Greater Niagara Region
Frank Campbell
The 15th Annual Niagara County Bullhead Tournament is April 4th thru the 6th. It starts at 5 p.m. on Friday. Weigh-in is Sunday at the Wilson Conservation Club in Wilson from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Call Eric at 628-6078 for details. This is an exciting time of year for Hyde Park Lake in Niagara Falls and Oppenheim Park Pond in Wheatfield. DEC will be stocking trout into both water bodies as part of a put and take program on April 8. Stocking trucks will arrive at 11 a.m. at Oppenheim and 1 p.m. at Hyde Park.
In the Niagara River Anglers Association’s Steelhead Contest last Saturday, Jack Mings of Amherst set the pace with a 13.72-pound steelhead he caught in the lower Niagara River along Artpark fishing with Capt. Matt Gantress of Unreel Fishing. Second place was Josh Jenney of Sayre, Pennsylvania with a 11.42-pound fish from Devil’s Hole using a pink egg sac. He was fishing with Capt. Dave Scipione of Lewiston. Third place in the contest went to Dan Hunt of Norwalk, Ohio with a 10.02-pound steelie, also taken in Devil’s Hole on an egg sac. He was fishing with Capt. Matt Yablonsky of Wet Net Charters. Largest trout caught in the tributaries, which was also the largest brown trout, was an 8.2-pound brown that Frank Nati reeled in from a favorite tributary off Lake Ontario.
Alan Raymond with The Wicked Worm in Youngstown reports plenty of steelhead were caught this past weekend, mainly near the NYPA platform. Quite a few anglers had success using egg sacs. A few lake trout were caught off the banks using soft plastics with jig heads. Brown trout are still being caught on shiners, MagLips, and Kwikfish from the tackle shop to the Coast Guard station.
Mike Ziehm of Niagara Falls reported that the river water clarity is still very clear and cold. He landed quite a few steelhead over the weekend using his homemade white bucktail jigs. Bruce Kowalski of TAAR Outdoors reports that the NYPA platform was productive for casters with spoons, larger white paddletails, and live bait for steelhead.
Shiners and egg sacs worked best for Capt. Dave Scipione of Lewiston over the weekend. Smaller egg sacs seemed to work best, combined with longer and lighter leaders to combat the clear water conditions.
Aaron Woods of Ransomville reports that all tributaries with any water flow have steelhead in them. Burt Dam on 18 Mile Creek has a mix of steelhead and brown trout. With the warmer weather finally showing up, bass are starting to show up in the creeks. Panfish action has been okay in the harbors and off the Olcott pier. The piers Olcott and Wilson are offering both trout and Coho salmon, too. Karen Evarts at The Boat Doctors and Tackle Barn said the crappie bite in the harbor really turned on this week.
Out in the lake, Vic Thibault of Newfane found the fish (trout and Coho salmon) a little more spread out. Brown trout are still shallow. Chartreuse stick baits have been working best for him.
Wayne County Fishing Update
Chris Kenyon
Lake Ontario
Some small boats caught browns close to shore near Hughes Marina. Some steelhead were also caught. A cold front is coming later today which will bring wind.
For close to shore use your boards and fish in 10 to 20 fow. Stickbaits are the best when you troll in shallow water.
Two important dates:
- The pen rearing fish (90,000) are scheduled to arrive at Krenzer Marine on April 10th at 10:30. The truck will be across the street from the showroom. Stop down to Sodus Point and see the pens get their important fingerlings.
- The Sodus Pro-Am will take place July 19th and 20th. There will be action all week.
Streams
There is an excellent flow in Maxwell Creek. There are some steelhead and browns being caught, however most have entered the lake.
Bays
Some perch were caught in Port Bay. Stay close to the points and use some bright jigs with a 2-inch rubber with a tail. Sinker should be 12 inches below a number 4 hook.
If you are launching at Port Bay use the north ramp. The south ramp works, however, the shallow water at the south end of the bay makes for a difficult trip.
The Sodus Bay perch are scattered, and many have already spawned in shallower water. Try 20 to 25 fow, however you’ll need to move around to find them. This is the time of year where the perch will be searching for bait in Lake Ontario.
