Greater Niagara Region
Frank Campbell
The water was dirty heading into this week with the recent weather change according to Capt. Frank Campbell of Lewiston. Fish are spread throughout the river with steelhead at Artpark and Devil’s Hole. They are being taken on a mix of eggs, minnows, and MagLip plugs, all fished off three-way rigs. Lake trout are still in decent numbers in Devil’s Hole on minnows. Walleyes are starting to become a little finicky as spawning is getting closer. Some fish are still available on minnows and jigs. Brown trout are being caught on the downriver drifts with minnows being the best bait to target them. Browns and lakers are still cooperating in the Niagara Bar area on a mix of minnows, jigs, and MagLips. Browns outnumber lake trout most days. A big surprise recently is the number of smallmouth bass being caught all over the river. Probably the earliest I can remember in terms of numbers of fish and biting throughout the river. Campbell caught bass in early March before but never consistently. While trying to catch walleye this past week he couldn’t keep the bass off. He caught 15 bass mixed in with a few browns and lakers mixed in. Action for bass was also good on the upper river last week with a few walleyes around, too.
Jeff Barker of Barker Outdoors in Youngstown was fishing from shore in his home town with his kids and a friend this week in the lower river. While using a green/white 2.25-ounce Little Cleo, he tied into a 5.5-pound smallmouth bass, a personal best. The next day they came back with the kids to use some minnows they had caught in a trap to catch rock bass and gobies.
Speaking of a personal best, Jacob Thomason of Youngstown was working a Keitech swim bait in the lower river from a boat and he managed to reel in a personal best walleye this past week, tipping the scales at 14.5 pounds. Wow! Another big personal best walleye was hauled in by Conner Duncan of Newfane. He caught a 10-pound walleye out of the Erie Canal this week in one of the dewatered sections east of Lockport. He was using a rubber worm. Remember walleye season closes on March 15.
In the tributaries, Tanner Niezgoda of Newfane reports action has been very good lately in places like 18 Mile Creek. It seems early but he thinks the run came early this year. He saw a big run of fish come in and spawn out already. It will be interesting to see how the rest of the month goes. Smaller streams are all low and clear, in need of some precipitation.
Capt. Joe Oakes of Salmonboy Charters reports he did well on brown trout over the weekend out in the lake and 10 feet of water was his best depth trolling out of Wilson. He was using a mix of sticks and spoons. The coldest water he found was 39.8 degrees and the warmest was 43.5 degrees. It sounds like it’s on.
Wayne County Fishing Update
Chris Kenyon
Lake Ontario
The weekend (Plus Monday) blow is over. Gusty north-west winds (50mph) rolled the waves into the pier at Sodus Point. Currently it’s a calm lake.
The mudlines should be great for the next few days. From Sodus, troll west to Maxwell Creek and Hughes’ Marina.
The browns should be close to shore with warmer water. Use your favorite stickbait and fish in 10 to 15 fow. The Rochester water temperature on Tuesday morning was 39 degrees.
Bays
The wind kept boats off the bays the last couple of days. It’s now calm so launch those boats.
Perch were being caught in Port and Sodus Bays. Fish the points at both bays. The Sodus perch were being caught between the islands and near the northern breach. Use shad rubber, 2 inches, and tip it with perch eyes or spikes.
Pike season ends this Friday and will resume May1st.
Launch sites for Sodus: Next to the Coast Guard Station and Bay Bridge Sport Shop. The water level in Sodus might make the Margarita dock an easier launch site. Check it out. It’s on your right on Route 14 just past Martin’s Marina.
Launch sites for Port Bay: Barrier bar road at the north end of West Port Bay Road and the south end DEC site.
Fish in pairs for safety and remember the docks next to DEC’s sites are not in the water.
Pike season closes March 15th.
Erie Canal
Launching at Widewaters gives you the opportunity to fish east or west…the most water between locks.
Crappies and panfish appear to be the favorite of anglers either fishing from the shore or a water vessel.
Suspend a bright jig off the bottom to catch crappies. Under the Port Gibson Bridge has always produced crappies.
The bass are huge at Widewaters. The season starts June 15th if you wish to keep your catch.
The official opening of the canal is May 17. 2024.
Anyone underway in a boat less than 21 feet in length anytime between November 1 and May 1 must wear a securely fastened life jacket.
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:
The past weekend’s weather and precipitation wasn’t enough to change trib flows. Rainfall and snow was minimal here on the WNY Lake Ontario Plain. Greater accumulations were south of here. For now, flows in the Oak are low and clear and the other area smaller waterways are just a little less low at something like moderate and slightly stained. Trib water temps have at least for now fell back or stalled from what was a warming trend. There’s a bit of a mid week weather warmup forecast with chance of rain end of week and then cooling down again for the weekend. Chance of colder temps prevailing thru some part of next week. Looks like the nice warm temps today and calming winds have perked up the angling pressure on the Oak with anglers parked at the Waterport dam and downstream at the Park Ave Ext.
Careful long and light float drifts should find some fish in the holes and downstream frog water. Anglers are making some careful swings to spawning fish in the riffles too. Look for low trib and likewise low big Lake Ontario levels for now. GL’s basin wide low precipitation and light snowpack are not raising Lake Ontario levels as a typical spring. Anglers are out on the Point Breeze piers casting the near shore waters primarily for brown trout and no doubt some small boat trollers are shaking down too. There’s good looking semi stained water now after a couple days of stiff winds. That’s the game on the spring nearshore big Lake Ontario waters for best success – trying to find that tasty green water! Nearshore water temps are flirting with 40°F already.
Show Season Schedule
Stop by any of these shows, pick up our travel guides and mini calendar when you introduce yourself to the Orleans County Tourism staff at the following outdoor shows over the next few months:
- Connecticut Fishing & Outdoor Show – Mohegan Sun Earth Expo Center, CT • March 22- 24, 2024
Oswego County
The steelhead spawn is well under way. But the lake season is also upon us.
Salmon River, Pulaski NY
• Click Here of the 10 day Forecast
• Click Here for the Current CFS at Pineville
Spawning nests have been spotted all over the river. And the numbers of post spawn fish are at a high. Please try not to disturb spawning fish. Instead, concentrate on the slower, deep spots, downstream from traditional spawning gravel.
The best baits have been egg sacs in blue, peach and white. The reliable pink worm continues to take plenty of fish as well. The bead bite has picked up. We recommend natural color beads in 8&10mm. Lastly, bottom bouncers continue to be extremely successful.
A few bank anglers are seeing success by deploying side planers and plugs.
Oswego River, Oswego NY
• Click Here of the 10 day Forecast
• Click Here for the Current CFS
Water levels have been a rollercoaster this winter! We are back to high levels, so use caution.
Temperatures have increased too. So, look for spawning steelhead, or else head downstream to find fresh browns coming in from the lake. Plus, plenty of bonus smallmouth bass!
Remember that walleye season closes March 15.
Tight Lines!
Lake Ontario – Lake Ontario – Oswego, Mexico, Port Ontario NY
Click Here of the 10 day Forecast
With the warmer than usual winter, more anglers have been getting out on the lake early.
Brown trout are plentiful this time of year and they tend to be very active. What they may lack in size, they make up for in numbers.
Book your spring charter on Lake Ontario today; the fish are here and growing! Check out our directory of charters and guides.
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.
Welcome to Oswego County – Watch the Video
Discover more at visitoswegocounty.com
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