchard Tackle & Lodge
Something like 6 – 8 inches of light snow accumulated from yesterday and today. Seasonal temps are in the forecast today and a little warmer tomorrow with colder temps forecast after that. Flows in the Oak are down, real close to medium now or just slightly greater. Should be a good opportunity to get nice drifts in now thru most of the river and the spots where previously the flows were pretty heavy. Visibility is about 2+ feet. With cold weather hanging in, flows could go lower and clearer.
Downstream slow water could be headed back to frozen with any prolonged cold weather. A few guys out now having little better chances at hook-ups in the medium flows. Some small to medium size steelhead are reported. The other smaller tributaries are retreating quicker with moderate to medium flows and going toward clear. Those flows will continue to retreat with cold weather and some spots are already icing back in.
Anything in Ontario County?