Greater Niagara Region
Frank Campbell
The largest fishing contest of the spring will help kick off the fishing season on Lake Ontario with the Spring Lake Ontario Trout and Salmon Derby, continuing through to May 10. The big fish competition offers a $15,000 Grand Prize for the largest salmon and Niagara Falls USA waters are the place to be in May! Just check out the leaderboard for previous contests to see where the big salmon have been caught. Things are certainly starting out good. Capt. Dave Scipione of Scipione Fishing Charters reports that fishing on and around the Niagara Bar was on fire his last couple of times out. Fish were anywhere from 20 to 50 feet of water. At a certain point it was nearly impossible to get 4 rods set up. Best lures were Dreamweaver, Warrior and Northeast Troller magnum spoons, using two riggers and 2 divers for his program. Top spoon color patterns were green jeans, green glow alewife, seasick waddler, and carbon 14. For salmon, Scipione says to keep your speed around 2.5 mph and your lures 5 to 10 feet off the bottom. For lake trout and brown trout, keep your lures on or near the bottom and reduce your speed to 1.8 to 2.0 mph.
Capt. Joe Oakes of Salmonboy Sportfishing reports fishing is good with brown trout inside of 20 feet of water on stick baits and spoons east and west of Wilson. Salmon and lake trout are hitting in depths from 30 to 70 feet of water. He has been catching fish from 10 feet down to the bottom.
Fish are biting everywhere in and around Olcott reports Karen Evarts with The Boat Doctors and Tackle Barn. Out in the lake, kings and lake trout are biting consistently with brown trout and Coho salmon also in the mix. Black or green spoons, lots of glow patterns, Thin Fins, Killer Fish, stick baits, peanut flies, 6-inch orange flashers like Spin Doctors are working for many. Golden Hill area has had a good perch bite lately on crawlers and minnows. There is some pier action on spinners. Some straggler brown trout are still being reported at Burt Dam area.
In the lower Niagara River, warmer water temperatures have triggered seasonal movements. Steelhead are in the spawn or post spawn phase which makes targeting them tricky as they are on the move or fussy. Best baits have been minnows and MagLips, in that order. Spawning fish have been shallow (10 to 15 feet of water), while post-spawn fish have been deeper on current lines in 20-30 feet of water. Lake trout are still cooperating on minnows in the Devil’s Hole area and brown trout have been spread throughout the river, also on minnows. The reports indicate there have been some smelt showing up for those willing to put in the time and effort. Capt. Dave Scipione of Lewiston fished the river with three-way rigs outfitted with shiners to target trout, hitting some brown trout and steelhead. Alan Raymond with The Wicked Worm in Youngstown reports that river fishing was a bit tougher this week, with the transition of warm water species such as smallmouth bass and walleye. Walleye season opens on May 1. Smallmouth bass are still a bit picky, but some casters were catching them with tubes and finesse rigs. Mark Plennert of Niagara Falls was enjoying good success on smallmouth bass in the upper Niagara River from shore, tossing a Smokin’ Shad fluke on a jig.
Wayne County Fishing Update
Chris Kenyon
Lake Ontario
2026 LOC DERBY DATES
*Spring-May 1st -10th
*Summer-June 27th-July 26th
*Fall-Aug 21st-Sept 7th
Get in on the action and win your share of the $140,150 in Cash Prizes in the 2026 LOC Event loc.org
Lake Ontario is the place to be if you enjoy action-action-action. We are experiencing one of the greatest productive years for trout and salmon in the lake.
The Wayne County fish are being netted from west… Bear Creek to east… Blind Sodus Bay.
Close to shore in 25 to 30 fow the browns are hitting stickbaits and spoons from planer boards, riggers, and divers. Lures have been Stinger spoons and Smithwick Rattlin Rogues.
It’s not just browns. Charters are reporting kings, steelhead, and a few Atlantic salmon also in the mix.
You can also catch browns and steelhead from the piers at Sodus, East, and Port Bays. Cast out your heavy spoons and keep them bright.
Bring your long handled net and be cautious of the fast current in the channels.
Bays
Bullhead fishing from Bay Bridge, at the south end of Sodus Bay, is still happening. Not today because of our south wind gusting at 30 mph. The waves at the bridge are 1 ½ feet. When the wind changes fish the bridge for bullheads and bluegills.
The perch are in 20 to 30 fow, spawned out and at the north end of Sodus.
Port Bay also has perch at the channel, and you can launch your boat at the north or south DEC launch sites.
Erie Canal
The high water at Widewaters hasn’t stopped anglers from fishing from boats. And the canal is not affected by gusty wind like our embayments. You can also fish from the pull-offs on Route 31. Park your vehicle and cast into the Erie.
The Erie Canal will open Friday, May 15th and will run through October 14th.
