Greater Niagara Region
Frank Campbell
Pacific salmon remains the top target for anglers on the Lower Niagara River. The peak of the run is occurring now, and it may be slightly past the peak. That said, kings are still being taken by drifting treated egg skein off 3-way rig set-ups in Devil’s Hole area. No trout action has been reported, and we are probably still three weeks or longer away from any consistent action for steelhead or brown trout activity. We need the water temperatures to drop, and some cold rain will help. Smallmouth bass action continues to be hit and miss with some nice fish being reported throughout the river. Top artificial baits have been swimbaits and tubes, but live bait fished off 3-way rigs have been the most reliable presentation. Walleye fishing has also been hit and miss but there are still some nice fish being taken in the traditional drifts like Stella and the Green Can in Lake Ontario.
Mike Ziehm of Niagara Falls reports that he has seen plenty of salmon action by using his homemade chartreuse No. 4 spinners and his glow No. 4 spinners at night. Last week’s rain didn’t do much for the river. Half of the salmon are up high in the gorge, and the other half are lower in the river system. Brown trout and steelhead are starting to trickle in. The water is still way too warm. We need more cold nights and rain according to Ziehm. Try drifting treated egg skein under a slip bobber from shore for a good chance at catching a salmon.
Tommy Holycross of Wheatfield hit a nice limit of walleyes off the NYPA fishing platform this past week. Pink beads with gold bladed worm harnesses worked like magic for him.
Out in the lake, they are still catching salmon, steelhead, and some brown trout tight to the shoreline, reports Karen Evarts with The Boat Doctors and Tackle Barn in Olcott. It’s been a mix of meat rigs and spoons taking fish. Capt. Taz Morrison of West End Charters hit a huge 12-pound walleye this week while trolling for salmon and trout off Wilson this week, his first one in 30 years of fishing the lake for salmon and trout. It was part of a doubleheader Pat and Steve Peace from Pittsburgh caught that also included a salmon. The ‘eye hit a Northern King spoon back 200 on the high diver. Perch and pike are being caught off the piers, along with the occasional salmon and trout, according to Evarts. Best baits for the bigger fish have been spoons, spinners, and J13 Rapalas. Up at Burt Dam, it has been hit or miss on the fishing. One day they get them. The next day not so much. Orange and pink colors are working when fish want to cooperate.
Wayne County Fishing Update
Chris Kenyon
Lake Ontario
We have had some constant North-East winds which bring in colder water. That should produce some pier fishing action. Try the Sodus and Port Bay channels for some late… late salmon runs.
Cast out your heavy bright spoons and try for some browns or steelhead.
Bring a long handled net and use caution fishing channels.
We need more rain to have our streams push water out in the lake. Bear and Salmon Creek are open to the lake, however there is really no flow.
Bays
Port Bay’s water temperatures were in the mid 60’s, however that north-east blow should drop the water temps. Often, the autumn catch of perch is when we have mid 50’s for the temps.
Search Sodus Bay for perch. Straight out from Shaker Heights by Third Creek has produced some perch in 30 fow.
Use minnows or bright white 2-inch grubs tipped with fresh spikes.
Some pike were caught on the north side of LeRoy Island. Regs for northerns are 22-inches and a five fish limit. The pike season closes on March 15th.
The DEC docks at Port Bay will be pulled around Columbus Day week.
Sodus Bay boats can be launched at the Margaretta launch on the west side of the bay or Bay Bridge Sport Shop at the south end.
Port Bay has the south and north DEC launch sites from West Port Bay Road. Both are in great shape for boats with enough parking for the trailers.
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
Some bass boats were fishing the Widewaters over the holiday weekend. The catch was some hefty largemouth bass. Five plus pounds is a typical size.
The pan fish are still hitting. You can catch them from your boat or fish along the trail at Widewaters and Port Gibson.
The canal is open until November 3, 2025, for boat traffic.
Conditions permitting, all portions of the New York State Canal system are now open. This is the 201st consecutive year of travel along New York’s Canals and the 200th anniversary of the original Erie Canal’s completion on October 26, 1825.
There are no tolls or fees for recreational use of the Canal system this year.
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:
Flows in the Oak are at an honest medium and mostly clear. There’s a nice push of Canal water feed that is making flows as they are, and without it the water levels would be much lower. The droughty conditions continue for the area, and the most recent precipitation has not broken those conditions just yet. The forecast ahead calls for a cool down mid-week and a chance of rain or showers for the upcoming weekend. Any advance toward cooler or wetter weather will definitely help with salmon and trout migrations.
Through the past holiday weekend, there were a fair number of anglers out like at the dam on the Oak. To the uninitiated, it may seem like a lot of fishing pressure, but relatively speaking, the crowds have really not been that bad. The downstream fast water areas have even less pressure than at the dam, even with Archers Club parking now open. Anglers that might be waiting for a bigger push of fish are likely missing the smaller pods of fish migrating over a longer period of time. There are enough years in the books now that sort of demonstrate that is the way the “run” of Kings now takes place. Sure, on any given day, there could be a good push of fish, but most likely, fish will continue to trickle in over time. Open Lake waters remain hospitable, so it’s likely many fish have yet to enter trib water plumes. The smaller area waterways like Johnson and Sandy remain low to mod and haven’t had a big slug of water to draw a lot of fish in just yet. Flows seem only enough to draw a few salmon at a time.
Today, guys reported a nice skein and bead bite at the dam, with some guys hanging in for a day’s effort, getting multiple hookups. Guys making their way downstream have found some spawning salmon action, like in the picture below. There is plenty of water cover to hide green Kings and any browns that may be set up behind them. There have been a few really nice fresh cohos hooked up at the dam. At the Archers Club, the action sounds fair to good at times, and some Atlantics are reported there. Look for salmon action still hanging on through the whole of the river course from Point Breeze to the dam. Best brown trout action is still coming on as the calendar moves toward the end of October and into November, with whatever the weather and water flows may bring ahead!
The St. Mary’s Archers Club 2025 public access fall season parking will be from Oct. 10 through Nov. 11. Parking is $10, with gates opening at 4-5 a.m. and closing at 4 p.m. A lunch will also be served this year. For updates, visit the Sportsman’s Archery Club of St Mary’s Inc Facebook page.
Oswego County
Fishing has really heated up on Oswego County waters! While we didn’t get a lot of rain, the rainfall we did receive was enough to get the fish moving.
Salmon River, Pulaski NY
• Click Here of the 10 day Forecast
A strong push of salmon entered the river over the past week. Thanks to the increased flow, fish have now spread throughout the river from top to bottom.
With fish actively moving, the best approach is to target choke points or travel lanes where salmon are funneling upstream. As they continue their run, many are reaching the gravel, making areas such as Fraser’s Run, Muskrat, Ellis Cove, and the Upper Trestle productive spots.
The higher water has also drawn in some early steelhead. Anglers fishing the lower stretches of the river are starting to see a decent push of fresh steelhead entering.
Oswego River
Click Here of the 10 day Forecast
Although water flows on the Oswego River remain low, anglers near the dam have been having good success with kings and brown trout. Others fishing along the low and high walls are also finding some action, catching a few fish each day. Spoons have been most effective, while casting deep-diving plugs during low-light periods has also produced fish.
Please note: there is significant construction on West 1st Street—plan accordingly.
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.
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.