Greater Niagara Region
Frank Campbell
If you are planning on going fishing some time soon, you better do it quickly. There is another winter storm blowing in late Thursday, with both rain and wind. It will be followed by snow, wind, and frigid temperatures in the teens. Winds could reach as high as 70 mph.
Lower Niagara River action had been good last weekend, but things changed quickly because of the weather. Mike Ziehm of Niagara Falls reports that the river was already dirty on Sunday from the sustained west winds over Lake Erie Saturday night. The visibility was horrible upstream. It started at 2 feet visibility in the early morning, and he watched it slowly reduce to 1-foot to 6 inches by 3 p.m. Ziehm says that there is a ton of bait fish in the river again. He managed to hook up with 5 trout and landed 2 steelhead, on all vibrant color mixes of No. 4 spinners in orange and chartreuse, pink and chartreuse, and red and chartreuse. High water levels in the river will also be a byproduct of those strong winds so be careful out there if you try fishing from shore in the gorge. Capt. Ryan Shea with the Brookdog Fishing Company did well when he fished the lower river, catching steelhead, brown trout, lake trout, bass, and walleye. His most successful enticement was minnows for all those species this past week. If you can’t get out today or tomorrow, you may have to wait until next week.
Speaking of walleyes, remember that there will be a reduced daily limit on walleyes in the lower Niagara River that will be going into effect on Jan. 1st – one fish per person. That changes every year to help protect the big spawning females in the winter. A shout out to Denis Kreze of Fort Erie, Ontario. He was fishing the lower Niagara River this past week near the Niagara Bar and hooked into a personal best brown trout that tipped the scales at 28 pounds. It was released to fight another day.
It was a good end to the musky season last week and Capt. Hans Mann of Buffalo Harbor Outfitters caught some good ones, including another 46-inch fish by Justin Jackson of Binghamton on the final day in Buffalo Harbor. If you would like to see some videos of these amazing fish he caught this fall, check out the YouTube channel that Mann is starting up to share with his fellow anglers. Be sure to subscribe.
Not too much to report on the tributaries of Lake Ontario. We will probably see a significant amount of rain Thursday into Friday before the cold winds arrive so when things settle down look for some fresh fish entering the systems. Karen Evarts at the Boat Doctors in Olcott says there are some steelhead in the creeks with a very few brown trout. Wax worms and jigs are working best. Capt. Bob’s Outdoors in Clarence will be starting its winter derby on Jan. 2.
Wayne County Fishing Update
Chris Kenyon
Streams
There are a few pockets of open water on Maxwell Creek, however colder temps predicted will close some of the pools on the south side of Lake Road.
The steelhead are in the creek if you can find open water. Use anything bright for the trout…beads, egg sacs, flies, and jigs.
Keep next to the Coast Guard Station if you are pier fishing at Sodus. Ice build-up on the pier will be treacherous.
Lake Ontario tributary regulations:
Three fish in combination and not to include more than one Rainbow Trout (or Steelhead) and One Brown Trout.
Bays
Transition time continues but….it will be a cold Christmas weekend. If the winds are not too harsh, we will be making ice. Parts of Sodus have iced over, however open water is at the north end of the bay.
When we do have safe ice, the perch will dominate the targeted species. And they are in the bays.
The channel at Port Bay opened because of the wind gusts a few days ago. That will make the bay dropped 12 to 14 inches.
The south end has a skim of ice, however nothing safe. Again…the perch are in the bays. Autumn fishing was excellent for the tasty fish.
Get your ice shanty and gear ready. Check your ice fishing boots for any mice. Ha ha ha.
When we get ice use a sinker on the bottom and tie your hook up around 12 to 14 inches. Try anything white because of the abundance of shad in the bays. Make sure your spikes are fresh.
Bait for ice fishing is available on the south end of Sodus at Davenports and Bay Bridge Sport Shop.
On Port Bay Jarvis bait shop is open on Brown Road. The signs are on East Port Bay Road at the junction of Brown Road.
Erie Canal
The canal has a skim of ice and like the bays we will be waiting for safe condition to fish the hard water. The Widewaters section is a great place to set-up for perch, crappies, and bluegills.
Notable Freshwater Fishing Regulation Changes
The following list offers a summary of the most notable fishing regulation changes resulting from the adopted rulemakings described above.
- New statewide regulation for rainbow trout, brown trout, and splake in lakes and ponds. The season will now be open year-round, with a five-fish daily limit, any size, with a “no more than two longer than 12 inches” harvest rule.
- Statewide Atlantic salmon regulations will now allow for a year-round open season.
- Ice fishing is permitted on all waters in New York unless specifically prohibited with the exception of Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Hamilton, Herkimer, Lewis, St. Lawrence, Warren, and Washington counties where previous rules remain.
- New specific dates replaced floating dates for statewide season openers to include:
- May 1 – Walleye, Northern Pike, Pickerel, and Tiger Muskellunge.