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:
The spring time big Lake trolling action around the Orleans County Oak Orchard waters continues to be good. And those real nice near shore Kings are still being encountered too. Those are real fine battles on typical lighter rig brown trout setups. There’s not been any serious weather warmup yet, so those near shore waters are quite hospitable for salmonids. The near forecast ahead looks continued cool so expect the good action to hang in or get better with any near shore movements of bait that might be upcoming.
Capt Chris V. from U-Betcha Charters says, “was surprised the fishing was really good this past Sunday even after the NE blow on Saturday. We fished 10 – 15 fow and the brown trout bite was good and we also picked up 3 Kings. Mainly long lines with bombers were working. Then we moved out to 60 fow and got a few lakers with white/green dot spin doctors on wire divers near the bottom.”
Capt. Lou B. of Get the Net Charters out of Bald Eagle Marina had good weekend action too. “Fishing along the shoreline continues to be good. Lots of brown trout bites with a good number of Kings mixed in. We have been working mostly 10 – 20 fow water with fish holding in warmer water of 44 – 46 F. Look for that warmer water because 1 – 2 degrees can make a difference. Best lures have been Dreamweaver Warrior XLs. The smaller earlier season browns are now giving way to bigger, healthier fish.”
Steelhead pens were towed out to the rivermouth yesterday and nets were dropped. Salmon nets were dropped at the marina slips. Release seemed to go well and USDA hazing crew was on hand for good cormorant control. Many thanks to all the volunteers helping with the pen rearing projects and the hard work of NYSDEC and hatchery personnel to make it happen.
The past weekend rains didn’t change flows in the Oak much. Flows in the other area smaller tribs did come up some and get stained but for now are on the retreat. Flows in the Oak are about med or just a little more. Flows consist of a good head of turbine water with about 2 ft of visibility. Pretty nice flow conditions and the near term forecast looks continued cool. That should keep water temps from spiking and allow for the chance for any last lick steelhead chances. There is the chance for rains this mid week +/- 0.75 inch that could raise flows back up.
Bass action should be coming on and if good or higher flows prevail then look for fish to be spread out well upstream. The good brown trout casting action for land lubbers or small craft should likewise hang on as cool weather may hang in and keep nearshore Lake temps cool or when onshore bait movements happen.
Oswego County
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Fishing on Lake Ontario has been exceptional. Brown trout action has been especially strong, with high catch rates reported. Salmon are also abundant, with fish of various sizes available.
Salmon River, Pulaski NY
• Click Here of the 10 day Forecast
Activity on the Salmon River is beginning to slow, but there are still plenty of steelhead in the system. Fish are holding in pods, so covering water is key to locating active groups.
Request a Free Salmon River Fishing Map!
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:
Lake Ontario – Oswego County
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Brown trout have been found in 5–30 feet of water. The most effective technique has been running flatlines 70–150 feet off planer boards with stickbaits—using natural colors in clear water and brighter finishes in stained conditions.
One- and two-color leadcore setups pulling spoons have also been producing consistent results.
Salmon have been located in 25–120 feet of water, typically holding 10–50 feet down. Anglers are finding success with one- to five-color leadcore, slide divers, and downriggers. Productive patterns include white-belly spoons, black and silver combinations, and bright colors in sunny conditions.
Lake Ontario – Mexico
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Brown trout fishing has been more challenging due to a lack of stained water, resulting in more scattered fish. Longer leads and natural presentations are recommended.
Lake trout remain a reliable option in 115–160 feet of water, from just east of Nine Mile Point to the power plant. Effective colors include blue/silver, green, chartreuse, and glow patterns.
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.
Oneida Lake Walleyefest: May 2-4, 2026
For more info visit oneidalakewalleyefestderby.com/festival
Swing The Fly is honored to announce Spey Nation will return August 7th-9th, 2026, to the storied banks of the Salmon River in beautiful Oswego County New York.
This year, we aim to honor the event’s decades-long traditions AND offer a few new and exciting updates.
The presentation schedule for Spey Nation 2026 is still taking shape and will be announced sooner than later, but, as always, the presentations and presentations will be carefully curated to provide a wide range of useful information for attendees to become better casters and better anglers.
Friday May 2nd, 2025
- WalleyeFest Night at Brewerton Speedway
- Discounted admission with WalleyeFest ticket
Saturday May 3rd, 2025
- Derby officially starts at 1201 am
Sunday May 4th, 2025
- Festival grounds open at 11:00 am
- Derby ends at 11:59 am
- FREE FISH FRY for CONTESTANTS
- Live Music: Grizzly Ridge Band
- Awards ceremony starts at 2:00pm
Free Oswego Fishing Guide
Click Here to Order a Free Guide
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.
Click Here to Order Free Information, or email tourism@oswegocountyny.gov