Greater Niagara Region
Frank Campbell
As the weather started to moderate after last week’s “Arctic Blast,” the fishing was expected to be good, and the Lower Niagara River didn’t disappoint. The action was good, from Devil’s Hole to the Niagara Bar with minnows being the preferred bait for all species. Capt. Joe Marra of Niagara Rainbow Charters spent most of his day Saturday in the Devil’s Hole area and was rewarded with double-digit numbers of fish brought to the net with steelhead, lake trout, and walleye in the mix. Minnows off three-way rigs were the preferred method and bait. There are still plenty of fish available in the Lewiston area with minnows again being the bait of choice but there have been some fish taken on eggs and MagLip plugs, also off three-way set-ups. On the Niagara Bar, brown trout were the most cooperative species with minnows taking most of the fish. Whenever bait was on the screen, so were active fish. Look for fishing to remain stable for the foreseeable future.
In the gorge, decent shore fishing options continue but extreme caution is advised. Ice on the shoreline can be difficult to navigate. Mike Ziehm of Niagara Falls been out several times the past week and he’s made some great catches every time out. Water visibility was around 6-foot, but he has had to deal with large chunks of river ice coming down through the system. He has landed plenty of steelhead and lake trout using his homemade white and chartreuse jigs.
Vic Thibault of Newfane reports that action has been good in Olcott and Wilson through the ice. Thibault’s nephew, Dylan Duhow of Newfane caught a nice steelhead through the ice in Olcott Saturday on a jig and wax worm. Ice was 4 to 7 inches thick, but it was a little thinner where there was current. Wilson ice fishing was on fire over the weekend for panfish. There were lots of perch being caught, but you had to weed through many small ones to get the keepers. Aaron Woods of Ransomville reports some pike and panfish have also been caught in Olcott but his best fishing was at Wilson Harbor where he caught bluegills and perch, with the occasional pike and largemouth bass. Burt Dam has been decent for trout in the open water there.
The Greater Niagara Fishing Expo begins on Thursday, Feb. 13th and runs through Sunday, Feb. 16th. Be sure to check out the show’s website at niagarafishingexpo.com for a full list of speakers and seminar schedules, as well as exhibitors who will be displaying and selling their products.
Wayne County Fishing Update
Chris Kenyon
Bays
Great turnout for the Sodus Point Bass Club’s ice tournament which happened on February 8, 2025. The weather was perfect, and the ice was safe for the 56 teams that entered. Results are:
Perch (group of 6)
- 1st- 5.82 lbs., Keith V and Wade B
- 2nd- 5.75 lbs., Bryant F and Garron B
- 3rd- 5.38 lbs., Sam and Dennis S
Pike
- 1st- 11.52 lbs., Cameron
- 2nd- 10.01 lbs., Gregg I and Kyle S
- 3rd- 9.30 lbs., Mark and Anthony P
Congratulations to all the winners!
Ice thickness on Port and Sodus Bays is 12 inches as of today. Freezing weather is coming so we don’t have to worry about safe ice.
Lake effect snow has made it a little hard to drag your shanty across the ice.
The perch do not dominate like the pike… and they are scattered.
Look for them in deeper water. Drill holes 25 to 30 fow.
They appear to be feeding on small minnows coming from the lake. The Port Bay perch have been hitting on a chartreuse jigs. Small “Swedish Pimples” have also been catching perch at Port Bay.
Again…stay away from the shores where the dock bubblers are creating open water underneath the ice.
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 |
Remember to stay away from tributaries and open water near docks that use bubblers.
Erie Canal
Widewaters has solid ice across the entire canal. Bluegills, sunfish, and pike can be caught at Widewaters. Other sections of the canal have open water so be safe and stay away from where the current is still strong on the canal.
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:
Into Feb now and winter weather is hanging on. A modest area snowpack is building though, and right now there is about a foot of windblown snow that should yield better flows ahead when it melts.
The forecast ahead through the week is for cold temps except for a quick warmup midweek with a chance of rain after starting out as a wintery mix or snow. The short-lived warmup and any liquid precip may be absorbed by the existing snow so not expecting any great run off just yet. Chance of another winter storm and minor snow accumulations for this upcoming weekend.
Picture courtesy of Local A.
Flows in the Oak are real low and clear. Moving water remains open, except for bank ice, and there is still an open channel in downstream slow water areas. Other area smaller waterways are iced up. If you are hardy enough you can possibly find some open driftable water in the most upstream fast water areas on the largest tribs like the Genny. Niagara bank drifts or Lund drifts will be available too as the weather may dictate.
Just prior to the real low flows coming on again there were a few darker steelhead hook ups like in the pic below. And at the dam the resident sore mouth fish should also drop a float here and there!
This weekend, February 15th and 16th, is a Free Fishing Weekend in New York State! No fishing license is required, and you don’t need to be a New York State resident. Fishing rules and regulations still apply.
Oswego County
The weather in Oswego County hasn’t been a rollercoaster. The water flows have dropper, but fish are still being landed by those putting in the effort.
Salmon River, Pulaski NY
• Click Here of the 10 day Forecast
• Click Here for the Current CFS at Pineville
Water levels have been on a steady decline in the last few weeks. And with no warmup in sight the trend could continue.
With lower flows and cold temps moving in, the lower river will be slush and anchor ice. So concentrate on the upper 3rd of the river, in other words, the Fly Zone to the Sportsman area.
Some of the best baits this week have been jigs, eggs and worms.
Oswego River, City of Oswego
Click Here of the 10 day Forecast
Fishing on the Oswego has been a solitary adventure lately for those braving the conditions. The river hasn’t been seeing much pressure so information has been hard to come by.
We have some reports of anglers catching fish between the bridges in the lower river on jigs. White with orange, pink or chartreuse heads are best. While upriver anglers have reported eggs sacs have been getting the job done. We recommend white, peach and purple.
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.
Sandy Pond is Open!
Click Here of the 10 day Forecast
Currently there are 9-14” across the pond, but with all the recent snow, fewer anglers have been out lately.
The main points of ice access for Sandy Pond are: “The Elms,” Wigwam, and the DEC launch at Stanley Drive.
Thanks to Woody’s tackle for help with this report. Be sure to check our Facebook page, or else call Woody’s tackle directly for info about the upcoming derbies.
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.