Greater Niagara Region
Frank Campbell
Warming air temperatures have increased water temperatures and that has slowed the trout bite. Baits intended for trout have been intercepted by smallmouth, walleye, and musky as those species begin their spring feed. Remember to quickly release any non-target out-of-season species but remember that walleye season does open on May 1, along with pike, pickerel and inland tiger musky. That said, there’s still scattered numbers of browns, steelhead, and lake trout throughout the river system. Minnows and Maglips are the top baits to target all three species of trout. The Niagara Bar is starting to pick up for brown trout and lake trout on minnows and Maglips. Salmon have started to show up, too – just in time for the spring LOC Derby that will be held May 2-11. The Wicked Worm is a new weigh station for the derby this year. The docks at Fort Niagara are now in and ready for the upcoming derby. Speaking of the Wicked Worm, Alan Raymond reports that smallmouth bass had a heavy presence the past week in the river, with anglers using smaller 3-inch swimbaits, tubes, and Ned rigs. Some browns are being caught as an incidental catch to the bass. Steelhead are being caught by jigging nightcrawlers.
Capt. Tyler Siegmann of CGF Guide Service fished over the weekend and caught a good number of smallmouth bass with several in the 5-pound range. All fish were taken on swim baits. Fish were taken at the Cliffs drift and in the lake in front of Fort Niagara. River temperature was sitting at 47 degrees and the water was still slightly stained, with about 3-4 feet of visibility. Out in the lake outside of the flow from the river, the lake is crystal clear. Siegmann ran a few drifts through Artpark as well and picked up a steelhead and a lake trout on beads. Kings and browns being caught on top of the bar.
Up in the gorge, Mike Ziehm of Niagara Falls did well over the weekend on lake trout in Devil’s Hole. Water had some slight color to it and was around 5- foot where he was. Best bait was a white bucktail jig. The water temperature is rising quickly, turning on warm water species. Tommy Holycross of Wheatfield had a good day on the NYPA platform, catching a new personal best steelhead. He was using a white paddle tail with a bottom bouncer weight.
Out in the lake, Capt. Joe Oakes of Salmonboy Charters reports that the salmon bite is good right now. Salmon are showing up in Niagara County waters between 60 to 150 feet of water. Best baits have been spoons, flasher/flies and stick baits. All are catching fish. If you want some tips on spring salmon fishing, LOTSA’s At the Dock seminar with Capt. Matt Yablonsky on May 1st at Bootleggers Cove Marina in Wilson starting at 7 p.m. Karen Evarts at The Boat Doctors and Tackle Barn in Olcott reports that kings are starting to wake up off Olcott and Wilson in 80 to 100 feet of water. Browns, Coho salmon and lake trout are also plentiful. Some browns are still being caught off the piers. Harbor action is mostly panfish. Evarts is a weigh station for the LOC Derby as well. Check out details at loc.org.
Wayne County Fishing Update
Chris Kenyon
Lake Ontario
May1st is not only opening day for turkey hunting…it’s the day that 90,000 kings will leave their net pens and start their journey in Lake Ontario. Pens will leave the south side Krenzer’s docks @3pm and after a three week stay, they are towed out into the lake.
It is still a close to shore troll for browns using Bay Rat and Smithwick sticks. If we get some calm winds (Har har) you can go to 20fow and put out some bright Stinger spoons. The Atlantic salmon are still around, and the kings are making their appearance.
If it is calm, search for mudlines and troll in and out of the stained water. Speeds have been 1.5 to 2 mph.
The Spring LOC Derby kicks off tomorrow! Get ready for the unofficial start of the Lake Ontario fishing season with the LOC Spring Derby, May 2nd to May 11th. Make sure you enter to win your share of the $147,150 in cash we will be awarding in 2025!
Bays
It has been tough to fish the bays in Wayne County. Number one is the constant wind and number two is the water temperatures. The perch have spawned, and they typically enter the lake this time of year, however many are still in the bays.
Use white and chartreuse 2-inch grubs with a tail and you’ll need to move around to find perch.
The pike season opens Thursday May 1st. The limit is 5 fish with an 18-inch minimum.
Use some heavy bright spoons and cast or troll near LeRoy Island or between the other islands.
n New York, the open season (harvest) for largemouth and smallmouth bass, collectively known as black bass, runs from June 15 to November 30, with a catch-and-release season from December 1 to June 14.
Sodus Bay will be the place to be when the bass season opens.
Erie Canal
Crappies have been caught near the Port Gibson Bridge. Remember…they are always suspended, so make sure you use a bobber if shore fishing.
The canal officially opens May 16th for every boater.
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:
This week’s report is a tale of an in-between period. For the most part, the cold water trib steelhead action is ending, and the open Lake action for Kings has yet to come on consistently here in the Orleans County waters. Near-shore brown trout are there, and the trolling action is off and on as the stained water conditions come and go.
Photo courtesy of R. Pier.
Yesterday, Monday, boaters and casters alike would have found some tasty stained nearshore and beach waters after stiff winds all the past weekend. Now today, Tuesday, it’s looking clear again, so the typical easy flatline and planer board setups might struggle.
One tactic for brown trout anglers is to work the stained Oak River plume when everything else is clear. Take heart, though, winds and storms are afoot today and that should mean some nearshore water stain.
Still plenty of cold homogenous water out there in the 30 – 120 fow range where some guys are hunting for those first Kings. One civilian hunted around those depths all the way west to Johnson’s and didn’t see much on the screen except for probable lakers on the bottom and 40-degree water top to bottom.
Maybe a good blow and some warming temps will change fortunes and mix up that cold water and bring on sulking Kings. Many Oak Orchard charters have gone west as they do this time of the spring, looking for better King action off the Niagara waters. As that action may come on is often the portent of better hookup chances sliding east to the Orleans County waters.
Oswego County
Today is the day many anglers in Oswego County have been waiting for: opening day of Walleye season!
Salmon River, Pulaski NY
• Click Here of the 10 day Forecast
• Click Here for the Current CFS at Pineville
This will be our final river report for the spring season; updates will resume in late summer.
If you’re planning to make one last steelhead trip, now is the time—fishing remains excellent. The most productive stretch has been from 2A down through the DSR, with fish actively moving throughout the system. Anglers are encouraged to cover water to locate the largest pods of steelhead.
Effective presentations include 8mm and 10mm beads, as well as pink worms, which continue to produce strong results.
If you’re unsure of where to fish consider ordering a free fishing map from the tourism office by calling 1-800-248-4FUN(4386), or stop by any of the local tackle shops for a free printed copy.
Lake Ontario – Oswego County
Click Here of the 10 day Forecast
Brown trout fishing has been inconsistent. Nearshore conditions have lacked the temperature and color breaks that typically concentrate fish and lead to strong action. However, after major wind events—which we’ve experienced frequently—fishing conditions have improved. As the lake settles, conditions tend to become uniform, causing fish to spread out and making them harder to target consistently.
In addition to browns, many Atlantic salmon have been showing up. Hooking into a large Atlantic is always an exciting surprise—they’re known for their acrobatic jumps and powerful, unpredictable runs.
Productive lures include:
- Stickbaits: Smithwick, Bomber, Bay Rat, Junior ThunderStick, and Rapala
- Spoons: Stinger, Fishlander, Super Slim, and Northeast Troller
Color preferences have varied daily. Some days brighter patterns trigger more bites, while on others, natural tones have been more effective. Be ready to switch up colors frequently to dial in the bite each day.
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.