Pictured above: Slob Smallies Of The Finger Lakes! (Photo provided by Mike Crawford of upstateguideservice.com)
Greater Niagara Region
Bill Hilts, Jr.
The third Saturday in June is the statewide opening of the regular bass season and Great Lakes muskellunge season. To help kick the bass season off, there are plenty of options going on such as the 1st Annual Brauer’s Restaurant Opening Day Bass Contest. This fun competition is for two-person teams and score will be based on the weight of the best two fish. You can fish the upper Niagara River and Lake Erie OR the lower river and Lake Ontario. The challenge will be on. Sign up at Brauer’s Restaurant on Campbell Blvd. in Pendleton or sign up at Creek Road Bait and Tackle in Lewiston. Cost is $40 per team. If you have any questions, contact Dave or Kathy Muir at 695-5552. Bass fishing has been decent in the Niagara River, both above and below the falls for anyone casting artificial baits like tubes or swimbaits. As of Saturday, you can use live bait again to target bass with the opening of the regular season. Gianni Etopio of Youngstown has been doing well off the NYPA Fishing Platform on silver bass, walleye and smallmouth. Boaters are bouncing bottom with tubes and swimbaits or dragging bottom with three-way rigs using Kwikfish. There are still a few trout in the river but it won’t be for long. The upper river, too, was producing some trout. Capt. Chris Cinelli of Grand Island reported that he caught four chunky steelies while walleye fishing around Strawberry island. Some walleye were caught this week by fishermen using jigs, but with the Southtowns Walleye Contest going on, we can’t tell you where.
For Lake Ontario, northeast winds have stirred up the water a bit. Capt. Roy Letcher of Newfane reported good action off Olcott in the top 40 feet of water over 200 to 300 foot depths using spoons. Everything was up high due to the cold water upwellings. We’ve had no other reports with many of the boats heading east last weekend to fish in the Orleans County Open tournament.
For the kids, the Wilson Conservation Club will be holding its annual youth fishing derby from 8 a.m. to noon on June 16. Eligible waters are any waters in Niagara County and the contest is based on fish length. All the measuring will take place at the club located on Route 425 in Wilson. There is also a special Huck Finn division this year for kids using cane poles. Pick up your free pole prior to the contest or use your own. To find out more information call Mike Melcher at 930-7500. There’s also a kids contest on the upper Niagara River in Niawanda Park sponsored by the City of Tonawanda on Saturday June 16. Registration starts at 8 a.m. Don’t forget that next weekend is the Free Fishing Weekend around the state, June 23 and 24. There are some special events going on that weekend such as the Hooked on the Tonawandas out of Gateway Harbor in North Tonawanda. Call 628-1247 for more information. On Saturday, June 23, the Olcott Kids Fishing Derby will be held out of the Town of Newfane Marina from 8 a.m. to noon. Kids age 4 to 15 are eligible. Call the marina at 778-5462 if you have any questions. Also on Saturday the 23rd, there will be a kids fishing contest at 9 a.m. on Hyde Park Lake in Niagara Falls, held in conjunction with a summer bash. After fishing, try your hand at kayaking with Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper at 12:30 p.m.
Oswego County
Mary Ellen Barbeau
Lake Ontario Report
Anglers have been finding a good brown trout bite in 20-40 feet of water with stickbaits and small spoons. Reports from the weekend indicated there was some good salmon action in 80-150 feet of water down 40-60 from the surface. Spoons seemed to be the bait of choice with green being a popular color. The wind was an issue earlier this week so we will have to see how conditions set up with the calm waters.
Oswego River Report
The water level has been up and down over the last few days running between 3,500cfs and about 9,000cfs. This morning it is flowing at 7,540cfs. Anglers are continuing to take walleye with stickbaits. Sheepshead and smallmouth bass have also been active but remember it is catch and release with artificial lures only for bass.
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.
Pulaski Area and Salmon River Report:
According to Woody’s Tackle:
The fishing has been very good on Lake Ontario. Brown trout have been very active in 8-40 feet of water along the eastern end of the lake. Anglers are finding a few salmon in the deeper water but they are more active to the west near Oswego.
According to the Douglaston Salmon Run:
On Sunday we had eight anglers on the run. One reported nymphing in the lower section catching two beautifully colored 9” brown trout. The remaining anglers did well with smallmouth bass. Applications included swinging flies and swinging a 2” floating minnow lure. Overall these eight anglers brought 25 bass to hand. Over the last couple of days, there has only been three anglers on the run but they have had success with smallmouth bass. The water flow is running at 185cfs.
Oneida Lake Report:
Over the weekend the walleye action was spotty but good in those areas. Anglers are targeting 15-35 feet of water with a little more action in the upper end of that water depth. Bucktail jigs and blade baits are getting the job done. Pickerel have been taking stickbaits and crankbaits and a few nice northern pike have been reported. Perch action is increasing and the bullhead bite has been good in the evening.
Sandy Pond report:
According to Woody’s Tackle:
The walleye bite has been good on the pond and there is some perch action too. Anglers are also finding some bass which are catch and release only until the season opens June 16. Stickbaits, crankbaits, jigs, small minnows and nightcrawlers are working well.
Eastern Finger Lakes / Central New York Fishing Report
Mike Crawford of upstateguideservice.com
The best light tackle and fly fishing of the year is here on the lakes and streams of Central New York!
It’s tough to decide what to fish for… Big carp on a fly rod? Smallies with drop-shot rigs? Wild stream browns with dry flies? Pike and muskies with stickbaits? Bruiser bluegills with floats?
Water temperatures in the low 60’s are present in the eastern Finger Lakes and the warm water fish (bass and pike) and coldwater fish (trout and salmon) both find this temperature ideal! Fish activity in the lakes is at peak!
Area trout streams could use a little rain but are fishing well with dependable hatches morning and evening!
Have a safe and enjoyable Fathers Day Weekend coming up and I hope you find yourself on the water catching fish!
Wayne County Fishing Update
Chris Kenyon
Lake Ontario
Kings and some cohos have been caught in 150 to 200 feet, down 40 to 50. Reports say they are hitting spoons…all colors. The best results are from set-ups running back 150 feet or more.
Lots of bait on some days, so changing colors and presentations might get more strikes.
Bear Creek, Hughes, and straight out from Sodus Bay has been where most of the action is, however the entire southern shoreline of Lake Ontario has been hot.
Bays
Walleye fishing has been decent, especially near dusk. Fish between the islands on Sodus Bay.
Pike are also hitting large spoons between LeRoy Island and the north shore of Sodus. You can also catch pike between Newark Island and the shoreline near Skipper’s Restaurant.
Most of the perch in Sodus are now in Lake Ontario in eight feet of water. Catch them with small jigs…the same ones you use during ice fishing.
Bass season is this Saturday, June 16th and all the bays in Wayne County are loaded with largemouth bass. Just fish the weedlines with rubber, plastic, or topwater baits.
Erie Canal
Canal fishing has been excellent with channel cats hitting near Clyde. The Launch site is located on the east side after you cross the bridge on Route 31.
Widewaters is the best place to fish for bass. The action starts this Saturday. You can keep five fish…12-inch minimum.