Upstate New York Fishing Report – July 5, 2018

Greater Niagara Region

Bill Hilts, Jr.
Lake Ontario is continuing to offer up a mix of good fishing opportunities for Salmon and Trout. Scott Foster of North Tonawanda took over the lead in the Summer LOC Derby with a 26 pound, 15 ounce salmon while fishing out of Wilson with a Dreamweaver spoon on July 5. No other details because the derby continues through July 29. Top lake trout is 21 pound, 15 ounces caught by Steve Burkowski of Rochester. It is just 1 ounce better than Ed Klejdys’ Niagara Bar laker. Randy Snyder of Marion is top brown trout catcher with a 13-1/2 pound Wayne Co. fish. Top steelhead is a 12 pound, 13 ounce fish reeled in by Bob Holdsworth of PA. Check out www.loc.org for the complete leaderboard. John Van Hoff of North Tonawanda headed out on the 4th and had some fireworks out on the Niagara Bar with some feisty king salmon up to 21 pounds. The water was messed up a bit from earlier east wind. They caught their fish from the drop off to 270 feet of water, 40 to 75 feet down with spoons and flasher-fly combos due to cold water issues.

Niagara River action has been hampered by the dreaded moss monster again, making it difficult to keep your bait or lure in the water too long. Gianni Etopio of Youngstown is still catching some nice carp off the NYPA fishing platform on corn.

The popular Erie Canal Fishing Derby started July 4 and there are plenty of people fishing from the Niagara River to Albion through July 15th this year. Some nice catches are already on the board like Chris Fletcher of Gasport with a 16.59 pound carp. It’s a great family contest that offers up 7 different species categories for young and old alike. Fish from a boat or fish from shore, there are plenty of great prizes to give away. For more information or to see the updated leaderboard, check the website out at www.eriecanalderby.com. If you want to learn how to fish for walleye, the next monthly LOTSA meeting at 7 p.m. on July 12 will feature Lake Erie Charter Captain Jim Skoczylas talking about summer walleye fishing. The meeting will be held at Cornell Cooperative Extension Niagara, 4487 Lake Avenue, Lockport. Their club tournament is coming up July 20-21 so get registered. Check out www.lotsa1.org. Also, the Wilson Bi-Centennial Tournament is July 22, a big fish, 3-fish contest that costs only $100 per boat. There should be some great prizes. For more information contact Mike Johannes at 523-1727.

On a sad note, our condolences to the family of outdoor writer Will Elliott who passed away last Sunday. The long time writer for the Buffalo News and NY Outdoor News was well loved and admired. His legacy lives on through the many people he touched through fishing education, his many writings and through his seminars. Long a friend to Niagara Falls USA, he will be missed.

Oswego County

Mary Ellen Barbeau

Lake Ontario Report

According to Capt. Andy Bliss of Chasin Tail Adventures:
The fishing report is beginning to sound like a broken record. We couldn’t be happier. The fishing is incredible. If you haven’t made a trip up to Lake Ontario this summer, you are missing out on history! Kings are biting in 100-350 feet of water on just about anything you present to them – spoons, flies, meat. Anglers are also finding some nice steelhead. The only thing to remember is the fleas are starting to show and they are heavy. So get your rods ready to make the trip more enjoyable.

Oswego River Report

Conditions changed quickly yesterday as the water flow went from about 1,700cfs to 6,000cfs in a matter of hours. It dropped quickly again to just under 3,000cfs and overnight has risen to 7,230cfs. Suggested areas to try are the river walks including behind the hotels. Bass and sheepshead are taking crayfish, live minnows and night crawlers. A few walleye are responding to large stickbaits.

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:

Notice: The Salmon River Whitewater Recreation Release scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, July 7 and 8, is cancelled. The decision to cancel is based on lower than normal water levels and dry weather conditions.

Pulaski Area:

The fishing on Lake Ontario remains outstanding. Salmon are very active in 120-200 feet of water with spoons, flies and flashers working well. Anglers are finding some brown trout in the more shallow water 15-20 feet with spoons being the choice of bait. There is also a bass bite with live minnows and crawfish working well. Just a note that the fleas are heavy so prepare your rods accordingly.

According to Dave Wood of Woody’s Tackle:
On Tuesday one of our regular season anglers was here early to take advantage of the slightly cooler conditions and he capitalized. Our angler shared that the bass were playing hard to get, only located in very specific spots within the run. That said, he did manage to land well over double digits and was quite pleased with his outing. Swinging minnow patterns was the ticket. The heat will continue today with some rain expected later this afternoon and a cool down in temperatures for the next few days. The water flow remains at 185cfs at the dam and 213cfs at Pineville.

Oneida Lake Report:

The walleye bite continues on the lake with areas along the weeds producing the best results. Jigs tipped with a worm and blade baits are working well. Anglers are finding a few bass in shallow water and along the shoals. Pickerel have been active with several taken in the mix.

Sandy Pond report:

With the extremely warm temperatures weeds are becoming an issue with fishing. Anglers are finding some walleye, perch and bass with stickbaits, crankbaits, jigs, small minnows and nightcrawlers.