Greater Niagara Region
Frank Campbell
The persistent winds on Lake Erie, along with the water temperatures now at the 40-degree mark, have been making conditions and water clarity a real challenge, reports Capt. Dave Scipione of Scipione’s Fishing Charters. If you time it right, the fishing can be outstanding. Beads and egg sacs have been the top producers in drifts from Artpark all the way to the Coast Guard station. Brown trout are cooperating at Stella and near the river mouth on 3-way rigs using chartreuse or orange beads and egg sacs in peach or yellow. The steelhead bite is slowly becoming more consistent with lake trout in the mix on the upper drifts like Artpark. Use a combination of chartreuse and pink colored beads or egg sacs when targeting lakers and steelhead. Adjusting the size of your bead or egg sac, and your leader length to the water clarity. This will increase your opportunities to hook up. When the winds allow Scipione to get out on the lake and fish the Niagara Bar, the bite has been good. Drifting golden shiners on 3-way rigs or pulling K9 Kwikfish or MagLips 3.0 in colors like “Grinch” or “Double Trouble” on sunny days and “Goldman” in overcast conditions has been producing some nice brown trout, lakers and the occasional walleye.
There have been a few days when conditions have allowed some short periods of fishable water, but those windows are short. If you were able to find that clear enough water to make a go of it, the fish were cooperative with eggs and beads still taking most of the fish. The browns have been the best targets with some steelhead and lake trout being taken. Mark Romanack with Fishing 411 on the World Fishing Network fished with Capt. Matt Yablonsky this week and they managed to get 8 brown trout on the camera, very good considering the conditions.
Capt. Joe Srouji of Angler’s Edge Outdoors reported the river showed a slight improvement in color for a few days before it dirtied up again. His last trip out the river temperatures were at 39 degrees as of Sunday. Brown trout fishing continues to be good. Steelhead can be found in the upper sections of the river using beads and egg sacs.
Mike Ziehm of Niagara Falls has been out pounding the gorge banks in this frigid cold with murky 41-degree water. Visibility has been sitting right around 2-foot. Ziehm has been finding plenty of steelhead about 25 feet from shore on No. 4 pink spinners and white bucktail jigs. Every time we gain a foot of water clarity, Mother Nature takes it right back with another southwest wind disturbance.
Muskellunge fishing season in the Great Lakes closes on Dec. 15. After more recent winds, the Niagara River water has been muddy. It was starting to clean up, but more wind was in the forecast along with some rain and snow. A few big muskies have been reported the past week, but you must react quickly when the waters start to clear.
Karen Evarts at The Boat Doctors and Tackle Barn reports that Burt Dam and 18 Mile Creek are still producing good numbers of brown trout. Wax worms have been the ticket for many anglers. Adam Schroeder with Orvis Buffalo (who will be closing on Dec. 24, 2025) says the Lake Ontario streams are fishing very well with a healthy mix of brown trout and steelhead. Water flows are normal for this time of year with relatively clear water. Fish will be picky and careful presentations are the name of the game. Fishing the likely holding spots will be productive; you just have to put in your time. Erie Canal water releases will cease on Dec. 15.
Wayne County Fishing Update
Chris Kenyon
Streams
Cold temperatures and lake effect snow have made stream fishing very difficult. You can try some of the open pockets on the south section of Maxwell Creek.
If the wind is calm, walk to the lake from the northeast side of Maxwell. Cast some heavy bright red spoons out in the lake. The cold week ahead might create ice build-up along the shore.
Some steelhead were caught in Salmon Creek in Pultneyville. The current was slower so you can cast out egg sacs.
Bays
The south end of Sodus Bay had some frozen sections. Even if places like Sodus Center Pond, which are completely frozen, there is no safe ice anywhere.
When the ice season starts you can park at Davenport’s Marina on the south end of Sodus. See Don at the bait shop for information.
*Hopefully, we will have a great ice fishing season like last year. The weekly fishing updates will be reporting the thickness of safe ice during this winter. Spray some silicone on the bottom of your sled and get your shanty ready for some Wayne County perch
Erie Canal
Sections of Widewaters have iced -over, however nothing is safe. When we have safe ice Widewaters is a suitable place to set up your shanty.
