Greater Niagara Region
Bill Hilts, Jr.
The inland trout and salmon opener is April 1 but the Great Lakes are open all year! In the Lower Niagara River, there are plenty of trout available. However, the river water is super clear, and fish are getting really picky according to Capt. John DeLorenzo of Niagara Falls. Your presentation must be perfect, or you won’t get the bites. Long leaders with 6-pound test fluorocarbon fishing line is a must. Downsize your baits with small egg sacs about the size of a pea in pink or yellow. Chartreuse micro yarn flies have been working for DeLorenzo and that bait produced a 16-pound steelhead over the weekend that was caught by George Peterson of North Tonawanda. Shoreline casters have been using jigs, spoons and spinners, as well as egg sacs. April 1 is traditionally the opening of the lower Niagara River’s fishing platform at the NY Power Authority, as well as the reservoir access off Upper Mountain Road and the water intakes area in the upper Niagara River. It looks good for that to happen on Monday. Feel free to check before heading down at 796-0135 Ext. 45.
Tributary action has been good off Lake Ontario in waters big and small and, with rain in the forecast for this weekend, look for some fresh fish to arrive. Jigs and egg sacs or egg imitations are working. Casting the mouths of the creeks is another option. Small boats are fishing in the harbors and some are out trolling in the shoreline in 6 to 18 feet of water with spoons and small stickbaits. The piers are producing a few trout, too. Cast spoons and spinners off Wilson and Olcott. Lots going on right now!
DEC does plenty of stocking in its inland waters. Call the Randolph Hatchery stocking hotline at 358-2050 for details. Some area waters that receive inland stockings include Oppenheim Park Pond in Wheatfield, as well as Hyde Park Lake and Gill Creek in Niagara Falls. The stocking date will be April 11 starting at Oppenheim at 10 a.m. followed at 11 a.m. by the other sites. Another sure sign of spring is the 7th annual Wilson Bullhead Contest starting April 5 at 5 p.m. and running through April 7 at 1 p.m. Best total weight of 2 fish earns top dog. For more information call Eric at 628-6078. Weigh in will take place Sunday morning from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Wilson Conservation Club.
The Lake Ontario Trout and Salmon Association will be assembling and floating the net pens for the 2019 project season starting at 9:30 a.m. on April 6. This will take place at the Town of Newfane Marina in Olcott. Remember that April 6 is also the Niagara County Federation of Conservation Clubs annual awards banquet starting at 5:30 p.m. at Cornell Cooperative Extension Niagara. Call Dave Whitt at 754-2133 for tickets.
Oswego County
Mary Ellen Barbeau of the Oswego County Department of Community Development, Tourism and Planning.
Oswego River Report
According to Oz Angling Tackle:
The water level has been under 10,000cfs for several days. This afternoon it is flowing at 7,110cfs. Anglers have been finding some nice fresh steelhead along with a few brown trout.
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 the Douglaston Salmon Run:
The water flow is running at 750cfs through midnight tonight. Anglers who put in a few hours yesterday morning reported mixed results ranging from no action to one fish brought to hand. Those anglers fishing the whole day had much more positive results. Anglers reported 2/2 lightly colored steelhead and 2/5 with a mix of colored-up and chrome steelhead. Swinging egg sucking leeches in orange and black and swinging an orange and olive Spey fly were the applications used
According to Whitaker’s Sport Shop & Motel:
We still have melting snow coming off the Tug Hill and with showers possible keep an eye on water levels as we go through the weekend. For those anglers who are fly fishing, dead drifting with nymphs, indicator fishing with single egg patterns or swinging streamers with sinking leaders have all produced results. Anglers who are float fishing or bottom bouncing have had the most success with egg sacs, beads or pink worms.
Oneida Lake Report:
Although some anglers reported being out on the ice over the last few days, there were reports of areas along the shoreline breaking up and soft and slushy spots. With the temperature warming and a high of 60 degrees possibly on Saturday, conditions can deteriorate quickly. It has been a good season but be safe as we look toward open water fishing.
Sandy Pond Report:
The daytime highs have begun climbing to near 50 degrees through Saturday. Remaining ice is likely to deteriorate quickly through the next few days. As the season winds down, please be safe.
Wayne County Fishing Update
Chris Kenyon
Lake Ontario
The season has started and the small boats which can launch at Bear Creek in Ontario are trolling for the browns close to shore. They are catching a lot of “cookie cutters” however some nice 10 pounders were also in the mix.
Most charter boats are gearing up for the season and some start fishing the first week in April. Most of the ice is broken-up in Sodus Bay, so as soon as they put the boats in its “fish-on.”
Streams
Some browns are still in Maxwell Creek and if you can make it to the lake shore by the mouth of the stream you can catch them by casting out with small spoons.
In the creek they are hitting egg sacs. The water flow is excellent, and some steelhead are also still in the stream.
Bays
Not too much happening in the bays because of remnant ice making it difficult for small boat angling. The perch are still there, and spring is the perfect time for crappie fishing in Sodus and Port Bays.
Next-up for anglers should be spring bullhead fishing in the bays. Bay Bridge on the south end of Sodus is a great spot to catch bullheads.
Erie Canal
There is still ice on Widewaters and other sections of the canal. Once the hard stuff disappears, canal waters will produce nice crappies.
Orleans County
Orleans County Tourism and Bierstine of Oak Orchard Tackle and Lodge
Nice flows in the Oak are still somewhere near slightly high or just less. Good upstream supplies have been keeping these “high-ish” turbine flows going. Chance of flows are coming down some toward say medium through this week with no significant precipitation in the near forecast. Forecast is a chance of precipitation toward the weekend and slowly warming temps through this week. Any precipitation for maintenance of flows and some stain to the water would help preserve the nice tributary conditions. Water color on a slow clear in the Oak with still some cold nights. Water color is going on 3 ft of visibility.
Fishing pressure seems light through this mid-week period, some guys are still at the dam and some anglers are able to move around – fishing other downstream fast water spots. Action has been good for deep and slow drifters covering the fast water spots on mostly fresh steelhead that are giving themselves a good account in hard battles. That seems like an encouraging sign for steelhead conditions. There is some evidence of spawning from the earlier higher water but right now most fish seem tight and fresh. Water temperatures are nearing 40° F and with warmer days and especially not cold nights ahead look, for the water temperatures to continue to warm.
Other area smaller tributaries have medium flows and just slightly stained water color. Guys are spread out on all the waterways with reports of browns and some steelhead on those smaller tributaries. There are good opportunities now and ahead while cool conditions may hang on for spring steelhead action and some browns spread over all the different waterways.