Erie Canal
Some kayak anglers were fishing the Widewaters section for panfish. Currently, the temperature is 60 degrees, however the cold front is coming. Try your luck from the Port Gibson trail next to the bridge.
Keep in mind the pike season closed March 15, 2025, and will open on May 1st.
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:
There’s been just enough rain through the end of the past weekend to bump up tributary flows all around slightly. There’s a chance of storms or soaking rains this midweek through Thursday that could bring flows up higher and dirtier. Another cool day today with a northwest lake breeze, and then the forecast ahead shows a warming or more seasonal temperature trend.
Pic courtesy Jay Peck NYSLOG
Flows in the Oak are up from low to moderate but still mostly clear. Light fishing pressure with just a handful of cars noted at the access points. Some anglers are making drifts and swings for spawning fish and having success by being patient in the fast-water gravel stretches. You can get hook-ups in the holes too, but it will take working through some suckers or fishing the drift above the suckers.
Jay Peck says, “Stay back and look carefully for fish before wading too far. He hunts up his targets by working upstream and has been averaging about a half dozen hook-ups in an outing.” Check out his latest catch pic below. Sucker numbers are not overwhelming, and fish are still being hooked up at the dam. Higher future flows that stay cool will prolong the action and likely draw fresh April fish in too.
The other area small tributaries, have moderate to medium flows with slightly stained visibility. Those flows are back on the drop, but could be back quickly on the rise with more precipitation.
On the big lake, it’s been somewhat challenging to hit the wind and weather windows for reasonable conditions. Charter guys are getting out on shakedown trips, and small boat civilians have started to drop in, too. Lots of cold water out there, but the nearshore stained warmer pockets are where most action will be for browns.
Captain B. Stevens from Sunrise II Sportfishing fished yesterday before the weather turned for the worse. “We had a fantastic morning on browns west from the bluff to just past Green Harbor. There was great water color in 7-10 feet of water. Best action was on firetiger stickbaits, and Chinook divers with spoons worked great too.” Check out the nice brown trout pic below that was just one of their many hook-ups.
Oswego County
With high water, and cold runoff the Salmon River bite has been slow. The Oswego has been at a more stable flow with much warmer temperatures.
Salmon River, Pulaski NY
• Click Here of the 10 day Forecast
• Click Here for the Current CFS at Pineville
The base flow from the dam has remained at 2,200 CFS all week, and with the forecasted rain, we don’t anticipate any changes in the near future. With these high flows, shore anglers have struggled to fish the main river effectively.
This time of year, anglers should focus on exploring the river’s back channels—areas where steelhead seek refuge from strong currents in colder temperatures. The same techniques used on smaller streams can be applied here.
Prime fishing conditions are just around the corner; we just need a little warm-up.
Oswego River, City of Oswego
Click Here of the 10 day Forecast
Flows on the Oswego River have remained stable, with water temperatures in the mid-40s. This has triggered peak spawning activity for steelhead.
Focus your efforts behind spawning areas to target fish feeding on loose eggs. A few brown trout are still active in the upper river, providing action off the high wall.
As we see every year around this time, the harbor bite is heating up. Fishing behind the hotels has always been a great option in April!
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.
- Click here for the current water flow
- Read the recent news release about access on the West Riverwalk.
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.
Lake Ontario
Click Here of the 10 day Forecast
The first boats have reported great success out of Mexico. From the mouth of the river to the high rocks, anglers have been landing excellent catches of brown trout, with a few Atlantics and lake trout mixed in.
Planer boards pulling stickbaits and spoons have been the most effective technique.
Notable Freshwater Fishing Regulation Updates:
The following is a short list of some notable changes. To verify, or for specific questions, please consult the NYS DEC Regs. Book.
- A five-fish daily walleye limit in Oneida Lake.
- The statewide sunfish daily harvest limit has been reduced from 50 to 25 fish.
- The statewide minimum size limit for crappies has been increased from nine inches to ten inches.
- There are 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.
- New specific dates will replace 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.
- Also note the season closure for northern pike, pickerel, tiger musky and walleye (March 16).
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.