Greater Niagara Region
Bill Hilts, Jr.
Despite a lack of precipitation, steelhead and brown trout are still being caught with regularity in the Lake Ontario tributaries. Water conditions have been low and clear. Small egg sacs, small jigs tipped with a wax worm, and egg imitations are at the top of the list. In 18 Mile Creek, there’s been good trout action from the piers to the dam according to Wes Walker at The Slippery Sinker. When you can get on the piers (northerly winds from the most recent Nor’easter have kept people off the last few days), casting spoons or spinners can produce browns or steelhead. They have been getting some big perch off the piers and in the harbor, too. In fact, they were catching perch all the way to the dam until the gobies moved in. Steelhead were also being caught in Keg Creek. Over in Wilson, there is steelhead in 12 Mile Creeks. In the harbor, perch and bluegills were being caught. Bullhead started to hit in Wilson, too. No sharing on the hot spots because the Wilson Bullhead Derby sponsored by the Wilson Conservation Club is just around the corner. The derby will run from 5 p.m. on April 6 to 1 p.m. on April 8. Sign up at the Slippery Sinker in Olcott or CMC Auto Repair in Wilson. Call Eric at 628-6078 for more information.
Out in Lake Ontario, small boaters have been hitting the shoreline for brown trout. With the northerly winds, the shoreline has a distinct mudline. Working stickbaits in and out of the line is one approach, using planer boards. Keep your lures 100 to 125 feet back. Chartreuse and orange have been good colors lately. And if you aren’t getting hits, try bumping your speed up. That’s was John Van Hoff of North Tonawanda and Adam Gierach of Pendleton did last Sunday. Their speed was as high as 2.8 in the cold water and they caught browns up to 10 pounds inside of 15 feet of water. Walker reports that come boats have been catching browns, steelhead and Coho salmon as deep as 40 feet of water and from 40 to 80 feet of water they have been picking up some lake trout.
In the lower Niagara River, action has been a bit slower with the super clear water. Capt. Matt Yablonsky with Wet Net Charters was picking some trout off using egg sacs before the sun hit the water. After that it was all meat – minnows and shiners. No report from the shore guys this week, but with the super clear water try to downsize your offerings and fish out a bit deeper.
The Lake Ontario Trout and Salmon Association is looking for some volunteers to help put their pens together and get them ready for the salmon and trout stockings in April. On April 7, volunteers will be meeting at the Town of Newfane Marina in Olcott at 9:30 a.m. to work on the pens. For more information contact Alan Sauerland at 504-7789. Incidentally, the first meeting of the year for LOTSA will be April 12 and it will be on tournament spring king fishing. The meeting is in Lockport at 7 p.m., Cornell Cooperative Extension.
The 29th Annual Antique Fishing Tackle Show is slated for March 24 from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Elks Lodge No. 41, 6791 North Canal Road, Lockport. Admission into the show is $5 for adults. Kids 16 and under are free. This is a great chance to get an appraisal on some old fishing tackle that may be lying around your basement or in your garage. For more information contact Dan Bedford at 713-9410.
Every week The Buffalo News gives outdoor sportsmen (and women) a full page of pertinent material as it relates to Western New York and beyond. Check it out at buffalonews.com/section/sports/outdoors/ or pick up the paper every Thursday.
Oswego County
Mary Ellen Barbeau
Oswego River Report
The river flow has continued to run under 10,000cfs this week. This morning it is flowing at 7,050cfs. Although we do not have any reports from the river, anglers are likely to find some steelhead activity along the river. Behind the hotels is a suggested location to try.
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 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:
Slush ice has been a factor in the lower end of the river first thing in the morning but cleared around mid day. We got mixed reports from the few anglers we spoke with, some anglers had success and got into a few fish, while others had a tough day. Over the last couple of days anglers who had success fly fishing were dead drifting with nymphs or egg patterns under a strike indicator. Anglers who are bottom bouncing or float fishing have had the most success with pink or blue egg sacs, beads and pink worms. Temperatures are expected to moderate into the 40s early next week.
According to the Douglaston Salmon Run:
Anglers reported some good action on Tuesday on the Run. One driftboat guide and his client caught five steelhead and one brown trout using white and blue egg sacs and green Hotshots. Another angler went 2/2 with colored up steelhead and after a short respite in activity went 3/3 on steelhead and a bonus 25” brown trout in a golden color. White, blue and pink egg sacs worked well for this angler in the upper section of the river. Another angler went 3/6 with two being decent sized domestic rainbows. The water flow will remain at 750cfs through tonight.
Oneida Lake Report:
Although we have had some colder temperatures, the sun is warmer this time of year and does have an effect on the ice. Temperatures are expected to moderate next week into the 40s and may reach 50 degrees. Stay safe as we wait for the open water fishing season to begin. Just a reminder that walleye season closed on March 15 and will reopen on May 5.
Sandy Pond report:
At this time there is no safe ice on the pond. Please be patient as we wait for open water fishing. A reminder that walleye and northern pike season closed on March 15 and will reopen on May 5.
Wayne County Fishing Update
Chris Kenyon
Streams
Spring time fishing in Maxwell Creek is hot. The steelhead are still in the tribs and are hitting egg sacs. The water flow is perfect on both sides of Lake Road.
If there is no ice on the pier at Sodus Point, you can catch steelies and browns casting in the channel. Just use caution. You do not want to slip off the pier into the channel.
Bays
The crappies are hitting at Bay Bridge at the south end of Sodus Bay. You can fish the open water behind Bay Bridge Sport Shop. It’s still early for the bullhead bite, however when they start hitting, the best place to fish is off the bridge.
They are catching perch from the north shore of Port Bay…just watch out if you drive the bumpy barrier road.
You can also launch at Port Bay at the south end and catch crappies half-way up the narrows. Crappies are suspended and will hit small bright jigs tipped with spikes.
Remember, there is a 25-fish regulation on crappies and they need to be at least 9 inches in length.
You’ll need to wear a PFD and remember if you are dressing for cold weather, you’ll be extra heavy. Don’t take chances because hypothermia is quick and deadly.
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 ice has covered Widewaters. Just a sheen, however enough to put a damper on any boat launches.
A bunch of anglers have been fishing near the locks between Lyons and Newark. They have been catching pan fish.
Orleans County
Orleans County Tourism and Ron Bierstine at Oak Orchard Tackle & Lodge
Happy First Day of Spring! Clear but cold-ish weather is forecast thru the week with highs in the 30’s°F. No impact is expected here from the latest Nor’easter. In fact, with no real snow melt going on lately, its getting kind of dry. There is a chance for a warm up toward this weekend and although right here on the Lake Plains there isn’t much snow, there is some more to the south. Hopefully that will get flows in the Oak back up some when it begins to melt.
Flows in the Oak are moderate and pretty clear, not far off from typical fall time conditions. There were a few more anglers out this past weekend, but over all, the fishing pressure is relatively light. Fish numbers are still pretty good. They are not fresh and dumb anymore so presentations have to be good with generally lighter leads and tippets. A fair amount of fish are still tucked up at the dam with scattered fish spreading downstream.
Way downstream, frog water small craft anglers are into a few steelhead and mainly browns. The next warm -up with any kind of rise in flows should re-energize the fish and action and encourage some fresh fish migrations. Flows in the smaller area tributaries are hanging in at moderate with still a little color to the west and clearer to the east. We’re still hearing of hook-ups at Johnson Creek while the reports from other waterways are a little quiet with not a lot of guys out there. Small boat trollers able to find decent weather and wave windows are into good numbers of fish in the typical in-shore waters.