Greater Niagara Region
Bill Hilts, Jr.
National Hunting and Fishing Day is Saturday, September 22, a tradition since 1972. As you look around Niagara Falls USA, there are a number of exciting events going on this weekend, including the two-day Wildlife Festival sponsored by the New York Power Authority and the Niagara Co. Federation of Conservation Clubs. The event is held at the NYPA Visitors Center in Lewiston next to NU and it runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days with a huge emphasis on getting the kids in tune with nature and the outdoors. In honor of NHF Day, New York State has announced that Sept. 22 will be a free fishing day in the state. No one needs a fishing license, but you do have to abide by the fishing regulations in the state and on the body of water you intend to fish. This is a great opportunity to share your expertise with someone who you’ve always wanted to take on the water. It could be a neighbor or friend, a co-worker or a family member. Make the effort and it could make a huge difference in a person’s life. There is a kids fishing derby on Saturday morning at Hyde Park Lake in Niagara Falls from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m., followed by canoeing and kayaking starting at 12:30 p.m. The fishing derby is for kids ages 6 to 16 years old. Get down there and get the next generation fishing.
Lake Ontario salmon and trout fishing continues to be very good, especially out deep from 300 to 400 feet of water off Wilson and Olcott. Quality steelhead in the double digit range have been reported consistently on a spoon bite along with a mix of mature and immature salmon. If you are looking for some big boys, try trolling the pier heads at Wilson and Olcott at first light with J-plugs, cut bait behind a flasher, flasher-fly or a magnum spoon. Pier casters are picking up some fish tossing spoons with anything blue in the color pattern according to Karen Evarts at The Boat Doctors. Wilson harbor has been producing some nice pike according to Joel Spring of Ransomville. Fishing with a jointed X-Rap, he managed 3 nice pike fishing off his kayak on Tuesday of this week. Bowfin were hitting in the west branch of 12 Mile Creek.
Lower Niagara River fishing is continuing to improve for salmon in the Devil’s Hole area and boat captains have switched from plugs to treated salmon egg skein fished off three-way rigs. While it’s far from the peak, they are picking up some fish consistently. The fishing platform at the power project is producing some kings on spoons, jigs and eggs. During the Travel Media Showcase event hosted by Destination Niagara USA in Niagara Falls at the Doubletree, four of the attendees were participating in a “Hooked on Adventure” fishing tour. Ashley Dobbs of Ocala, Fla. was fishing with a worm harness along the Stella drift in the lower river when she hooked into a 20 pound salmon. On a worm! That’s one of the best things fishing the lower river – you never know what you are going to catch. She was one happy camper for sure and hooked for life. It was her first fish ever!
Oswego County
Mary Ellen Barbeau of the Oswego County Department of Community Development, Tourism and Planning.
Lake Ontario/Oswego River Report
According to Oz Angling Bait and Tackle:
Kings are being caught all over the map lately. Anglers are having success at the Varick Dam with bottom bouncing rigs, off the high wall using plugs and floating skein, in the harbor trolling spoons, j-plugs, stickbaits and flies, and trolling out in the lake as well. Lake fisherman are doing well in about 50 feet of water. We’ve got some colder temperatures in the short term forecast and we are expecting a solid push of kings into the river by later this week. The river is running at
4,340cfs this afternoon.
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. The Oswego Fire Department offers loaner life jackets at no charge through its “Loaner for Life” program. For more information contact the fire station, 35 E. Cayuga St., at 315-343-2161.
Salmon River Report:
According to Whitaker’s Sport Shop:
The anglers we spoke with who fished the DSR reported having an excellent day yesterday. Anglers said it was a steady movement of fish all day long from top to bottom with a mix of kings and cohos. The slightly cooler temperatures were exactly what we need and it was good to hear that anglers had a great day. The anglers we spoke with who fished the mid to upper section of the river had mixed results, some anglers got into a few fish, while others did not. Overall the best action was in the lower end of the river. For those anglers who were fly fishing the most productive patterns were comets, egg sucking leeches, woolly buggers and glo-bugs. For those anglers who are bottom bouncing, blue egg sacs produced steady results.
According to the Douglaston Salmon Run:
Call it what you want, a very solid push, a solid run. No matter what one calls it yesterday was as good as it needs to be. I just came back from the parking lot having had a conversation with a young man that was exuberant for having realized his dream of landing his first salmon. Many, many happy, satisfied and tired anglers. A great day to be on the run and given that fish were still coming in at the end of the day, today’s prospect looked nothing short of excellent. Reports from everyone that I spoke with described fish “wall to wall and top to bottom.” Some of our traditional pools had fish in numbers that made them impossible to count. Early this morning the estuary section reported very good numbers of fish continuing to push into the DSR run, however not quite in the unbelievably overwhelming volume of yesterday.
Oneida Lake Report:
Anglers are continuing to find a few walleye in both shallow and deeper water. The most active times are early and later in the day. Worm harnesses, jigs and blade baits are working well. Look for bass along the weed beds.
Sandy Pond report:
The pond is typically quiet this time of year.
Orleans County
Orleans County Tourism and Capt. John Oravec of Tightlines Charters
Well, the weather for many of the fishing action has been wonderful this week! The in-shore ledge and shallow flats action has typically slowed for the big fatties under clear water calm conditions. There are a few matures in the mud-line area in the estuary and up the Oak Orchard River to the Waterport Dam. Most of the hookups at the river mouth are low light morning flurries by trollers using bright J-plugins silver bullet and various glow patterns. Don’t forget the venerable J -13 rapala, Rattle Trap and Crocodile spoons for flatlining. Please remember the big majors run extra long when hooked in the shallows so be careful leaving the channel. Also, when trolling the flats, move away when someone hooks up and keep your planer board close to the boat. They will still give you an edge.
Because of the stable calm weather, a large gang of trollers have located a strong down temp break/alewife raft schooling silver fish over 300 to 400 ft of water and WOW! By fishing a north/south troll pattern with rigs at 35 to 70 feet we found crazy king/steelhead action with the best steelhead action of the year! The fleet is widespread west to east, uncrowded, so when you find a hot spot circle back, play with speed and direction and watch your rods fly! Most of the kings are skips to low teenager class. The steelhead show plenty of 22″-25″ keepers but its the 7 to 11 pounders that are ripping up the surface. Just tons of fun! Some charters have returned to running spoon sliders with fast action results of 30 hit mornings and early limit boxes.
One important note: please cull your catch releasing smaller size fish. Those 1 to 5 pounders are the next years tackle breakers!! I don’t see this mid-water 300 to 400 ft fishery moving much but please remember its mid September with cold fronts and hurricane remnants frequently passing with windy conditions. Stay in a group, have updated forecasts and at the hint of incoming weather and wind, pull rods and boogie to the inshore waters and try there or call it a day. Upcoming windy, wavy rainy weather is forecast this late week and that combination will stir sulking matures for good big fish action close to the Oak’s Harbor mouth. Count on it!