Greater Niagara Region
Bill Hilts, Jr.
We have a smelt report! One was caught this week in the lower Niagara River according to Mike Fox of Lewiston. He checks nearly every night and one night this week there was one that was netted, the first he’s seen. One fish. If smelt runs are based on water temperatures, it will still be a little while because ice is still coming down the river from Lake Erie. In the meantime, stop by the Lewiston Smelt Festival Friday night (May 3rd) at 5 p.m. in Academy Park.
Fishing in the river continues to be good for trout – steelhead, brown and lake trout – if you want to brave the ice floes. Shiners, minnows, egg sacs, Kwikfish and MagLips will all catch fish. There could be some walleye hanging around, too, for the opener on Saturday. While the big numbers aren’t there like Lake Erie, it’s a sleeper spot for big fish. Last year in the spring LOC Derby, the winning walleye came from these waters, caught by an angler trolling for salmon and trout on the Niagara Bar near the river mouth.
Speaking of the LOC Derby, remember that the Lake Ontario Counties Trout and Salmon Derby is set for May 10-19 with a Grand Prize of $15,000 for the biggest salmon and a total prize structure of $45,000. Check out loc.org.
Finally, it looks like the lower Niagara River will be receiving its 75,000 salmon meant for the pen project in Youngstown on May 6. Due to cold water in the river from extended ice in the system and the removal of the ice boom, DEC stocking trucks have been unable to bring salmon in from the Salmon River Fish Hatchery. The temperature difference between the trucks and the water that would be receiving the fish cannot be in excess of 10 degrees. If everything goes as planned, that will be on Monday. According to Capt. Frank Campbell of Lewiston, they need volunteers to help feed the fish for the next 3 weeks. If you would like to be part of the effort, contact Campbell directly at 523-0013. Thanks to these pens, anglers received the benefit of double the survival rate for stocked kings.
For Lake Ontario and tributaries, salmon fishing has been good to very good for trollers working the waters from Olcott to the Niagara Bar. Capt. Matt Yablonsky of Youngstown has had some banner days on big kings, fishing spoons and flasher-fly 50 to 75 feet down over 75 to 85 feet of water. Lake trout are also being caught. Trolling the shoreline will still produce some brown trout using stickbaits according to Karen Evarts at The Boat Doctors in Olcott. Wes Walker at The Slippery Sinker in Olcott reported that a couple nice Atlantic salmon were caught off the piers in Olcott recently, casting stickbaits. Many of the tributaries are high and stained right now according to Scott Feltrinelli of Ontario Fly Outfitters. He caught some nice trout and smallmouth bass this week using yellow wooly buggers. Don’t forget about the Lake Ontario Pro-Am Salmon Team Tournament May 31 and June 1. Check out www.lakeontarioproam.net for details.
Oswego County
Mary Ellen Barbeau of the Oswego County Department of Community Development, Tourism and Planning.
Lake Ontario/Oswego River Report
According to Capt. Andy Grisenthwaite of Broad Horizons Charter Service:
Spring fishing is continuing to hold strong! Browns are plentiful along the shore and salmon are a little deeper. Lake trout are also available to target after the other 3 fish limit is kept. Our client from New Hampshire boated several species on his 2nd annual spring trip – browns, lake trout, kings, and an Atlantic!
According to Oz Angling Tackle:
May is upon us but there are still plenty of trout in the Oswego River. With river temperatures at 48–50 degrees and flows of 11,500 cfs, brown trout and steelhead are biting aggressively in the Oswego River right now!
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 Capt. Troy Creasy of High Adventure Sportfishing:
The Salmon River keeps on giving. It is loaded with fish dropping back to the lake. Unfortunately the water has risen and that will flush them out quicker than we would like and we will be to base flows very soon. All of that being said it is been a fantastic April. I fished every day except Easter Sunday and except for a few tough ones it is been a great month.
According to the Douglaston Salmon Run:
Despite a more difficult “weather day” yesterday our guests did manage to find a few dropback steelhead and a smallmouth bass or two. Rust colored wooly buggers brought some steelhead to hand while white streamers were the ticket for smallies. It looks like the weather has calmed down and should yield a great day to fish (overcast with light wind) today. The water release from lighthouse hill dam is forecasted to remain at 1,200cfs through 5/3 and the Pineville gauge currently reads 1,530cfs.
Oneida Lake Report:
Walleye season is opening this Saturday, May 4. The lake level is up so use caution as you navigate the waters as hazards and debris in the lake may not be readily visible. Also be aware that navigation buoys are not in the lake as yet. Anglers have been finding perch in 10-15 feet of water with minnows and spikes and there has been a crappie and bullhead bite.
Sandy Pond Report:
The pond has been quiet but anglers are ready for the walleye and northern pike opener this Saturday, May 4.
Wayne County Fishing Update
Chris Kenyon
Lake Ontario
It’s the last day of April. Tomorrow is opening day of spring turkey hunting. But this is a fishing report so here we go.
Unfortunately, we have been dealing with winds. Today is nothing, however east wind is coming tonight. East wind and Lake Ontario fishing are not compatible. And now we have high water to deal with…but the fishing has been excellent, so let’s focus on that.
There is plenty of stained water, so fish the mudline. Sometimes you need to troll green water, so start your presentation in 10 feet of water and troll in and out of mud to 20 to 25 feet.
Most of the brown catches are on green stickbaits and black and green spoons. The king bite has been slow, however the browns and a few cohos are being caught.
Lake trout are also in the mix; however, most anglers are trolling for the close-to-shore browns.
Bays
Crappies are being caught at the south end of Port Bay in the narrows. They are suspended off the bottom, up a couple of feet. Use bright small jigs.
There have been some perch caught off the points in Sodus Bay. Pike season starts this Saturday, May 4th. Five fish and 18 inches are the regulations. Most of the pike in Sodus Bay are around the islands in shallow water.
Port Bay pike are usually at the south end in the weed beds,
You can rent a boat at Bay Bridge Sport Shop and won’t have far to go to catch crappies and bullheads.
Check out the rest of the Wayne County Tourism web page for the locations and hours of local bait and tackle shops. waynecountytourism.com.
Erie Canal
Kayak fishing is very popular in the canal, where the waters are calm. They are still catching crappies under the Port Gibson bridge.
Orleans County
Lake Fishing Report
Orleans County Tourism and Capt. John Oravec, Tight Lines Charters
Fish on Everybody! The Lake Ontario waters off the Orleans County coastline are setting up with good stained water in 8 to 15 ft of water. Here, the combination of warmer water temperature, baitfish and the cover of the “mudline” is drawing quality trout and salmon.
Sons of the American Legion Post _204 had a great day of fishing with Capt. Bob _ Sunrise II off Point Breeze_ Apr. 30th_ catching over 21 fish before noon_ Guy Eaton caught this 18__ King.
Several charter boats including “Get Hooked” and “Bucaroo” have been finding brown trout, the odd coho and kings using traditional planer board tactics with shallow running stickbaits. Here’s a tip as for lure color – bright orange, firetiger chartreuse work great in various water colors from green to yucky mud. But don’t forget black silver/black gold! Believe it!
What makes fishing out of the Oak terrific is the versatility of our fishermen! Example, Captain Mike Grager has discovered beautiful big Lakers by downrigging flasher/fly rigs close to a 60-70 bottom depth.
My fishing partner recently became paralyzed from the waist down, so he cannot fish trout streams – our favorite. Can you recommend a Captain who might handle him and provide good fishing out of Point Breeze? Thanks.