Greater Niagara Region
Frank Campbell
The “Mike and Mike” angling duo – Mike Ziehm and Mike Rzucidlo of Niagara Falls – hit some of the smaller Niagara County tributaries recently and they reported a couple feet of visibility with low water. They connected on some decent brown trout using jigs. Some fish are starting to show up in the tributaries, but overall guide Scott Feltrinelli of Ontario Fly Outfitters has been disappointed in the numbers of fish. Dark colors on cloudy days work best as they silhouette against the sky well when a fish looks up at the moving object. Also, baitfish (all fish) reflect light. On a low light day (cloudy), baitfish look darker in color due to less reflected light. Dark flies on dark days; Light flies on lighter/sunny days insists Feltrinelli. Lake casters should start to see some action at the piers soon, too. Wilson, Olcott and the Oak are all good spots to cast a spoon or a spinner. Other smaller tributaries are at medium and slightly stained. Steelhead should be spread through the waterways and reports of a few browns are coming in, too.
In the lower Niagara River, the steelhead bite has gotten better than it has been all winter reports Capt. Connor Cinelli of Grand Island. It has been more of a minnow bite than an egg bite, and best spots have been Artpark and Devil’s Hole. The Niagara Bar has been picky but decent whenever anglers can get out there. Capt. Ryan Shea of Brookdog Fishing Company has been picking off some steelhead using live minnows and orange 10 mm beads. Water conditions have been good for boaters. Tyler Cane of Randolph had the surprise of his life when he caught a big brown trout – his first ever – fishing with his brother and Capt. Frank Campbell on the Niagara Bar this week. He is hooked! Meanwhile, shore casters have been struggling a bit according to Mike Ziehm of Niagara Falls. He hit the river Monday morning at 6 a.m. and was rewarded with one steelhead on a white with orange dot #4 spinner. However, he didn’t connect again until he left at noon. Steelhead numbers seem to be down. Water clarity below the NYPA power plant was 3 feet and 5 feet plus above the power plant upriver. There was no ice in the lower river at the time, but ice will fluctuate with the winds and direction on Lake Erie. The March full moon on Friday combined with rain could help pull some more steelhead into the lower river according to Ziehm.
Upper river action for lake trout was good this past week. Walleye season is now closed throughout the state. Happy St. Patty’s Day!
Oswego County
Report is Courtesy of the Oswego County Department of Community Development, Tourism and Planning
Lake Ontario Report
With the warm spell we are seeing lots of Anglers on the lake, mostly targeting nearshore brown trout. You can find a full list of charters at visitoswegocounty.com/charters.
Anglers are experiencing mixed results, but most days the fish have been cooperative. The best technique this time of year is running planer boards or shallow diving stick baits. The bright color baits work the best in murky water.
We’ve seen plenty of cookie cutter browns with a few bigger ones in the mix. The best baits are Smithwicks, Bayrats and stingers spoons. Fire tiger, frogs, mongoose, and black and silver w/ orange belly have been great as well.
Please note that as of today, the boat launch at Wright’s Landing is still blocked off from reaching the lake due to a recent oil spill in the Harbor. Please consider looking at other options to launch. The Mexico State boat launch is a good option.
Salmon River Report:
Click Here to see the CFS at Pineville
The CFS at Pineville was at 1170 as of this morning. Water temperatures remain in the mid-30s. This week’s report is provided by Joe Sicherman of Sich’s Guide service. Find him online at: joesichguideservice.com
The fishing on the Salmon River is up and down with the runoff and changes in water levels, most anglers are working hard for bites.
There are steelhead spread out through the river. We’re seeing a mixture of pre-spawn, spawning, and spawned out fish. The last two weeks we’ve seen an increase in fresh fish entering the system, which has improved the fishing because they are typically more willing to bite.
