Greater Niagara Region
Frank Campbell
It’s not just about what’s below the water for outdoor enthusiasts, there is plenty of interest above the water as evidenced by the 4th Annual Birds on the Niagara Festival set for Feb. 10-12, 2022 along the Niagara River Corridor. This Corridor is recognized as a globally-significant Important Bird Area and people will be “flocking” here to see the tremendous amount of water birds thanks to the open water created by the river current and the large amount of baitfish in the system. Check outbirdsontheniagara.org for details on virtual presentations and in-person birding tours. You must pre-register for the in-person tours.
Now below the water. It’s good to see the lower Niagara River back on track for winter trout fishing with a few bonus fish thrown in for good measure. Capt. Peter Goretti of One More Drift Fishing Adventures reports he had a great day recently fishing with Danny Colville of Colville Outfitters and their fishing buddy Tom Roll. After using the traditional approach of employing a three-way rig to do some bottom bouncing, they decided to try something different. The trio switched to float fishing, using Colville’s Precision Centerpin Reels. They drifted 15-gram floats with split shots in different gram sizes to help get the baits to present correctly. The best bait was brown trout eggs from Colville’s. Capt. Chris Cinelli of Grand Island reports that lower river action has been decent for him, too. He had some good steelie action on sacs in pink and peach. The Niagara Bar is good when you can fish it. He has seen a couple browns caught, but not many. John Jarosz of Lakeview sends word that he was 7 for 9 on steelhead in the lower river fishing with Capt. Matt Yablonsky of Wet Net Charters. Egg sacs did not do well, but Mag Lips did the trick as they had to fight a northwest wind with their trolling motor to give the lure the action it needed.
In the gorge from shore, Mike Rzucidlo was 1 for 3 yesterday in the northwest wind using a No. 5 spinner. Visibility was about 5 feet. Mike Ziehm of Niagara Falls reports catching steelhead, lake trout and walleye on jigs and spinners and he lost more than he landed on Monday. Orange and white mixes were the best colors. Ice coming down the river can sometimes be a problem.
In the upper river, Tommy Ortolano of Lake Effect Bait and Tackle in Tonawanda says anglers have been picking up some perch in Beaver Island State Park through the ice. Over at the Ellicott Creek Overflow, some crappie and northern pike have been caught.
In Wilson Harbor through the ice, Lisa Drabczyk at Creek Road Bait and Tackle in Lewiston reports a mix of perch and pike. There are some bluegills being caught there, too.
Remember that Feb. 19-20 is a free fishing weekend for New York State. For details check out dec.ny.gov. Stay safe.
Wayne County Fishing Update
Chris Kenyon
Streams
Streams are still locked-up, however there are some openings in Maxwell Creek. Warmer temps this week might move some ice around.
Lake Ontario tributary regulations
Three fish in combination and not to include more than one Rainbow Trout (or Steelhead) and One Brown Trout.
Bays
The hot spot for ice anglers continues to be Third Creek, off of Shaker Road. You have to walk quite a distance to get to 30 fow.
The ice is 10 to 12 inches thick, and many anglers are using ATVs to get out deep. The perch have been a mix between the “dinks” and the keepers. Drill a few holes and move around if you are catching small perch.
Teardrop jigs are working as well as the Swedish Pimple. Tip your jigs with spikes or perch eyes.
You’ll find bait at Davenports and Bay Bridge Sport Shop. Both are located at the south end of Sodus.
They are also catching perch over by the old Malt building, which is dubbed “the trestle.”
LeRoy Island at the northeast corner of Sodus Bay has pike. Use pike minnows under tip-ups in 10 to 15 feet of water.
If you are fishing Port Bay, try straight out from the points. The perch fishing has been slow this past weekend, however that changes day to day. The fish are in the bays…so keep moving around and changing your presentation.
The limit on perch is 50 fish with no minimum length. Remember not to leave anything on the ice when you leave.
All persons on board a recreational vessel less than 21 feet in length (including canoes, kayaks, and rowboats) must wear a USCG–approved PFD from November 1 to May 1.
Erie Canal
The ice on Widewaters is 8 to 10 inches. Just remember the canal always has some current, so make sure you know the thickness where you drill holes.
All persons on board a recreational vessel less than 21 feet in length (including canoes, kayaks, and rowboats) must wear a USCG–approved PFD from November 1 to May 1.
The 2021 New York State fishing guide can be found at https://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/7917.html for downloading and printing at home. Production of hard copies is finished and have been delivered to License Issuing Agents. Hard copies can be requested by emailing FWFish@dec.ny.gov.
Keep informed from the NYS Canal web for changes and restrictions with canal waters. Keep informed about 2021 canal hours. (There will be no fees for the 2021 canal boating season.) May 21st is the scheduling for the canal opening. Hours are 7 am till 5pm. Stay informed with the below web page.
Safety Precautions from DEC
While enjoying the outdoors, please continue to follow the CDC/New York State Department of Health guidelines (leaves DEC’s website) for preventing the spread of colds, flu, and COVID-19:
- Try to keep at least six (6) feet of distance between you and others.
- Avoid close contact, such as shaking hands, hugging, and kissing.
- Wash hands often or use a hand sanitizer when soap and water are not available.
- Avoid surfaces that are touched often, such as doorknobs, handrails, and playground equipment.
When fishing, DEC recommends avoiding busy waters and following the guidelines on DEC’s website about fishing responsibly in New York State. If an angler arrives at a parking lot and there are several cars, they should consider going to another parking lot. If an angler is fishing upstream, they should fish downstream of the other angler or consider fishing another day. Anglers fishing from boats should be able to maintain at least six feet of distance between one another. For more information about the benefits of being outdoors safely and responsibly, go to DEC’s website.
New York State is open for fishing and DEC encourages anglers to recreate locally at a nearby waterbody. New York’s lakes and streams offer great opportunities for fishing in a wide array of settings across the state. Even during the current COVID-19 public health crisis, getting outdoors and connecting with nature while angling in New York’s waters is a great way to help maintain mental and physical health.
Orleans County
This week’s report is from Ron Bierstine from Oak Orchard Tackle & Lodge:
Not a lot of change from previous report except for more snow accumulations. Another 8 – 10 inches added with cold temps forecast thru this weekend. Slight warm up forecast thru next week with highs in the 30’s°F and dropping back at night. No major storms expected thru the upcoming week. Forecast for next week should settle the snowpack some but its not likely to get flows rolling or open anything up. Look for low and clear flows to prevail on the Oak for now and most hook ups at the dam or for a few careful drifters in some of the downstream still open deeper slots. Any changes in hydropower operations could result in slightly higher flows.