- June 1 – Muskellunge. (Note that in 2022, DEC will allow for the fishing of muskellunge beginning the last Saturday in May to accommodate previously planned fishing trips);and
- June 15 – Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass.
- A five-fish daily walleye limit in Oneida Lake.
- A new regulation to limit the growth of the walleye population in Skaneateles Lake. No daily possession limit; 12-inch minimum size limit, open year-round.
- The statewide sunfish daily harvest limit has been reduced from 50 to 25 fish: and
- The statewide minimum size limit for crappie has been increased from nine inches to ten inches.
Oswego County
- December is a great month to fish for Steelhead as they put on the last big feed.
- We’ve seen a rise in water on the Oswego River – which typically leads to stellar fishing.
- The “high wall” in Oswego is starting to pick up again.
- Consider booking a guide. Click Here to find one in Oswego County.
- Order a free fishing guide
Salmon River
Click Here of the 10 day Forecast
The fishing on the Salmon River has been great this fall, and the last week has been no different. Fish have been holding in the typical winter spots, this has helped concentrate them. Remember as the temps drop so does a steelhead’s metabolism. This can lead to a sporadic bite throughout the day. If you’re in a good spot don’t give up; just keep working the area and regularly changing baits. The fish turn on and off more this time of year, so be patient.
With the colder temps, egg sacs have been our bait of choice. White, pink, and blue, being the most consistent colors. Other good baits are pink worms, jigs and the occasional bead fished under a float. These baits have been producing plenty of action.
Fly anglers have been finding success running stoneflies in a variety of colors, copper, blue and chartreuse. An egg sucking leech or woolly bugger in black or olive have been productive.
Next week, between the holidays is normally a busy time on the river. But the fishing is worth it. Steelhead are settled into the wintering holes and looking to eat.
Oswego River
Click Here of the 10 day Forecast
The fishing on the Salmon River has been great this fall, and the last week has been no different. Fish have been holding in the typical winter spots, this has helped concentrate them. Remember as the temps drop so does a steelhead’s metabolism. This can lead to a sporadic bite throughout the day. If you’re in a good spot don’t give up; just keep working the area and regularly changing baits. The fish turn on and off more this time of year, so be patient.
With the colder temps, egg sacs have been our bait of choice. White, pink, and blue, being the most consistent colors. Other good baits are pink worms, jigs and the occasional bead fished under a float. These baits have been producing plenty of action.
Fly anglers have been finding success running stoneflies in a variety of colors, copper, blue and chartreuse. An egg sucking leech or woolly bugger in black or olive have been productive.
Next week, between the holidays is normally a busy time on the river. But the fishing is worth it. Steelhead are settled into the wintering holes and looking to eat.
Steelhead Tips – Featuring All Season’s Sports
In this video Austin, of All Season’s Sports (Tackle Shop) in Pulaski, NY, gives us some Salmon River float fishing steelhead tips for both spinning rods and center pin. More information on Oswego County fishing is available here.
Contact info for All Seasons Sports Inc.
3733 NY-13,
Pulaski, NY 13142
(315) 298-6433
Don’t Miss Steelhead Fishing this Winter
The pilgrimage for Salmon River steelhead is a time-honored tradition once the cool winter temperatures come to Great Lake Ontario’s southeastern shores. After the salmon run, steelhead pour into the river for the winter, feeding and running upstream to spawn in the early spring. Unlike the lake’s salmon, steelhead make multiple spawn – ing runs in their lifetimes. The Salmon River’s steelhead season typically runs Novem – ber-April, depending on the temperatures and river conditions. During these months, fewer anglers are on the water and fishing pressure diminishes. Early season steelhead are aggressive and voracious as they pack on the pounds to help carry them through the winter. As they run upstream, they are the most fun you can have with a fishing rod in your hand. After spawning in late March and early April, the fish make a 180 degree turn and head downstream to the cooler waters of Lake Ontario. “Drop-back season,” as it’s known, is a wonderful time to be on the river, the fish are hungry and aggressive, chasing down any and all food to regain strength after spawning.
Powerful fighters no matter the season, feeling the thump-thump-thump of a headshaking 10-pound fish will warm any angler’s cold hands, moments before they start chasing their speeding prize downstream. Steelhead will happily eat a variety of lures, baits, and flies, which is why they are so beloved and sought after by a diverse group of anglers.
Steelhead have earned the nickname of “the Fish of 1,000 Casts” in many circles, but if you can find the fish and what they’re feeding on, we’re confident you can make them the fish of less than 100. Steelheading is not for the faint of heart, they run during the coldest, harshest months of the year, and solid preparation before your first trip out is absolutely key to making your adventure memorable for years to come.
To access the full article, Click Here.
Free Oswego Fishing Guide
Click Here to Order a Free Guide
The 68-page guide includes a detailed overview of fishing opportunities on eastern Lake Ontario, Oneida Lake, the Oswego and Salmon rivers and a variety of other tributaries, as well as the more than 40,000 acres of public lands available for hunting.