Pictured above: A nice Skaneateles rainbow trout
Greater Niagara Region
Bill Hilts, Jr.
Lower Niagara River
Trout action continues to be inconsistent from both boat and shore although we saw a bit of an uptick from the boat drifters just in the last few days. The smelt have continued running in the Lewiston area and dippers have been going out every night. It hasn’t been a strong run so far but they are still getting a fair number of the tasty baitfish. Go to Artpark or head downriver away from the lights at the sanddocks. The Lewiston smelt festival is set for May 5. For more details on that, go to the www.niagarariverregion.com. Getting back to the fishing, shoreline casters are tossing spoons and spinners and picking up a few trout. Boaters are doing a little better because they can move around to look for active fish. Devil’s Hole is your best bet with shiners or egg sacs. But with so much bait in the river right now, it’s tough to get the trout to hit. Some boaters have opted to turn the corner at the fort and troll the shoreline for browns, Cohos, lakers, steelies and the occasional king salmon. Stickbaits and spoons primarily. Another option has been to cast for bass, Cohos or browns with spoons or jerk baits. The LOC Derby opener is May 5 to 14. Go to www.loc.org to find out details including registration points and weigh stations.
It’s pouring rain right now so the creeks will be full again by Friday. In addition, there is a press conference happening today that is declaring a state of emergency along the Lake Ontario shoreline for high water levels. This isn’t really going to affect the fishing that much, but the Niagara County Sheriff is asking that boats creating a wake to stay at least 500 feet from shore. This doesn’t include trolling. The high water is affecting the docks in Wilson and Olcott so you might want to contact the marina for alternatives before you come in from out of town. Out in the lake, it’s been a mixed bag for trollers. Stickbaits or spoons in tight to shore off boards or riggers in 10 to 25 feet of water for browns, Coho salmon and the occasional king salmon. Head out to 50 to 125 feet of water for lake trout on the bottom and Cohos up top, too. The Lake Ontario Pro-Am Salmon Team Tournament is set for May 19-21 out of Wilson and Olcott. The registration link is now live for registering. Go to www.lakeontarioproam.net. The Wilson Harbor Invitational Tournament is May 13. Check out www.wilsonharborinvitational.com for details. The creeks still have trout in them but you will probably have to wait until those levels come down a bit. Bullhead are still hitting over in Wilson, as well. Suckers have moved in and perch are everywhere in the harbors. If the water is dirty, you may have to wait for it to clear a bit for perch. The piers are questionable because of the high water levels. Don’t take any chances out there. The pier at the foot of Route 425 is currently underwater. Yes, it’s overa foot high out in the lake.
Upper Niagara River
There have been good perch reports from all around Grand Island. Emerald shiners are the best bait to use.
Eastern Finger Lakes / Central New York Fishing Report
Mike Crawford of upstateguideservice.com
Moderate rain fell today in Central New York and streams and creeks are ripe for good trout fishing. It is the peak time of year here for trout fishing. Reports from the southern shore of Lake Ontario are very good with big catches of browns being caught in shallow water. The water temps are climbing and trout fishing in the Eastern Finger Lakes is also excellent. Water temperatures are beginning to climb into the mid 40’s and with warm rain and air temps they will continue to climb. Light tackle fishing is heating up! While the Finger Lakes and most all area lakes are high, that is considered a good thing…Meaning good fishing will exist well into May and early June for trollers and light tackle anglers alike.
Oswego County
Mary Ellen Barbeau
Oswego River Report
The water flow continues to drop slowly running at 18,800cfs this morning. There is very little to report from the river due to the high water level. It will take some time for this to drop to a fishable level.
Lake Ontario report:
When the wind has not been an issue, anglers are beginning to fish the shallow waters along the shoreline for brown trout. Anglers are reporting some very healthy, nice size browns with stickbaits and small spoons.
According to Capt. Kevin Davis of Catch the Drift:
Tuesday was a very productive day. There are some outrageous hefty browns around this year. The lake trout bite was as good as it gets.
The bridge to Leto Island is closed, and there are Mandatory Personal Flotation Device (PFD) zones on the Oswego River below the Varick Dam. For more information, view the Oswego County Tourism web site at www.visitoswegocounty.com and look for the fishing report along the top bar on the home page. The Oswego Fire Department offers loaner life jackets at no charge through its “Loaner For Life” program. For more information contact the fire station, 35 E. Cayuga St., at 315-343-2161.
