Upstate and Western New York Fishing Report – January 31, 2019

Greater Niagara Region

Bill Hilts, Jr.

With a severe winter storm blanketing the region in snow and cold temperatures, there hasn’t been too much fishing action going on other than some diehard ice fishermen. Wind chills as low at minus 30 has kept most people home for the most part with hundreds of schools and businesses being closed throughout Western New York. The Niagara River Anglers announced that the Roger Tobey Memorial Steelhead Contest set for Saturday, Feb. 2, is postponed. If you want to find out more information, give Paul Jackson a call at 731-4780.

With the combination of cold and wind, the Niagara River has quite a bit of ice flowing through its waters. The Lewiston launch ramp was filled with ice at last report and we won’t see any movement there until the weather starts to turn for the better. The end is in sight though. Saturday temperatures are vaulting into the 30’s and Sunday will see the 40’s. Monday it could hit 50 degrees with some rain. If that happens, it could open a few fishing opportunities, but it will depend on what the storm does with the waters of the Niagara River.

Steelhead, brown trout and lake trout are all available in the river system below Niagara Falls. If you fish from shore, jigs, egg sacs and spinners will catch fish. Take extreme caution walking the shoreline and use some type of ice grippers on your boots. From boats (if you can get out), top baits include MagLips and Kwikfish, egg sacs, minnows and imitation egg flies or beads. Bounce your offering along the bottom using three-way rigs from boat. From shore, using a float can be productive.

Ice fishing in Wilson Harbor was good for perch in Tuscarora Bay for hardwater anglers using minnows. Over 6 inches of ice was last reported.

In 18 Mile Creek, the last open water we heard about was below Burt Dam, but with the recent wind chills and actual temperatures, things are probably locked up at this point. Wait for that warm up before you give it a try.

If you are looking for something indoors, Bass Pro Hank Parker will be coming to the Oak Orchard Assembly of God Church in Medina on Friday night, Feb. 1, as the guest speaker for its 15th Annual Dinner and Seminar. For more information Call Merle Fredericks at 585-765-2839. Doors open at 5:30 p.m.

Wayne County Fishing Update

Chris Kenyon

Streams

All streams are frozen over and they certainly won’t thaw this week. Temps will be single digits.

Bays

All of Sodus Bay has 8 plus inches. There is snow cover on most sections of the bay. The going is tough getting to the hotspot. There are machines on the ice…just beware of the dock bubblers.

Not too many are fishing the south end, probably because of the slushy top. All that will change when temperatures drop to “zero” on Thursday.

They are catching jumbo perch over by the loop and at the trestle near the old malt house. The perch are hitting bright jigs and the smaller lures seem to be working better.

They are also catching perch out from Second Creek near Shaker Heights Road.

If you need bait or equipment go to B-E Fishing Tackle in Ontario or Bay Bridge Sport Shop at the south end of Sodus.

Port Bay had some action at the north end of the bay. Parking is not the easiest. Make sure you don’t block the turnaround at the end of West Port Bay Road.

Be safe when ice fishing. Don’t take chances and remember early ice on Wayne County bays is never uniform in thickness, especially where bubblers are used to keep ice from the docks.

Check out the rest of the Wayne County Tourism web page for the locations and hours of local bait and tackle shops.

Erie Canal

The ice is safe at Widewaters Park east of Newark on Route 31. Not too many anglers fish there, and they should. It has plenty of tasty panfish.

Orleans County

Orleans County Tourism and Bierstine of Oak Orchard Tackle and Lodge

Flows in the Oak are something like just shy of medium or between moderate and medium. In the short term, look for retreating flows likely toward moderate and clear. Water color is just slightly stained at about 3 feet of visibility. Some flows are passing through the overflow channel from over top the spillway. There is some flow through the turbine channel too. It looks about 75% overflow and 25% turbine. Not sure why Brookfield is not passing maximum flow through the hydro plant while water passes through the overflow channel from over top the spillway. (Under what is not a high water event.) There may still be something going on at the hydro plant – and if we find out anything we will let you know.

Fishing pressure remains pretty light with extremely cold temperatures and wind forecast through the rest of the week. The real cold weather is not expected to be prolonged though, with moderating temperatures expected by the end of the weekend. Heavier Lake Effect Snow is forecast southwest of the area off Lake Erie with no major accumulations are expected here.

Downstream, slow water is still open with just some bank ice encroaching, but could freeze more with the expected cold temps. With some light, long and slow drifts, anglers should be into some steelhead. Any breaks in the weather resulting in a rise in flows could bring around some fresh steelhead. The other area smaller tributaries have moderate and mostly clear and frozen flows. In the short term, look for retreating and frozen flows until there is a prolonged warm up.