Greater Niagara Region
Frank Campbell
Fishing continues to be difficult in the lower Niagara River and part of the problem could be the large amount of bait present. The big news this week is that the smelt are in according to Lisa Drabczyk at Creek Road Bait and Tackle in Lewiston. Night dipping is taking place along Artpark and Lewiston. Smelt may be taken by using any size dip net, but the daily limit is 8 quarts. There are some bass that are hitting, a few lake trout, some steelhead and brown trout, and an occasional king or Coho on the bar. For the most part it has been slow. Shore guys are still casting spoons and spinners to take some trout from Artpark to Devil’s Hole. The NYPA fishing platform is producing a few fish. Mike Ziehm of Niagara Falls had a banner day on big steelhead this week, including a personal best 17-plus pound male in the gorge. Every fish was caught on a chartreuse No. 5 spinner. He had 4 to 5 feet of visibility. In the upper Niagara River, Capt. Ryan Shea of Tonawanda enjoyed catching some smallmouth bass. Bass were caught on swim baits, blade baits, and the classic white Mr. Twister in 3.5-inch size. Denis Kreze of Fort Erie, Ontario caught bass and lake trout in the upper river, too. Venom baits did the trick.
For Lake Ontario, the past week allowed for some decent salmon and trout fishing from the Niagara Bar to Olcott in 40 to 80 feet of water according to Roy Letcher of Burt. A few king salmon have been caught, as well as a few Coho salmon and lake trout. On the shoreline, brown trout, steelhead and the occasional king are also being reported. Bullhead, perch and browns were being caught off the piers in Wilson and Olcott. Sticks and spoons are the best lures for all the trout and salmon. Minnows and worms are best for panfish. Remember that pike and walleye both open on May 1 starting this year.
Oswego County
Lake Ontario Report
Click Here of the 10 day Forecast
Lake conditions have been constantly changing this week. But, the fishing has been good!
Planer boards with shallow diving stickbaits and spoons have continued to be the most productive technique. Bright colored baits have been working well in the dirty water. With naturals producing in the clearer patches.
Our best baits this week have been stickbaits in blue/silver, Citric shad , and black/silver. Standard Stingers in: Black widow, doctor, Uv diehard and Lances 2 face have been great!
Trolling speeds of 2.2-2.7 mph have performed the best.
Salmon River Report
Click Here to see the CFS at Pineville
The flow has been consistent this week. And water temperatures have been on the drop this week into the low 40’s
The fishing this week started on fire. But slowed a bit with the cooler temps. With a warm trend coming up, the steelhead should go back on the feed.
Fish have been found from the fly zone all the way to the lake. The key right now is to cover water and find active pods as they’re constantly moving. Best baits are egg imitators as Steelhead are picking up on the last of the dropping eggs.
Oswego River Report
Click Here to see the CFS on the Oswego River
We have seen the flows come down on the Oswego the last couple days only to rise after the snow melt off this week. The water temp has also plummeted due to snowmelt. It was approaching the 50* mark.
If you looking to make a trip to the river, anglers are catching fish on the west side above the powerhouse, fishing jigs, beads and egg sacs under floats.
The lower Oswego behind the hotels has been the place productive as well This time of year it will produce trout and walleye. Casting swim baits has been the best technique to trigger bites.
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
Lake Ontario
The relentless wind continues making it a bumpy fishing trip on the lake. The only positive outcome is the stained water. Wayne County has many drumlin shorelines which creates plenty of mud in the lake. Troll in and out of the stained water in 10 to 20 fow using Michigan Stingers off the boards back 100 feet.
Bay Rats are the favorite stickbaits running off the riggers.
The browns have been hitting east of Sodus to Port Bay. The hits are also coming from Hughes’ Marina west to the power plant.
Water temps in Wayne County have been 42 to 45 degrees.
The Coast Guard Station launch is open at Sodus Point. The Bear Creek launch will not be opened until Memorial Day.
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 perch are spawning and not ready for food. Usually, they swim out of the bays into the lake, however lately there has been plenty of baitfish in Sodus and Port Bay so the fish stay put.
If warmer temps come (today it’s 34 degrees outside) the bullheads will start to bite. Crappies and bullheads can be caught from Bay Bridge, the south end of Sodus Bay.
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
Fishing has been slow on the Erie Canal. Just like the bays water temps need to warm for the panfish to bite.
The 2022 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 2022 canal hours. 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 cold snap! Cold temps today with highs around 40°F. Windy too, with rain showers but at least no snow from the latest storm here on the WNY Lake Ontario Plain. We got some rain last night but not enough to effect any great change in trib flows. Think something like flows going from low to not so low. We’ll be back to more seasonable temps for mid and end of the week with a chance of showers Thursday. Warmer temps near 70°F are in the forecast for the weekend.
One positive for the continued cold weather is trib water temps have not spiked high yet. So with light angling pressure in the Oak, a few dropbacks, spawners and fresh fish have been encountered in the low and clear flows. One angler, for the beginning part of this week, reported good action. The lower flows will concentrate the available fish in a few good lies or gravel spots. I’m not hearing a lot from the other area smaller waterways but you can bet patient anglers could find some drop-back action or a few fresh browns or steelhead in the lower reaches. There are miles of water for fish to be dropping back from compared to about only a short mile of Oak water. On the backside of this latest cold weather and accompanying wind, the landlubber casters and small boat trollers and small boat casters should be able to get back on those nearshore brown trout in semi-stained water while the cooler water and bait hangs around.