Greater Niagara Region
Frank Campbell
Cold weather has arrived on the local scene, and it looks like it will be around for a while. That hasn’t stopped anglers from hitting the Niagara River. However, the wind up on Lake Erie did muddy the river water up and limited fishing opportunities. That said, fishermen are already fishing, and shore casters and boat drifters could be on the water by the latter part of the week. When dealing with the cold weather, Capt. Frank Campbell of Lewiston insists you should dress for the conditions on any given day. It’s always good to wear float clothing and remember that keeping the wind out of your coverings is half the battle. You lose temperature/body heat when the boat is moving from place to place or on windy days. Dress in layers with a good pair of long johns or insulated underwear as a base. Always wear a winter hat and waterproof gloves. Once your hands get wet it is very difficult to warm them back up. Boots should be a top priority as most people lose the battle with the elements after their feet get cold. A good pair of winter boots is a must. You won’t do a lot of walking in the boat so it’s okay to bulk up on your feet. Do yourself a favor and bring some hand warmers (such as hot hands). Capt. Tyler Siegmann of CGF Guide Service reports that the water was still dirty from recent storms Monday. It looks like there are some north winds in the forecast so he is hoping that clears it up to the point it is fishable. Alan Raymond with the Wicked Worm in Youngstown reports that it has been a slow week on the lower river, with mainly steelhead/rainbows along the coast (shore) from Whirlpool to Stella. Brown trout are still coming in near the Coast Guard drift. Steelies are hitting jigs, beads, eggs, and whatever you use, focus on bright colors this week with the muddy conditions. Ditto for the brown trout.
Which takes us to the shore action. The first place that clears when the water is muddy is along the shoreline and Mike Ziehm of Niagara Falls takes full advantage of that. Yes, he has been out this week in the terribly cold and muddy river conditions, but he has been rewarded with some outstanding steelhead catches. With the river showing water visibility from 6 inches to a foot, he has been using white 5-inch jigs and drifting close to the shoreline for success. His last time out he was fishing with Walter Chew of Ransomville, and they caught some dandy steelhead. They even doubled up on steelies! When you are fishing the shoreline in the gorge, extra caution is needed. Always carry a 20-foot rope attached to your backpack and some kind of traction products to strap on your boots such as corkers or Yaktrax at the very minimum. “Use hand warmers,” says Ziehm. Always stay off wet rocks during the winter on the shoreline edge. They may look wet, but it will be ice. Water levels fluctuate in the gorge daily causing icy conditions on those rocks.
With the recent cold weather, there is icing up of many of the smaller to medium size tributaries. There could be some open water at Burt Dam. No ice fishing reports in Wilson or Olcott yet, but it’s close.
Wayne County Fishing Update
Chris Kenyon
Lake Ontario and Streams
Frigid temperatures have left Maxwell Creek frozen in some sections. You can still fish the small pools on the south side of Lake Road. Use fresh eggs for steelhead.
Bays
Ok here’s the latest update on fishing on top of frozen water. There is good news and bad news. Let’s start with the bad. Today, the ice is not safe. We need 4 inches to walk out with an ice shanty. It’s not 4 inches…so be safe and wait a few days.
The good news is our relentless every day wind will blow off the snow so the ice can do its work and give us a solid 4 inches. Nobody wants to go out today anyway. The northwest gusts are brutal.
The open water of Port and Sodus Bay is now skimmed over… get your shanties ready.
The following guide from DEC is the thickness needed for safety. This is an accurate guide for safety on ice.
| Ice Thickness | Permissible Load |
| 2 inches or less | Stay Off |
| 4 inches | Ice fishing or other activities on foot |
| 5 inches | Snowmobile or ATV |
| 8-12 inches | Car or small pickup |
| 12-15 inches | Medium truck |
Also, spud your way out for uniform thickness and remember to stay away from tributaries and open water near docks that use bubblers.
Next week will be the ice fishing report with the species caught. “I have hope.”
Bay Bridge Sport Shop is closed for a few days. It will be open January 10th.
Erie Canal
Widewaters is frozen over. Just waiting for some shanties on the ice.
Launch sites for Sodus: Bay Bridge Sport Shop. Launch at the Margaretta. 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. The north barrier bar road is very bumpy. Take it slow.
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.
Oswego County
Fishing in Oswego County has really heated up even though the temps have been dropping.
Salmon River, Pulaski NY
• Click Here of the 10 day Forecast
• Click Here for the Current CFS at Pineville
We are in the dead of winter, especially considering water conditions. The best places to concentrate your efforts are the slower deeper pools: Schoolhouse, Wire, Trestle, Pineville, Ace, Sportsman, Papermill, 81 and Town Pools.
Egg secs have been the most productive as of late. Blue, white, pink, peach, purple and yellow have all been good. Some fish are still been taken on 10 and 12mm beads. And as the fish head to the deeper pools don’t be afraid try a jig.
Oswego River, City of Oswego
Click Here of the 10 day Forecast
As the water drops the fishing should pick back up on the wall. The west side shoreline, above the power plant, has also been producing some nice trout!
As temperatures keep dropping, the deep channel behind the hotels will produce browns and walleye. Jigs have been a steady producer, especially in white. But beads have still been taking plenty of fish. And as water levels drop, egg sacs will start producing better too.
Please Consider the Following Year-Round Notice: There are mandatory personal flotation device (PFD) zones on the river. The Oswego Fire Department offers loaner life jackets at no charge through its “Loaner for Life” program. For more information contact the fire station at 35 E. Cayuga St. by calling (315) 343.2161.
• Check the current water flow
And be sure to read the recent news release about fishing access on the West Riverwalk.
Request a Free Fishing Map for Salmon River!
Designed to slip into your pocket, this map covers popular public and private fishing locations, as well as boat launches. The best news: it’s completely free!
Contact the Oswego County Tourism Department:
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.