Greater Niagara Region
Frank Campbell
Congratulations to all the winners in this year’s 48th Annual Greater Niagara Fish Odyssey Derby. For two years in a row now, the $2,500 Grand Prize came from the Carp Division and Dan Kelsey of Alexander was the lucky winner.
The hard easterly winds resulted in a lake temperature flip and the main lake is a little tough to figure out right now unless you seek out more stable water out deep. The temperature inversion did bring some salmon into the tributaries and pier action was decent off Olcott. Very little action was reported at Burt Dam, but they were seeing decent numbers of river kings at Devil’s Hole.
One of those pier fishermen at Olcott was Mike Erdt of Williamsville and he hit brown trout up to 10 pounds before the lake flipped using a KO Wobbler casting spoon. After the temperatures went wonky, he caught his first salmon on a firetiger stickbait while casting off Olcott. With the help of some increased water flow from the Erie Canal, it should only get better. Look out if we see a cold rain. It will be game on! There is no rain in the forecast.
The temperature inversion in the lake forced a decent pod of kings up the river and Devil’s Hole was the place to be according to Capt. Frank Campbell of Lewiston. Treated egg skein or Mag Lips fished off three-way rigs will take fish, making sure to get your bait near the bottom. Casting with stickbaits could also catch fish like salmon, bass, and walleye. Boat drifters have been averaging 4 to 5 salmon a trip, but you can do better on certain days. Shore anglers are still doing well in the gorge casting spinners.
Tommy Holycross of Wheatfield reports walleye and bass are still around in good numbers and chartreuse and/or blue worm harnesses are working best. The salmon are finally being caught in good numbers at the NYPA Fishing Platform, too. Modified Carolina rigs with a twister tail are working best currently. The occasional steelhead and brown trout are also being caught on beads. Bruce Kowalski with TAAR Outdoors confirmed what we had been saying that salmon are at Devil’s Hole, the NYPA platform, and Artpark. His guys are floating skein, as well as casting larger spoons and spinners. Oct. 1 begins the closed season for lake trout in the lower Niagara River and Lake Ontario. If you do catch one, handle them with care and get them right back into the water. The season will reopen Dec. 1.
Capt. Chris Cinelli of Grand Island reports that bass fishing has been excellent in the upper river. Just about anywhere he fishes he is doing well, such as above Strawberry Island, and next to Motor Island. Outside of Donnelly’s wall on the flat has been good for bigger bass. The fish have transitioned over to shiners according to Cinelli. He is also getting a few walleyes outside the “Fish Market” area as well. Matt Wilson of Lewiston couldn’t fish Lake Erie Sunday, but he did well in the upper river on bass almost every drift he tried in the south end of the river due to the wind. Most fish were caught on single swimbaits, and Ned rigs. Things are changing quickly, and he notes that those fall patterns are kicking in. You can fish as shallow as 14 feet and as deep as 30 feet.
Orleans County
Orleans County Sportfishing Coordinator Ron Bierstine:
By September standards and a recent dry period, the salmon action is pretty good. We are in the midst of some daily lite – med NE or E winds which has turned the near shore Lake Ontario waters cool. Those winds are forecast thru most of this week with mostly sunny skies and continued no precipitation. If we are seeing a slight lull in migrations its probably because the first movement of Kings from the start of those NE/E winds has spread out thru the Oak and now most recently fish are moving upstream in smaller numbers with as many or more pushed back off shore from the colder near shore waters.
After a somewhat wet summer, this so far early Fall period has turned a little dry so we can be thankful for the Erie Canal water feed like in the Oak and Sandy that is keeping those waterways at good fishable flows and allowing migrations. At Point Breeze, the pier casters are doing good with the typical larger size glow spoons at night and plugs and spoons during daylight. Good number of hook-ups reported end of the past weekend and as recent as this morning. There has been browns hooked too along with the salmon. Mostly rec trollers and anchored up or drifting casters are also in on the 10 – 20 fow action around the river mouth. Boaters and casters will look for winds to make nice water color but not too much that makes for crashing waves or rollers.
So far, I’ve seen med numbers of fish in the downriver staging spots like at the Bridges with a handful seen crashing around at dusk last night. Still plenty of river between there and upstream fast water that only a few people will lay eyes on so no doubt there are fish spread out there too. At the dam, there’s been med to steady action with not a crush of people just yet. All the fish there have come thru the downstream fast water stretches at some point but we have not heard much yet from the drifters and swingers from that stretch of water like around the Archers Club. Nice weather, fishable flows, salmon present from the river mouth to the dam, a few browns mixed in, so far just med angling pressure and lots of good fishing yet ahead – what could be better for the start of the tributary fishing action?!
Oswego County
Salmon River, Pulaski NY
• Click Here of the 10 day Forecast
• Click Here for the Current CFS at Pineville
There have been a few good pushes this week, but we are still waiting for the big push! Many of the salmon that are here, have begun the spawning process.
The Pineville to town stretch has been productive. The mouth of trout brook has been holding plenty of fish too, since they cannot travel up the creek. Other good spots are deep shaded pools like the glass and snagging pool.
The best baits this time of year are flies in egg patterns or comets. Rubber egg imitations and foam eggs are always productive too.
Another fun and rewarding way to get salmon to bite is running a side planer/ plug combo. M2 flatfish and K13&14 Kwikfish are the baits of choice.
Note: anglers should be aware of the construction at the Trestle Pool. The south side has been flattened out and the middle pillar has been removed.
Oswego River
• Click Here of the 10 day Forecast
• Click Here for the Current CFS
After last week’s big push, few new fish have been entering the river this week.
There are still a good number of fish in the flats and decent numbers at the dam. Fishing from the high wall has been tough as not a lot of fish are staying in the channel. Most of the fish that are being caught have been on stick baits, with some anglers doing well simply floating skein.
Note: Public access is temporarily limited, but the river is open.
Lake Ontario – Oswego County
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The lake bite has become tough, since it flipped with the East and NE winds. Although lots of fish have entered the rivers, the traffic has also lightened up. The boats staying on the lake have reported kings and coho from 10 feet all the way out to 100. Temperatures are 42 degrees, down in the 20-30’ range.
Note: This is the last report of the season for Lake Ontario. Check back with us early spring, 2024!
Free Oswego Fishing Guide
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