Greater Niagara Region
Frank Campbell
This is tournament week for the Skip Hartman Memorial Pro-Am Salmon Team Tournament out of Wilson and Olcott Friday and Saturday, so information is limited. It may be too late to sign up for the Pro-Am, but you can still fish in the Don Johannes/Pete DeAngelo Memorial Three-Fish/Big Fish Tournament on Thursday, May 30. Entry fee is $100 per boat and you can sign up until 6 a.m. the morning of the contest. Call Capt. Mike Johannes at (716) 523-1727 for more information. Look for more stable water out deep if you want to combat the transition taking place in the lake right now. The Niagara Bar was holding some salmon and trout, off the drop off in 150 to 250 feet of water with spoons and flasher-flies. A fair number of Coho salmon have been hanging around according to Capt. Nick Glosser with Team Thrillseeker. Another option was straight out of Olcott out to 400 feet of water. Again, it was primarily a spoon program with some fish also being taken on flasher-fly. Find the fish and then figure out what they want and how they want it as far as speed and direction. The current from wind and the Niagara River will play an important role in how your baits present themselves.
Moss is starting to become a problem in the lower Niagara River, but that doesn’t mean you can’t catch fish. Jesse Fox of Lewiston did well fishing with his dad Mike in the lower river by using dark green “pumpkin seed” Ned Rigs bounced along the bottom in and near the weeds. Capt. Dave Scipione of Lewiston reported that he fished from Artpark north to the mouth of the river and encountered moss that made it nearly unfishable. He made a last-ditch effort into Devil’s Hole and slammed 15 smallmouths, as well as a nice 23-inch walleye and a beautiful pair of late season steelhead. Capt. Frank Campbell of Lewiston reported that there are still a few trout hanging around the lower river. MagLips and live bait will entice a steelhead or lake trout to hit. Target bass in the deeper waters with Ned rigs or swimbaits.
Upcoming kids fishing derbies include:
June 8 – Pendleton Lions Club Kids Fishing Derby at West Canal Marine Park from 9 a.m. to noon. Free for youth including lunch and prizes.
June 15 – Wilson Conservation Club’s 39th Annual Kids Fishing Derby for youth ages 3 to 14 in any Niagara County waters from 8 a.m. to noon based on length. Measurements at the club by noon located at 2934 Wilson Cambria Road, Wilson. Awards to follow at 1 p.m. No registration required.
Wayne County Fishing Update
Chris Kenyon
Lake Ontario
The browns are in 30 to 50 fow west and east of Sodus Bay. Some nice sized fish were weighed at Davenport Marina over the Memorial Day weekend. Troll glow spoons and work the shoreline. If there is a mud line, troll in and out and vary your speed.
Out deeper in 100 to 300 fow some kings and cohos were hitting Stinger spoons…glow green. Moonshine Carbon 14 is another favorite lure.
Bays
June 15th is the bass opener for New York State. Sodus Bay will have largemouths around the docks and in any weed growth.
Currently, the rock bass are hitting in Sodus, however they are the smaller variety. The perch are scattered, but if you have the time, you can catch your limit. Use 2-inch shad bait or chartreuse grubs.
Over the weekend Port Bay had action with sunnies and bluegills.
Recreational boats have been docked after the holiday, so the water for fishing is quiet.
- Limits for northern pike are 5 fish 18 inch minimum.
- Limits for walleye are 5 fish 15 inch minimum.
Launch sites for Sodus: Next to the Coast Guard Station (till Memorial Day) and Bay Bridge Sport Shop. Check out the Margaretta site to see if you can launch there. 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.
Erie Canal
Now that the canal is opened you can fish the entire waterway. Widewaters is the best, however you can launch at Clyde, Lyons, Newark, Palmyra, and Macedon.
Kayak angling has become popular, and the Erie Canal is calm with little wind.
The bass season starts June 15th if you wish to keep your catch. Make sure the fish are 12 inches and the limit is five fish.
The official opening of the canal was May 17, 2024. The water level is back for the boating season given anglers more areas to fish.
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:
Courtesy of Capt. Bob Stevens
With a couple days previous of E and NE winds coupled with off and on storms, there hasn’t been much consistent boating action out of Point Breeze lately. Oh yeah, and there’s been more of that dreaded fog! Those who did make it out of the Oak through the past holiday weekend when the Lake conditions cooperated did have some fair action, but many are reporting “it’s a bit of a grind.” Still a chance of isolated or passing storms through early tomorrow, but the weather ahead looks clearing and more stable. The area is already back to prevailing W and SW winds which could help set things up for better consistency. Coldish water from those E winds has been lurking in the near shore and mid depth ranges but the prevailing winds should help take care of that.
Capt. B. Stevens of Sunrise Charters hasn’t been discouraged despite the challenges of the weather like the NE wind last Saturday and the fog Sunday. “Fishing remains okay, good not great and we’ve been fishing all week. The best bait picture and active fish are scattered from 80 – 300 fow. Pick your level and pound it out. Our fish were coming high and on a deep rigger 80 ft.” The Sunrise II has boated some lakers and mixed bag Kings including the good one Kelly P is holding in the pic below.
Capt. R. Hajecki of the Yankee Troller is ready to get back into them at Point Breeze. He says ” we’ve had a lot of E wind so the most consistent water is offshore. Three hundred to – 400 fow in the top 50 ft should be consistent. Also brown trout seem to be starting to set back up on the inside.”
Casters at the piers and upstream areas have caught both some nice smallmouths and pike. Looks like more action on bass then in a good many years. Tubes and crankbaits and jerk baits are all taking fish. Like the trout and salmon having learned how to feed and take advantage of the gobies, it may be that the bass have now turned the tide on the gobie onslaught too!
Save the Dates!
- King of the Oak 2024: June 7, July 20 and August 31.
- Blow date will be Sunday after original date. Presented by Ernst’s Lake Breeze Marina
- Orleans County Open Fishing Tournament: June 7-9, 2024. Follow them on Facebook. Captains meeting Fri., June 7 at the Black North following the KOTO weigh-in. (Approximately 4 PM)
Oswego County
Transition time has set in on the Oswego County waters of Lake Ontario. The strong Northwesterly winds have pushed lots of warm water into the shoreline, forcing the Browns to move. Salmon are still offshore but spread out. Fortunately, we expect conditions to settle in and improve soon!
Lake Ontario – Oswego
Click Here of the 10 day Forecast
Browns out of Oswego can be found east and west of the harbor in 30-50’. Fish have been starting to hug bottom and look for structure. Keep your baits within 15’ of bottom to have the best success.
Salmon anglers have reported the best concentration of fish in 150-350’ of water, west of port. Look for bait and you’ll find a feeding salmon.
Lake Ontario – Mexico
Click Here of the 10 day Forecast
Most anglers are heading west, towards the high rocks, fishing 30 to 70’ of water from 20’ down to the bottom. Boats are going as far west as the information tower.
We recommend:
- Downriggers utilizing fixed and free sliders
- Slide divers in shallow and wire divers deeper
- 5 to 10 color leadcores
- 200-300’ coppers
Browns have been eating standard and stingray size spoons. Those looking to target Salmon are finding the best activity in 150 to 250’ of water from the center lineup to the five stacks.
Free Oswego Fishing Guide
The updated Oswego County Fishing and Hunting Guide is now available online and in print. The guide features a new cover and an expanded listing of fishing guides and charters.
The 67-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.