Greater Niagara Region
Frank Campbell
Capt. Joe Srouji of Angler Edge Charters reports that Lower Niagara River bass and walleye continue to be good to very good using 3-way rigs with crayfish or minnows for bass and worm harnesses for walleye. The occasional lake trout and steelhead are showing up in the upper drifts of the lower river. Up in Devil’s Hole, king salmon are still cooperating for boat drifters and casters from shore. According to Capt. Frank Campbell of Lewiston, treated egg skein fished off three-way rigs is still the ticket for catching kings, but the salmon numbers are on the backside of prime time.
Shore guys like Mike Rzucidlo and Mike Ziehm, both of Niagara Falls, are continuing to do well, but it has been more of a mixed bag for them as they cast No. 4 and No. 5 spinners. Water clarity has been good, sitting around 5-foot. Ziehm prefers pearl white with chartreuse for blade colors. He also uses white and silver bucktail jigs. Rzucidlo likes silver with chartreuse for his spinners. As part of the mixed bag, Mike and Mike have been catching kings and Cohos, browns, steelhead, walleye, and bass. Even lake trout are starting to show up for their river spawning ritual, but that season is closed so don’t target them. It’s tough to keep them away though.
Karen Evarts at the Boat Doctors Tackle Barn in Olcott reports that fish are stacked off the mouth of 18 Mile Creek right out front of the creek and up the creek into the harbor. Pier fishing was good for the entire weekend. J13 Rapalas and other stickbaits, spoons, sacs and skein are all working to take fish. In the creek, beads and skein are working. At the dam, use sacs, wooly buggers, flies, and beads for catching fish. Bruce Kowalski of TAAR Outdoors in Lake View reports a good number of browns at Burt Dam on 18 Mile Creek south of Olcott, but the salmon numbers have been light so far. The best is yet to come.
Both the Salmon and Walleye schools are now open for registration with the Greater Niagara Fishing and Outdoor Expo, set for Feb. 15 to 18, 2024 at the Niagara Falls Convention Center. Don’t delay registering. The Salmon School sells out every year and there’s a good chance that the Walleye School will do the same as the word gets out about the quality of this educational effort. Check out www.niagarafishingexpo.com for details.
Wayne County Fishing Update
Chris Kenyon
Lake Ontario
A strong north wind blew over the weekend. This pushed cold water onshore and some browns entered the bays. Fish the channels to Port and Sodus Bay.
Try Hughes’ Marina for some brown trout action.
Streams
It has been a very slow start to October’s stream angling. Maxwell has no flow and although the creek is open to Lake Ontario it’s only a trickle.
The perfect scenario for autumn fishing is having a great flow from the streams. The kings enter and the steelhead and browns follow trying to find the fresh eggs. We need rain for that to happen.
The lake effect rain we received for the last two days has been bleak…leaving no precipitation for streams.
Bays
Port Bay has seen perch action on the east side of the bay. The south DEC ramp is the perfect place to launch.
When the northern wind gives up, fish the channel for perch, bass and suspending crappies.
The Sodus Bay bass are biting along the shoreline next to the weeds. They are hitting worm rigs, and spinnerbaits.
With less recreational boaters, you’ll have the bay to yourself. There are no 3-foot boat wakes until next summer.
Erie Canal
The bass at Widewaters are putting on the feeding bags this time of year. They will chomp on a variety of baits, Fish the south side of the canal. This section of the canal is never drained so you have a large area between locks for casting.
Bait for fishing is available on the south end of Sodus at Davenports and Bay Bridge Sport Shop.
On Port Bay Jarvis Bait Farm is open on Brown Road. The signs are on East Port Bay Road at the junction of Brown Road.
Toadz Bait is near the end of West Port Bay Road.
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.
Orleans County
Orleans County Sportfishing Coordinator Ron Bierstine:
There are good flows in the Oak at something between med to slightly high. Flows are mostly clear and that consistency in flows continues to encourage good King migrations. Probably near peak for salmon action with fish spread thru the upper reaches from the dam to the downstream frog water. Flows a little higher then last year may be providing more water cover then some anglers are used to but King numbers are pretty strong. There are a few fish beginning to show signs of wear but for the most part there are not many fish with loose eggs yet. Spawning then has yet to ramp up to peak. That upcoming peak in spawning should bring on more brown trout migrations. Frog water drifts should have good water movement thanks to the good head of upstream water and relatively lower Lake levels. Fishing pressure is peaking too with the normal crowding at the dam and now fly and float guys working the fast water downstream. There are still some casting guys working the rivermouth area. Definitely hearing of more mixed bag action with brown trout hook ups coming on and some Atlantic and steelhead action too. Check out the nice brown trout David M. recently hooked on the Oak in the pic above.
Other area smaller waterways like Johnson and Sandy both up in flows over the past few days thanks to an additional push of Canal feed. For anglers looking to spread out away from the Oak pressure there are reports of better action now on those waterways and the bump up in flows should drive upstream migrations of Kings and browns. Look for agreeable weather thru the mid week, cool temps at night and warming up near 60 F for the day. No significant precipitation in the near forecast, next chance of rain and/or cooler temps are for this weekend.
Archer’s Club Stream Fishing is OPEN
Just a reminder that St. Mary’s Archers Club is now open to the public until Nov. 12th, 2023. Parking is $10. No food service or fishing derby this year. Fishing is still permitted from the immediate bankside areas of the Archers Club on any date not included in the public access dates – as long as access is from permitted access points like at the Waterport Dam or the Park Avenue Fishing Trail. Please be respectful for the use of the club.
Oswego County
Salmon River, Pulaski NY
• Click Here of the 10 day Forecast
• Click Here for the Current CFS at Pineville
This past week there was a large influx of steelhead with a few browns entering the river. There are still a good number of kings in the upper river. Concentrate your efforts on gravel and spawning areas. The lower river has the largest concentrations of trout. But they have also made their way to the lower flyzone.
Steelhead have been spread out in all of the normal spots. But deeper fast water downstream of spawning salmon is the best place to put in effort.
Target trout with salmon egg imitations.
- Beads in Tangerine, all in, Ontario-roe, Buzz-in, and UV Orange.
- Glo Bugs, and Estaz flies in natural colors.
Oswego River, Oswego NY
• Click Here of the 10 day Forecast
• Click Here for the Current CFS
Plenty of kings are still hanging around, with fresh kings still entering the system.
With the river temperatures dropping, the plug bite has really picked up! Deep diving Thundersticks in Firetiger, Mustard Flash and Hot Tiger have been best.
Trout are also starting to show up in the fast water, right behind the spawning salmon. Target them with 8 and 10mm beads in natural colors. Egg sacs are also effective, especially in white, chartreuse, and pink.
Tight Lines!
Note: Click here to see a map of the areas that are closed due to construction.
Women’s Fishing Event – Oneida Lake. Sat. 10/21
Are you a woman that would like to learn more about walleye fishing?
Join New York Sea Grant (NYSG) and Cornell University scientists for a hands-on walleye fishing seminar. Learn walleye fishing basics, safety, and fish biology. Fishing poles and gear provided for use at the event, but you’re welcome to bring your own as well. Please complete the registration form to reserve your spot (limited to 15 participants). For questions or assistance registering, contact Stacy Furgal at SLF85@cornell.edu, or by phone at (315) 234-1329.
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.