Greater Niagara Region
Bill Hilts, Jr.
This weekend is the first Free Fishing Days weekend of the year, set for Feb. 15-16. If you are 16 years of age or older, you don’t need a fishing license for these two days but you do need to abide by the fishing regulations on the body of water you intend to fish.
Action in the lower Niagara River was on fire this week as conditions were near perfect, if you were fishing from a boat. Capt. Chris Cinelli of Grand Island reported excellent water as he guided Gary Laidman of South Wales and Bob McNamara of Allegany to hefty catches of steelhead using a mix of Kwikfish and pink egg sacs fished off 3-way rigs. A few brown trout and lake trout are also hanging around, as well as some walleye. Downriver, the brown trout and lake trout were hitting a bit more and MagLips were added to the list of preferred lures. Minnows were also used to hit both trout and walleye. A fair number of bonus king salmon were being caught as anglers drifted off the mouth of the river near the green buoy marker. Shore anglers didn’t fare as well of late. Mike Rzucidlo of Niagara Falls did report a 3 for 3 day on steelhead in the gorge by tossing a favorite No. 4 spinner. Fishing from shore is tough without boots. Be careful walking the gorge along the shoreline. Ice grippers are important. The NRAA Roger Tobey Memorial Steelhead Contest is set for Feb. 22 in the lower Niagara River and Lake Ontario tributaries. Sign up at Creek Road Bait and Tackle in Lewiston or the Lewiston Launch Ramp the morning of the event. It runs from sunrise to 2 p.m.
As far as the Lake Ontario tributaries, fishing has been a little tough with only a few steelhead and brown trout being caught. Flows are medium or a bit better with 2-3 feet of visibility. Look for the coldest temperatures of the year on Friday of this week, making things difficult. It could ice up the smaller streams.
Feb. 14-15 is the Birds on the Niagara festival. There is lots in indoor and outdoor programming on Saturday. Check out birdsontheniagara.org for a complete schedule.
Oswego County
Mary Ellen Barbeau of the Oswego County Department of Community Development, Tourism and Planning.
Attention: February 15-16 is a Free Fishing Weekend, where anyone can fish New York’s waters without a fishing license.
Oswego River Report
The water flow is running at 11,200 CFS this morning. Anglers have been finding a decent trout bite along the river. Beads, jigs, and egg sacs either fished under a float or bottom bouncing are working well for steelhead and browns. Anglers are also finding a few walleye.
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:
A handful of anglers ventured out on the run Monday to find that water flows had dropped (down to 350CFS) and while the fish were there, you had to work for every nibble. The middle section of the run had the most reports with two anglers landing 2-3 steelhead a piece. Based on our guests reports, angling improved on Tuesday. The bite was very slow early in the morning but picked up in the middle of the day and then trailed off in the afternoon. Blue egg sacs were the top producing bait of the day but fish were also taken on natural colored beads and swung flies. Wednesday a half dozen anglers each got into a fish or two. There were reports of a dozen or so fresh steelhead moving through the middle section of the river. The water release is 350 CFS with 542 CFS at Pineville.
Oneida Lake Report:
Conditions were difficult over the weekend after Friday’s snowfall. Slush was forming in many areas of the lake making it difficult for 4-wheelers and sleds as well as walking. The few inches of snow expected last night did not materialize with the area receiving only a dusting. That is good news as the temperature is dropping into the teens by tomorrow and very cold temperatures overnight for the next couple of days. This should help firm up things for the weekend. If you venture out, as always check the ice as you go.
Sandy Pond Report:
Conditions on the pond are decent with 5+ inches of ice being reported and a little slush in some areas. We did not receive significant snow overnight as forecasted with only a dusting to an inch or so expected throughout the day today. The thermometer will drop overnight and temperatures only in the teens tomorrow will improve conditions for the weekend.
Wayne County Fishing Update
Chris Kenyon
Streams
Steelhead are being caught in Maxwell Creek. The shoreline is an icy-slushy mix, however you can still fish.
Steelhead like anything bright…mostly a red color. Or go with egg sacs. The water flow is excellent. There are plenty of parking spaces in the DEC parking lot on the north side of Lake Road.
You can’t fish the Sodus channel because of ice build-up.
Bay Bridge Sport Shop at the south end of Sodus Bay has everything you need for stream angling.
Bays
Current ice conditions vary on Sodus Bay. The north end is open water. Ice thickness straight out from Shaker Road is six to eight, however if you go east or west from Shaker, ice is not solid.
Two anglers broke through ice near Thornton Point over the weekend and had to be rescued.
Because this is a weekly report, ice conditions can change in a day. Always use caution, especially with the mild winter we are experiencing. Safe ice today is no guarantee for tomorrow.
Make sure you know where the creeks are that flow into the bay. That’s where the ice is never solid.
A cold freeze is predicted later this week which should make some better, safer ice.
LeRoy Island on the north east side of Sodus Bay continues to produce some nice pike. Tip-ups with pike minnows is the normal routine.
Check out the rest of the Wayne County Tourism web page for the locations and hours of local bait and tackle shops.
Erie Canal
No one is fishing the canal.
Orleans County
Orleans County Tourism and Capt. John Oravec, Tight Lines Charters
There has been just enough above-freezing temperatures during the day to get some melt and run-off going from the snow that accumulated this past weekend. Each night, temperatures have been dropping back and there are a couple of days of cold temperatures predicted for the end of the week. There is also a chance of snow showers with no significant accumulation expected here.
Fishing pressure is pretty light with a handful of guys out especially on the Oak. Flows in the Oak are medium or maybe one notch greater. Water color is more clear then stained with 2-3 ft of visibility. Flows are not likely to retreat in the near term and could bump up slightly from the recent melt off. Water color is likely to stay about the same.
Guys have caught some steelhead on and off – a mix of darker and fresh fish. There is still some holdover browns at the dam and even some reports of Atlantics on the swing or retrieved fly. The other area smaller tributaries are showing the effects of the slight melt-off with slightly rising and off-color flows through and over some ice cover. Those slightly high flows will probably retreat again after the next bit of consistent cold temps.