Greater Niagara Region
Frank Campbell
The 53rd Annual National Hunting and Fish Day is almost here. Here in Niagara County, the New York Power Authority’s Wildlife Festival is set for all day Saturday, Sept. 28 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission to the family festivities is free. It will be held at the Power Vista located at 5777 Lewiston Road, Lewiston. The event is co-sponsored by the Niagara County Federation of Conservation Clubs. If you fished in the Greater Niagara Fish Odyssey Derby last month, the awards ceremony will be at the festival starting at 3:30 p.m. Also, in honor of NHF Day, Sept. 28 is a Free Fishing Day in the state. No license is required to fish any place in New York.
Autumn weather arrived just about on schedule with the calendar, and we will have to see how that will impact the local fishing scene. We could use some water in the tributaries of Lake Ontario and water temperatures need to come down to help stimulate the fishing action overall in the lake and the Niagara River. Rain is forecast for this week. Helping Mother Nature along will be the Erie Canal water releases in places like 18 Mile Creek at Burt Dam and Olcott.
According to Karen Evarts at The Boat Doctors and Tackle Barn in Olcott, fishing has been tough in the lake and off the piers. Cooler water temperatures are needed to help fishermen out. Your best bet is night fishing from 7 p.m. to 3 a.m. Try casting hardware in the lake. Only a few salmon and trout are being reported off the piers. Some yellow perch are being caught in the harbor on minnows according to Evarts.
According to Capt. Joe Oakes of Salmonboy Charters, there were a few salmon in front of Olcott this past week until the water turned warmer. There is bait and some scattered steelhead and immature salmon from 400 feet out all the way to the border. Spoons in the top 70 feet seem to be working the best if you want to target those fish.
Right: Corey Ziehm of Niagara Falls proved he was a chip off the old (fishing) block as he outfished his dad in the gorge using his dad’s homemade spinners to catch king salmon.
In the Niagara River, it was the Mike and Mike show again with their sidekicks. Mike Ziehm of Niagara Falls had his son Corey in the gorge casting Mike’s homemade red and chartreuse No. 4 spinners for salmon and the next generation showed that he had learned quite a bit from his dad, catching numerous salmon in the process. Meanwhile, Mike Rzucidlo of Niagara Falls hit the gorge for salmon for the first time and was 2 for 4 casting spinners from shore earlier this week. Earlier in the month he had hit the lower river with Tony LaRosa of Lewiston and they did well on smallmouth bass and walleyes from a boat using jigs. Tommy Holycross of Wheatfield caught his first salmon of the year off the NYPA Fishing Platform this week using 2 to 3-ounce jigging spoons. A few walleyes and bass are also being caught but you must work for them.
Oswego County
Lake fishing has remained strong while the river fishing has been tough.
Lake Ontario – Mexico
Click Here of the 10 day Forecast
Kings and cohos can be found in good numbers from Selkirk to the Dunes, in 15-60’ of water.
In anything over 30’ we recommend flasher/flies, but spoons and j-plugs are taking most bites. Once you get under 30’ take the flashers out of the program.
Tight lines everyone!
Salmon River, Pulaski NY
• Click Here of the 10 day Forecast
• Click Here for the Current CFS at Pineville
Fresh fish have entered the river this week. But the warm sunny weather has really put a halt to fish movement. On a brighter note we got hit with a nice batch of rain on Wednesday (September 25th). Hopefully this will help attract new fish into the river.
Overall, the sections holding the most fish are 2A to The Trestle Pool. Otherwise, the Sportsman’s Hole is holding a large amount too.
Invasive Species Alert: Fanwort
Community members and anglers who visit Black Creek and Little Salmon River can help stop the spread of fanwort by looking for and reporting observations, and always practicing Clean-Drain-Dry protocols with all boating and fishing equipment.
Oswego River, City of Oswego
Click Here of the 10 day Forecast
With warm temps and low water on the Oswego have led to fewer fresh fish.
The power plant has been holding a few fish. But most are heading as far up stream as possible. Look for cooler water. Therefore, like last week, the best numbers are located at the base of the dam.
And be sure to read the recent news release about fishing access on the West Riverwalk.
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.