Greater Niagara Region
Frank Campbell
Burt Dam and 18 Mile Creek in Newfane continue to be your best fishing option in the area, reports Karen Evarts with The Boat Doctors and Tackle Barn in Olcott. Water was a bit lower at last report with some icing starting to take place with the below zero wind chills on Tuesday. More of the same will take place this weekend. Both steelhead and brown trout are available. Egg sacs, egg imitations like beads, and jigs are working best with peach, pink and black the best colors.
Wilson Tuscarora bay ice seemed to have locked back up, but the thickness was not safe at all, reports Matt Vogt of Newfane. Some spots were an inch thick or less. After this real cold snap, Vogt is sure the ice will be back to a safe thickness for fishermen. Olcott was pretty blown out in the main channel, but the ice from the docks and launches was building back up. Olcott may take a little more time to lock back up but it seems like the ice is making a recovery.
The Niagara River continues to be a mess, reports Alan Raymond with The Wicked Worm in Youngstown. Water is muddy from the numerous wind events and there is a bunch of ice in the river both above and below Niagara Falls. Those anglers who’ve tried to fish may have gotten a fish or two, but you must work for them according to Raymond. A few lake trout have been tricked in the gorge and an occasional steelhead by Artpark but water visibility is terrible. All anglers are using egg sacs. With the weather we’re having, tributaries are the best to go to. One customer landed 13 brown trout in three hours of fishing using egg sacs in chartreuse and peach colored mesh.
If you were wondering about the ice boom and why there is so much ice in the river, the boom is designed to flex during strong wind events, allowing some ice to pass through. A significant amount of ice could be found in both the upper and lower river systems on Tuesday. There is a boom camera at iceboom.nypa.gov if you wanted to monitor it. Hopefully Lake Erie will lock up with ice in the next week or so.
The Greater Niagara Fishing Expo is less than a month away. It is set for Feb. 19 to Feb. 22 at the Niagara Falls Convention Center. With over 200 seminars from experts in the fishing world, this is a good time to check out the website at niagarafishingexpo.com for all the details! The Walleye School is revamped, and no special cost is needed – only the price of admission. See you there!
Wayne County Fishing Update
Chris Kenyon
Streams
The streams were open over the weekend; however, today’s temperature will freeze the shorelines of our smaller tributaries.
Temps were 9 degrees this morning.
Salmon Creek in Pultneyville is still open and some steelhead were recently caught on both sides of the bridge on Lake Road. The shoreline ice is starting to make it difficult to get close to the creek.
Bays
We have safe ice returning to our bays; however, the relentless wind is once again making the angling experience on “Hard water” a chore.
With temperatures predicted below freezing all week the ice will probably thicken a couple of inches per night, however that is never certain. Always spud your way to your favorite location and never fish alone.
Dock bubblers on Sodus and Port Bays are creating very large open holes, and keep in mind the ice is thinner everywhere near bubblers.
You can now park at Davenport’s Marina on the south end of Sodus. See Don at the bait shop for information.
Erie Canal
Widewaters remains frozen, yet there is current flowing underneath. This area of the Erie Canal has “fish and release bass,” perch, bluegills, and sunfish.
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:
Welcome back to winter! Looks like this end of Jan weather is now settling into a winter cold snap. Dec was looking like winter had settled in, then we got a bit of a break for the end of Dec and beginning of Jan with warmer temps and a couple of higher water events. Those nice flows had made for good steelhead action in the Oak and even opened up flows in the other area tribs.
The Oak Orchard area is currently escaping most of the current lake-effect snow, but wind and cold temps are expected this week after a moderate temp day on Wed. High temps for the upcoming weekend may be in the single digits. Southwest of here, off Erie, is where the bulk of the lake-effect snow band(s) are setting up. There is currently just a few inches of windblown snow here in Orleans Co. Niagara Co accumulations may be more. An area-wide snow from a clipper system is expected Wed with the chance for a few inches of accumulation.
Look for flows all around to be dropping, clearing and icing up, especially in the smaller waterways. Flows in the Oak are moderate and mostly clear. There are a few drift anglers plying the waters, mostly at the dam. Action has gotten tougher with the dropping and clearing flows, but there’s still been some real good fish hooked up.
Those earlier fresh fish from the last recent higher flows are lurking somewhere, like nosed up to the dam or dropped back to slack water. Downstream flat, frog water is likely headed to frozen-over conditions. The other area, smaller tribs have low to mod and clear and mostly frozen or slushy flows that will be getting all the more icy by the day for now.
Oswego County
Steelhead fishing on the Salmon River has been exceptional and has been one of the few things keeping anglers comfortable during the cold. With a significant cold front moving in this weekend, extra caution is advised.
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Salmon River, Pulaski NY
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Fishing has remained strong from the DSR upstream through the Fly Zone. During recent high water, fish were pushed toward the edges and slower seams. With a substantial drop in water levels expected on Thursday, anglers should shift their focus back to the deepest holes available. In extreme cold, fish will settle into these areas looking for depth and cover. Productive baits have included egg sacs in blue variations, as well as purple and peach.
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Contact the Oswego County Tourism Department:
Oswego River
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High flows are finally beginning to recede, making the upper river more accessible for anglers. Over the past week, the most consistent action has been in the harbor behind the hotels, where large numbers of brown trout and steelhead have been holding in slower water. Diving crankbaits, swing baits, and blade baits have all been producing fish.
Cold Weather Reminder:
With temperatures forecast to fall below 10 degrees, fish gills and eyes can freeze quickly when exposed to the air. If photos are desired, keep fish in the water as long as possible and limit air exposure to only a few seconds.
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.
Free Oswego Fishing Guide
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The 68-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.
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