Greater Niagara Region
Frank Campbell
Lake Erie ice is shrinking, but there is still an estimated 800-900 square miles of ice left. The removal of the ice boom will not take place this week. April 1st is when the NYPA fishing facilities will be opening such as the fishing platform. Alan Raymond with The Wicked Worm in Youngstown reports that browns are being caught in the Fort Niagara drifts and from the docks. Jig heads with white baitfish imitations and spoons like Little Cleo’s in various colors are working. Upriver, from Artpark to the Whirlpool in the gorge, anglers are producing lake trout and steelhead using beads and Wicked Worm’s scented egg sacs. The Wicked Worm in Youngstown will be hosting its second annual Spring Steelhead Slam on March 28 in the lower Niagara River and Lake Ontario tributaries. Stop into the shop or register at thewickedworm.com.
Capt. Matt Yablonsky of Wet Net Charters reports that the brown trout bite remains good. Browns are being caught in every drift from Devil’s Hole to the Niagara Bar. Some boats have been out trolling the shoreline in the lake for browns and doing well. The steelhead bite is starting to pick up. Yablonsky says that the bite is a little slower when the visibility is poor but as the water visibility increases, the bite increases as well. The fishing on the lower Niagara River is still dominated by brown trout catches, although there are steelhead and lake trout available – mixed in the same drifts. Minnows fished off 3-way rigs have been the top bait for browns and lakers while steelhead have responded better to egg sacs and egg imitations. The river has had a good amount of pressure so trying to isolate your drift away from the other boats for one key to success. It’s not so much what drift is hot as much as avoiding the boats. Please remember that life jackets are required for non-charter vessels and additionally a NY state boater safety certification is now required when operating a boat.
Mike Ziehm of Niagara Falls reports that water conditions are clear above the power plants. Below the plants, water is stained with about 2-3 feet of visibility from the heavy rain. Ziehm has been catching some steelhead in the clear water by fishing in deeper, calmer water and using white or pink jigs – presenting in the slowest possible way. It is triggering more bites. He landed eight trout on Saturday. He also caught a few using spinners. The ice bridge is still holding for now, but it will soon be on the move. Use caution, especially if you’re in the higher points of the lower river.
Karen Evarts with The Boat Doctors and Tackle Barn in Olcott reports that some boats are already trolling the shoreline and catching browns in the lake. The water at Burt Dam is high and muddy but anglers are still catching brown trout and some steelhead. Matt Vogt of Newfane has been to Burt Dam and 18 Mile Creek a couple times. When the water settles, you can get on a decent steelhead bite. However, every couple of days the rain blows the creek out. Jigs, egg sacs, egg imitations, and wax worms will catch fish.
The Lake Ontario Trout and Salmon Association will be holding its annual pen rearing gathering for salmon and trout at the Town of Newfane Marina in Olcott on March 28 starting at 9 a.m. The 16th Annual Niagara County Bullhead Tournament is set to begin April 10th, kicking off at 5 p.m. and running through to 1 p.m. on April 12. Entry fee is $10 for anglers 13 years of age and older. Kids 12 and under are free. The only in-person registration outlet is Eastside Market, 1577 Lockport-Olcott Road, Olcott.
Finger Lakes and Western New York Fishing Report
Captain Nick Petrou Nick Petrou of Natural Outfitters Guide Service
The past week has been all about the yellow perch. We have started a string of perch trips and with each day they have been getting better and better. Cayuga lake is showing off for this early in the perch season! We have been fishing in the 15-20 foot range with a mix of small swimbaits and dropshots. Some days its lock and load fishing, others you have to do a little searching to find the right school. The key is having long leaders attached to your braid as the water is super clear. I had a crew out yesterday and the perch did not disappoint as we were in them right away. Ended the day with about 300 fish caught and a 3-man limit of 150 perch retained. It was one of those perch trips you dream about. I anticipate the perch fishing to stay good up until about the 2nd-3rd week of April here in the finger lakes. We have 36 degree water still going into April.
Lake trout fishing in the deep still remains solid. Focus your efforts on the 100 – 250 foot depths for best success. These fish will be glued to the bottom and we have caught them as deep as 300 feet. Vertical jigging one to three ounce jigheads with three to 4 inch paddle tail swimbaits has been the best ticket for success. The key is to vary your retrieve on the way up and utilizing 2-D sonar to find groups of fish and watch them chase your bait on the way up. I had a combo perch/laker trip out a few days ago and we boated 16 fish to 10 pounds by 10 am, then switched for perch keeping 20 out of the 40 we caught.
I’ve started to probe our finger lakes waters for smallmouth and the fishing is slow, but will get better as the water warms and fish move shallower. I went out on Conesus lake a few days ago and boated 9 smallmouth all in the 4 pound range plus 2 out of season pike. Staying deep with small swimbaits glued to the bottom was key to get bites. Water temp was 35 degrees.
Wayne County Fishing Update
Chris Kenyon
Lake Ontario
The Pen Rearing project is ready to “Rock and Roll” for 2026. The 90,000 kings will be coming to Sodus Point April 13th. The fish will be placed in pens behind Krenzer Marine. Stop down and watch the fingerlings leave the hatchery trucks… swimming to a vacation home.