Salmon River Report
The Salmon River Fish Hatchery building continues to be closed due to construction. The grounds, including picnic area and fish ladder, are still open dawn to dusk. We anticipate construction to be finished early summer. If you are planning a visit, we suggest calling the Salmon River Fish Hatchery in advance. You can reach the hatchery at 315-298-5051, Monday through Friday 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM.
According to the Douglaston Salmon Run:
The nice weather we had came to a screeching halt yesterday. Cloudy skies, gusty winds, temperatures in the mid 40’s and some heavy rain in the afternoon. Several dedicated steelheaders did brave the elements and of the four anglers three steelhead were brought to hand. Flow from the reservoir remains at 1650cfs through midnight tonight.
According to Capt. Troy Creasy of High Adventure Sportfishing:
The water is dropping and the brown mud stain is gone. There are fish on the gravel and drop backs holding at the tail outs. There is not a lot of fish in the system but if you work hard and move around there are enough to make the day.
According to Whitaker’s Sport Shop and Motel:
The fishing remains the same with drop backs scattered throughout the river and spawning fish in the gravel areas of the mid to upper section of river. The anglers who are covering lots of water have had the most success. Anglers who are fly fishing have been picking up a few fish on the swing was well as using nymphs and egg patterns under a strike indicator. For those anglers that are bottom bouncing or float fishing, egg sacs have been most productive. Beads and pink worms have also produced results.
Oneida Lake Report:
Anglers are reporting a yellow perch bite on minnows and a few bullheads are being reported. Just a reminder that walleye season is closed and will reopen on May 6. Use caution when boating as there will likely be debris in the water with the high water level.
Sandy Pond report:
We have no new report from Sandy Pond as yet. Just a reminder that walleye season is closed and will reopen on May 6.
Wayne County Fishing Update
Chris Kenyon
Lake Ontario
Water temps off Wayne County are running 42 to 47, depending where you are fishing. Currently, north winds are creating mudlines; however, they are also pushing colder water to the shore.
Fish the mouths of Sodus and Port Bays and Maxwell Creek. The browns are hitting Bay Rat stick baits and green spotted spoons. Some of the larger browns are hold-overs and have been five to eight pounds.
Charters are running the usual planer board set-ups and are trolling in 8 to 10 feet of water. Look for temp breaks.
Streams
Maxwell has a great flow and there are a few browns in the stream. Use egg sacs. Most trout will be in the lake, but you might have another week for stream fishing.
Bays
The DEC docks are in all bays, which makes for safer launches. The perch are still hitting southeast of Arneys’ Marina. There is a high-water situation, so be a responsible boater and watch your wake.
The pike season opens the first Saturday in May.
The bullhead fishing is now occurring with anglers lining Bay Bridge at the south end of Sodus Bay. The bullheads usually hit leeches.
Don’t forget to check-out Hughes’ Marina, which has an excellent boat launch protected from Lake Ontario. The perch are also hitting inside the cove. Use small jigs with spikes. Hughes’ is two miles east of Pultneyville on the Seaway Trail.
Check out the rest of the Wayne County Tourism web page for the locations and hours of local bait and tackle shops. waynecountytourism.com.
Erie Canal
rappies and perch are hitting in the canal, especially near the Widewaters section. You can also shore fish locations next to Route 31. Some canal sections never lower the water and the official opening is May 17th.
Orleans County
Orleans County Tourism
Fishing is picking up at a pretty good pace on Lake Ontario off Orleans County.
Brown trout fishing is at its best, Coho fishing is good and an occasional steelhead is showing up in the mix on the inside waters.
Farther on out Lake trout are showing up in an abundance.
This is just a great time for fishing on Lake Ontario.
On Lake Alice, it’s some of everything including bass, walleye (not in season yet), crappie, bluegill, perch, bullhead and even a sucker or two.
I’ve not had a good report on the fishing in the lower portion of the “Oak” but I have seen several people fishing at the point.
The muddy water has pretty well cleared to slightly stained conditions and temperatures are near normal.
Finally, the Lake Ontario water level is 8″ above what it was at this time last year and will continue to rise for at least another month.
When approaching shore please be mindful of the damage your wake could cause during these high-water conditions and approach at idle speeds.