You can catch perch, bluegills, and pike at Widewaters.
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.
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:
Winter and cold weather seem to be getting an early start this year. Last winter eventually turned cold, but last December was warmer with good fishable conditions. Not so much this year, at least for now.
In the near-term forecast, cold temps will linger with a chance of light snow, sleet, or rain today, Wednesday. No great accumulations expected, but some kind of mixed bag precipitation is likely for Wed. Then continued cold and snowy after that through the weekend.
We can hope for an upcoming warm-up that will help trib flows. For now, flows are dropping and clearing and sometimes running slushy from cold and/or snow. Slow water areas are beginning to freeze over, esp on the smaller waterways. Erie Canal final winter time drainage is underway with what amounts to prob a few days + of water feed left. Look for all the trib levels to drop more when that water source is played out with continued icing conditions.
Fishing pressure is real light. Flows in the Oak are mod – med and mostly clear. Upstream fast water sections to the dam are fishable, and as of the beginning of this week, the downstream flat water areas remain open. Look for frog water areas to begin to freeze over sooner than later, especially as the Canal feed lessens and flows continue to drop. Flows my go low.
For now there is good action for spawning browns and post spawn fish and some nice steelhead. Fly rod swingers and center pin dead drifters are both having action. In the smaller area tribs like Johnson and Sandy flows are likewise dropping and showing icing conditions. Downstream spots on Johnson are froze over and upstream faster water area intel is light. Sandy has been flowing mostly slushy thru upstream areas.
Cold temps and wind and snow and clouds and lowering flows could make drifting chances there tough. Browns and steelhead in all the tribs will be hunkered in any deep water spots affording water cover or else dropping back. Remaining Kings will be mostly at the dam on the Oak.
Oswego County
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Capt. Joe Sicherman summed up the recent action perfectly: “The slow days have been good, and the good days have been epic.” There’s really nothing to complain about lately, other than the cold weather.
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Salmon River, Pulaski NY
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With Wednesday’s midday flow drop to 350 cfs and significantly cooler water temperatures this past week, begin focusing on the larger, deeper holes. Fish have clearly shifted into a winter pattern and are seeking the slowest, deepest water available.
During this transition, eggs in dark and natural tones—blue, purple, white, and peach—tend to be your best bet. This will also produce some fish once they get pressured.
Stoneflies in a variety of colors remain a staple for bottom-bouncing presentations. Don’t be afraid to run a plug behind a side planer; you’ll be surprised by how hard they hit.
Oswego River
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Both the high-wall and low-wall sections have been producing fish consistently. Beads and jigs continue to be the most reliable. The west-side shoreline above the power plant has also yielded some quality trout.
As water temperatures drop, the lower river and harbor have started producing browns and lake trout. White jigs have been steady producers, along with swimbaits and crankbaits. Beads remain effective upriver, but as temperatures continue to fall, egg sacs will begin to out-produce them.
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.
Additional Oswego County Locations
North Sandy Pond:
A few cars were spotted at fishing access paths, but there wasn’t much activity earlier in the week. The water level was low with little flow. As of today (Wednesday, 10/22), there’s been more activity, with anglers spotted under the Woodville bridge. There’s also an increased flow of water that seems closer to normal levels, but little angler success.
South Sandy Pond:
A few vehicles were parked at fishing access walk path locations, but no anglers were visible earlier in the week. Little to no flow. As of today (Wednesday, 10/22), many anglers were spotted upstream under the bridges at Ellisburg, Joslyn Rd, and Monitor Mills Rd. Water has also risen a little to a more normal level with decent flow. There have been a couple of kings caught.
Little Sandy Creek:
Water seems to be on the lower side. Some flow.
Grindstone:
There is some flow, but there have been no anglers spotted.
Little Salmon:
Water is on the lower side; some flow. There has been decent angler success at the Jellystone campground, all catching kings. Otherwise, it’s been slow.
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