The browns have been close to shore next to Maxwell Creek if you have a chance to launch your boat.
Streams
The flow has been perfect at Maxwell Creek. The water is clearer and anglers are catching steelhead in the slower pools on both sides of Lake Road. Use fresh egg sacs for the steelies.
You can cast out from the lakeshore next to the mouth of Maxwell Creek. Throw out some bright spoons to catch brown trout.
The other smaller streams also have a great flow of water to the lake. Wayne County is famous for “small streams-large fish.”
Bays
The DEC docks for Port Bay are scheduled for April 15th. These excellent docks are at the south end and north section by the channel. The north docks have a kayak launch.
Some early crappies were caught on the east side of Port Bay in 15 fow. Use small bright jigs and suspend your bait 10 to12 inches above the bottom.
If there is no wind you can fish Sodus Bay for perch. They are being caught in 30 fow straight out from Shaker Heights.
You can also catch perch between the islands on the northern section of the bay. Use the same bait as ice fishing…perch eyes or forage minnow jigs 2 inch with a tail. Put fresh spikes on the jig.
Erie Canal
Widewaters has perch and as soon as the water temps rise, the crappies will be caught next to the Port Gibson Bridge. For launching the Widewaters County Park has plenty of space for trailers.
There is an excellent DEC site that lists all the boating launch areas in Wayne County: dec.ny.gov/things-to-do/boating/launch-sites/wayne-county
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. On 1298 Route 104 is Ontario Country Max and 625 E Main St. is Palmyra Country Max.
Orleans County
Orleans County Sportfishing Coordinator Ron Bierstine:
After rain through the past weekend and resultant high and dirty flows, trib flows all around are back on the drop. A few cold nights has helped tighten up runoff and hastened the lowering flows. Flows in the Oak are high consisting of diminished overflow water and turbine flows probably at max. Water color is dirty with less then a foot of visibility. Look for slowly diminishing flows and better visibility through the end of week if hydro managers may throttle things back. For better water color a lot of stained flows have to settle out of Lake Alice upstream. There is the chance for more precipitation or storms Thursday.
Fishing pressure is light with a few anglers still managing some steelhead hookups despite the dirty water color. Hookups are coming on egg sacks or big profile jigs or flies. Drifts or swings will need to be deep and slowed down for best chances.
Stained water and warming days mean warming water temps and no doubt some fish will be spawning mostly unseen in gravel spots. Those fish will be more revealed as water color improves. And then there’s the fair number of steelhead marooned for now in the overflow channel that a few float guys using specialized techniques should be able to get back on as visibility gets better.
The other area smaller tribs are coming back around with dropping flows and improving water color and better fishable conditions through this mid and end of week. Flows for now are slightly high with about a foot of visibility. The window to be on those smaller waterways, by the calendar anyway, is now. All spring trib action is somewhat on borrowed time! Just prior to this latest rise in flows anglers were into good steelhead action and some browns. A few suckers are now in the mix thanks to the increased flows.
Pierhead and near-shore Lake chances for brown trout is coming on when wind and waves combine for semi stained water color within range of the casting or small craft angler. Lite to med-lite spinning gear and 2/5 to 1/2 oz Cleos or Krocs or Moonshines is the classic medicine for exciting strikes. A few trailerable boats have been getting out and they are better able to find that nice green stained water just offshore when the bad brown dirty water is in close. The transition zone or mud line is a good place to start the troll. One recent angler out of the Oak worked 6 – 12 fow staying in the nice stain with small spoons on shallow riggers and stickbaits off the planer boards all taking some fish. A few charters are docked now and will be running their first trips sooner then later. Lots of open Lake action coming on for the rest of the season!
Oswego County
River fishing has slowed slightly. High water levels, combined with the onset of spawning activity, have spread fish out, and they are more focused on building nests than actively feeding.
However, when wind conditions allow anglers to get on the lake, the bite is improving. As water temperatures begin to rise, brown trout fishing has been productive.
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Salmon River, Pulaski NY
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Water levels remain higher than normal, and the river continues to carry a noticeable stain. Under these conditions, anglers should focus on slower edges and areas near spawning activity, while taking care not to disturb actively spawning fish.
Egg sacs in pink, chartreuse, and orange have been the most productive. Larger beads in 12–14 mm sizes, particularly in patterns such as Muskegon Madness, Seeker, and Exit Music, have also been effective.
For fly anglers, larger and brighter patterns are recommended to improve visibility and trigger strikes in the stained water.
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Lake Ontario – Oswego County
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With docks not yet installed, launching a V-bottom boat at Wright’s Landing has been difficult. Fortunately, the Mexico boat launch is open and provides a more accessible option.
Anglers who have made it out are finding strong action in 5 to 15 feet of water. Productive areas include heading east toward Selkirk or west toward Catfish Creek.
Stickbaits and small spoons fished on flat lines or short lead cores have been the most effective presentations. Natural colors are working best in clear water, while brighter patterns are more productive in stained runoff.
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.
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