Pictured above: Justin Okrepki of Owego reeled in this dandy brown trout off Olcott while fishing with Capt. Vince Pierleoni of Newfane.
Greater Niagara Region
Bill Hilts, Jr.
It’s starting to feel like spring a bit. The time changes on Saturday as we “spring” ahead, the days are growing longer, and the sun is a little higher in the sky. The WNY Sport and Travel Expo is also here, the final big trade show of the season – slated for the Erie County Fairgrounds in Hamburg March 8 to 11. Kids day is Saturday and the first 100 kids to the door on Saturday morning (March 10) will receive a fully-rigged cane pole. We are slowly starting to turn the corner on a variety of fronts. On Lake Ontario, the first trollers have started pounding the surf with in-line planers and stickbaits like Bay Rats and Live Target plugs. At least, that’s what was working for Capt. Vince Pierleoni of Newfane recently when he ran a shakedown cruise out of Olcott. While most of the fish were brown trout, he did catch his first salmon of the year – a shaker, but still a salmon. It should be a good year for kings after a record-breaking performance last year in the lake. In 2017, the catch rate for salmon was the best ever in the 32-year history of the open lake creel census. You can find out more about how the fishery fared in 2017 and what the plans are for 2018 when the State of Lake Ontario meeting comes off on March 14 at Cornell Cooperative Extension Niagara, 4487 Lake Ave., Lockport starting at 6:30 p.m.
The tributaries off Lake Ontario have been low and clear for the most part. The snow storm last week dumped some significant snow around, but there was no real warm off to melt it off quickly. It’s been more of a slow drain, adding some flow to the systems. There are trout available, but you may have to use a stealthy approach with the clear conditions. Egg sacs, jigs tipped with wax worms and some different fly patterns will catch you fish. Mostly steelhead are being caught but there are a few browns around, too. Remember that pike season closes on March 15 if you are fishing in the harbors of Wilson or Olcott. If you want to help out with the Lake Ontario Trout and Salmon Association’s pen rearing project for salmon and trout, they will be organizing the pens and getting them in the water on April 7 at the Town of Newfane Marina in Olcott starting at 9:30 a.m.
In the Niagara River, action has been fair to good. Yes, the water has been clear and the storm last week really didn’t muddy the water up too much. With less than 20 percent ice cover remaining on Lake Erie, anglers are excited that spring fishing is not too far away. Shore action can be a bit more difficult with the clear conditions, but fishermen like Anthony Henley of Buffalo is still willing to drift a jig under a float and tip it with a worm and take his chances. Yesterday he stopped after work for an hour or two and managed to catch a few steelhead in the Devil’s Hole area of the river. Boaters are playing the winds when they head out. If the winds are out of the south, they throw on a Kwikfish or a MagLip plug. Any other time, it’s a minnow or an egg sac. Steelhead dominate the daily catch, but brown trout, lake trout and even an occasional walleye will also show up on the end of a fishing line. Remember that walleye season closes on March 15, too. Speaking of the Niagara River, remember that the Niagara River Anglers Association will be holding its John Long, Sr. Memorial Raffle and Feast to support the club’s many youth programs on Sunday, March 18. It will be held at Niagara Active Hose on Lockport Road in the Town of Niagara from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. This is the big fund raiser for the year for the NRAA. Call Paul Jackson at 731-4780 for more information.
Oswego County
Mary Ellen Barbeau
Oswego River Report
The river flow remained between 15,000 and 16,000cfs over the weekend. This morning it is running at 15,400cfs. Temperatures will be in the 30s with some lake effect snow likely in the area on Friday. With this water level, there is very little activity to report.