Overall, timing, location, and presentation are the keys to success. The bead fishing on the Salmon River has been doing well, with egg sacs and pink worms taking bites. Fly fisherman are seeing success on pink squirmy worms, and stone fly patterns suspended under an indicator. Both bright and natural colors are working. We recommend changing your bait regularly until you find a winner. This technique can make all the difference this time of year.
As water temps continue to increase, we will see more active fish. However, the spawning fish will often be “tight-liped.” Keep this in mind when selecting spots on the river. Tight lines!
Oswego River Report
Click Here to see the CFS at Oswego River
The Oswego has been very high this season, limiting fishing.
Anglers are still seeing fish on the west side above the powerhouse. Fishing jigs, beads and egg sacs under floats has been the most productive.
The lower Oswego behind the hotels has been the place to be. It’s producing trout and even walleye. Casting swim baits has been the best technique to trigger bites. Please keep in mind that walleye season closed on March 15th.
Year-Round Notice: There are mandatory personal flotation device zones on the river. Visit visitoswegocounty.com for more information. The Oswego Fire Department offers loaner life jackets at no charge through its “Loaner for Life” program. For more information contact the east fire station by calling 315-343-2161 or Click here for the Brookfield Varick Fish Safely brochure.
Wayne County Fishing Update
Chris Kenyon
Streams
Maxwell Creek has a great flow and there are some steelhead in the pools. Use fresh egg sacs. Bay Bridge Sport Shop on the south end of Sodus Bay has bait.
This is the time of year when the steelhead enter Lake Ontario, however a few are in the smaller streams in Wayne County.
Lake Ontario tributary regulations
Three fish in combination and not to include more than one Rainbow Trout (or Steelhead) and One Brown Trout.
Bays
There is no safe ice anywhere…period. Don’t try to fish the middle of the bays because you need to walk on and off and the shoreline ice is breaking -up.
The Port Bay channel is open to the lake and in the bay there is open water south to Graves Point. As soon as the ice has melted the perch fishing will be great.
Currently, you cannot drive the barrier road to the outlet because the road is covered with solid ice.
Perch fishing from the boat will also be excellent after ice-out. Temperatures are headed towards high 60’s this week so let’s watch the ice disappear.
The pike season ends today Tuesday, March 15th.
The limit on perch is 50 fish with no minimum length.
Remember you need to be wearing your PFD until May 1st.
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
Nothing happening on the canal, however the ice at Widewaters should be gone by this week. Springtime crappie fishing under the Port Gibson Bridge will be the place to be.
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:
Another dose of that spring feeling is in the air on a slight warmup forecast for this week! Chance of only rain showers with temps approaching 50°F+ on select days. There’s slightly cooler forecast for the upcoming weekend and hopefully the serious cold is a goner! Definitely breaking toward Spring so get those cold water steelhead drifts in while you can.
Flows in the Oak are responding nicely to a few days of previous cold with dropping and clearing – an honest notch or so less (slightly high) then the previous wide open turbine flows with overflow levels diminished. Water color is real nice at slightly stained 2 ft of visibility so drift chances for now are the best they’ve been so far this late winter/early spring period.
Hook ups on some fresh fish are coming a little easier then the previous few weeks – check out the latest catch pic below. Water temps are moving thru the mid and into the high 30’s°F and look for 40°F-ish+ as the weather warms. Lake Alice ice cover is probably days away from going away. Look for flows maintained around the slightly high/slightly stained for now. Drying out weather could lead to lower medium – ish or wetter weather could lead to higher/dirtier. Other area smaller tribs are at medium and slightly stained.
Steelhead should be spread thru the waterways and reports of a few fresh, silver browns too. We’re already hearing of small boat civilian trollers on the near shore Lake Ontario waters having success so casters at the pier heads should be able to get in on that action too. Point Breeze/Orleans County/east side boat launch is still closed while construction is hopefully soon to wrap up. West side state launch slated to open ASAP. The Olcott pier project is completed for land lubbers there to get back out there or the Oak Orchard piers.