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:
We had very little impact from the nor’easter this week. Our best chance of seeing measurable snow should be Thursday night into Friday and will be in the form of lake effect snow. Over the last couple of days the few anglers who are fishing have been getting into fish. Some of the drift boats guides are continuing to take advantage of the high water and are getting into fish. In the upper end of the river between Altmar and Pineville bank anglers have been successful while dead drifting with nymphs or bottom bouncing with egg sacs. In the lower end of the river anglers have been getting into fish while float fishing with blue egg sacs, beads and pink worms. Anglers have also been finding activity in some of the smaller local tributaries.
According to the Douglaston Salmon Run:
The river flow is dropping to 1200cfs at noon Thursday. A couple of anglers showed up early yesterday. One left in the late morning, having gone 9 /10 drifting white egg sacs under a bobber in the middle section of the run. The other came up near dusk, having swung flies from the upper to lower sections of the river, resulting in 3 / 5 steelhead (most dark, one chrome). The last angler arrived late afternoon and fished the middle section for three hours with blue egg sacs and tangerine beads bringing two steelhead (8# or so) to hand.
Oneida Lake Report:
With the weather pattern we have had over the last few weeks, there is no good ice on the pond. Stay safe as we wait for the open water fishing season to begin.
Sandy Pond report:
At this time there is no safe ice on the pond. Please be patient as we wait for open water fishing.
Wayne County Fishing Update
Chris Kenyon
Streams
Stream fishing is still producing steelhead. There is snow build-up on the shoreline of Maxwell, however that is melting fast. The water flow is perfect, and anglers are fishing both sides of Lake Road.
The rainbows are hitting egg sacs and bright colored beads. Some holdover browns are still coming from the stream, but with the warming temps most are now out in the lake, roaming the shoreline of Wayne County waters.
April 1st is, of course, the harbinger of spring for stream fishing, however, any tributary that flows into the lake has no closed season for trout.
Bays
Port Bay has open water on most of the bay with ice still on the south end. You can launch at the north…but beware… it’s a very bumpy road to the DEC launch. If you don’t have a boat, you can catch perch fishing from the shore. There are enough pull-over spots, so you don’t block the barrier road.
Sodus Bay has the same situation. Most of the bay is open, however, there are a few iced-over spots. The perch don’t really care if there’s no ice, so do some open water fishing.
Some anglers were casting off Bay Bridge at the south end. They were catching crappies. It’s early for bullhead fishing, however, we are already in the second week of March. It won’t be long before you’ll be eating bullheads for supper.
DEC won’t have docks near their ramps so launching will be an effort. 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 canal water is now open, and you can launch at Widewaters or fish from the canal trail on the south side of the waterway.
Orleans County
Orleans County Tourism and Ron Bierstine at Oak Orchard Tackle & Lodge
Through the weekend and right now, flows in the Oak are medium or maybe just slightly more than medium. There were reports that flows retreated yesterday and that may have just been a temporary thing. Water color is clearing with 2 ft or more of visibility. By steelhead standards, the conditions are real nice for productive drifts and swings up and down the river.
Weather has cooled and there is no great warm up in the immediate future. Highs forecast in the 30’s°F or near 40°F with chance of rain or snow showers through this week. No significant accumulations are expected.
Fishing pressure is light so far through this week. From earlier warmer weather and higher flows, there was some spawning activity. That may be stalled some now but fish may still be in fast water areas with greater concentrations of fish more upstream then down. Still plenty of fish at the dam that haven’t dropped back looking to stage or spawn yet. Most anglers getting good drifts or swings are into a few or more hook ups in an outing.
Hospitable Lake Ontario conditions (warm water temps) may cause some fish to linger before making a later-in-the-season-run. More fresh fish should be trickling in, especially with the next warm up and/or rise in flows.
Reports are light from the other area smaller tributaries that are dropping down to moderate and clearing flows. To the west there should be scattered steelhead for drifters and to the east there should be a brown trout/steelhead mix for swingers. Niagara and Bar action is reported good for mixed bag species and small boat trollers or casters are into multiple hook ups when wind and waves and water color cooperate for near shore action.
whats going on at henderson bay