Greater Niagara Region
Bill Hilts, Jr.
The Fish Odyssey is over, the LOC Derby continues through Labor Day and river and stream anglers are itching to see some salmon and trout in the rivers and streams. The first king salmon was caught in the lower Niagara River last week. No, the run hasn’t started but we aren’t far off. Every year, there are a few caught in the gorge the last week of August. September is when the run will start to take off, usually around the 2nd or 3rd week. Walleye and bass are still the most sought-after species right now. The winning walleye in the Fish Odyssey Derby was a 12-pound lower river fish reeled in by Richard Barber of Niagara Falls on a worm harness. Maribou jigs have also been working for walleyes, tipped with a worm. Both the river and the Niagara Bar have been good for walleye action. Bass fishing has been consistent, especially down by Fort Niagara. According to Capt. Chris Cinelli, most of the drifts in the lower river are holding bass. Crabs are still the best bait. Dropshotting has been working also with most Strike King plastic baits. In the upper river, Cinelli reports that there has been good bass fishing with crabs on the flat between Donnelly’s wall and the roundhouse.
Out in Lake Ontario, Northerly and easterly winds have things messed up in the lake. Your best bet is to head out deep according to Karen Evarts at The Boat Doctors. Target 400 to 500-foot depths for a mix of kings and steelhead on spoons, flasher-fly and even cut bait rigs. When you find them, you can do well. Capt. Jim Gordon of Appleton went out Tuesday and found a pocket of kings between 400 and 450 feet of water straight out of Wilson. He found good temperature 80 feet down and staggered his riggers in 60, 70 and 80 feet with green and black Moonshine spoons to limit out in short order. Brown trout can be found near-shore in shallower depths. Target 100 feet or less. That’s where Eric Bickel’s 12-pound, 4-ounce brown came from on a Stinger spoon to win the Brown Division in the Odyssey and his wife’s (Kim Hubert-Bickel) 15-pound, 7-ounce brown came from to place second in the LOC Derby so far. The LOC Derby continues through Labor Day. Check out www.loc.org for details. Lake trout are starting to stack up on the Niagara Bar.
The 43rd Annual Greater Niagara Fish Odyssey Derby for Erie, Niagara and Orleans counties ended last Sunday, August 25 and it was a battle all the way to the final minutes for some species categories. In the drawing for the Grand Prize, it was the biggest fish of the tournament that was the lucky winner of the $3,000 check – a 36-pound, 12-ounce carp that Paul Natiella of South Lima reeled in while fishing the Oak Orchard River. This year’s contest remembered the late Jamie Brolinski of Lewiston who passed away earlier this year.
The carp category was drawn from a hat with other first place winners that included Lindsay Yaeger of Amherst with a 26-pound, 7-ounce Point Breeze salmon. She also won the special $700 prize for the largest salmon caught by a LOTSA member. Larry Wills of Lewiston caught the first place Rainbow, an 11-pound, 10-ounce fish he reeled in on the first day of the derby while fishing out of Wilson. Eric Bickel of Newfane hauled in the top brown trout, a 12-pound, 4-ounce fish he caught off Olcott. Marty Polovick of Lockport had some last minute heroics with a 20 pound, 10-ounce lake trout he caught from Lake Erie and weighed in with 13 minutes to spare to beat out Pat Barber of Niagara Falls with a 20-pound, 1-ounce fish he also caught the last day on the Niagara Bar. Big smallmouth was Brendan Walsh of Niagara Falls, weighing in a 6-pound, 7-ounce Lake Erie smallmouth. Grand prize in the Junior Division went to Dominic Jeffords of Ransomville with an 8-pound, 3-ounce lower river walleye. Other first place winners who were included in the Grand Prize drawing were Braylee Lukehart of Reynoldville, Pa. with a 24-pound, 4-ounce king salmon; Taven Lukehart of Reynoldsville, Pa. with an 11-pound, 15-ounce trout; Gabriella Geiger of Lackawanna with a 5-pound, 5-ounce smallmouth bass from Lake Erie; Megan Walsh of Niagara Falls with a 2-pound, 3-ounce carp; Abby McGrath of Niagara Falls with a 1.01-pound panfish (perch); and Alyssa McGrath of Niagara Falls with a 7-pound, 14-ounce sheepshead she caught from Lake Erie.
Oswego County
Mary Ellen Barbeau of the Oswego County Department of Community Development, Tourism and Planning.
Notice: Now through Labor Day, New York State is offering free fishing on Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River. Also, 30 state parks along the shores are offering half-price vehicle entry and camping.
Lake Ontario/Oswego River Report
According to Capt. Andy Bliss of Chasin’ Tail Adventures:
Fishing has been very challenging the last few days with all the hard south wind. However, there are still plenty of kings to be caught. Sounds like things are starting to heat up in front of the Salmon River. Spoons and meat rigs have been the most consistent with flies soon to become a mainstay.
Oswego River Report
According to Oz Angling Tackle:
The river flow has been up and down over the last several days running between 2,500 cfs and 5,500 cfs. This morning it is flowing at 3,280 cfs. There have been no reports of much salmon activity in the river as yet. When the action begins throwing plugs (Thundersticks, Hot-N-Tots, Kwick Fish) off the wall is a great way to intercept one of these early season kings, as well as wading up to the dam and using flies or egg imitations. We will keep you posted as the reports come in.
Notice: The bridge to Leto Island is closed, and there are mandatory personal flotation device (PFD) zones on the river. For more information, visit our website at visitoswegocounty.com and click on 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:
According to the Douglaston Salmon Run:
Tuesday was a very good day fishing the Salmon River. All the anglers that I spoke with reported sighting and getting into multiple fish. Rain, clouds and cooler temperatures yesterday failed to have the impact that we were hoping for. There was some fish movement and most of our angers were able to sight multiple fish and got to play with a few, but not the level of action that we saw on Tuesday. The fish are there in decent numbers, but for whatever reason, they just didn’t want to play. Water from the reservoir is currently 215 cfs and the current reading at the Pineville gauge is 285 cfs (ticking up somewhat).
Oneida Lake Report:
The wind has been an issue a couple of times this week and may be again on Friday. The weekend is looking fairly nice with a possible shower here or there. Anglers are finding walleye activity in shallow water out to 25+ feet of water with worm harnesses, blade baits and stickbaits. You will likely find a bass bite in 5-15 feet of water.
Sandy Pond Report:
Activity is quiet on the pond which is typical for this time of year.
Wayne County Fishing Update
Chris Kenyon
Lake Ontario
The king salmon bites have been scattered with the fish out to 500 fow and in at 120 fow. Look for the marks at 500 then fish into 120. Or reverse your troll and start close to shore.
In 240 fow they were hitting flasher flies down 80. The spoon bite still works with Blue-green mags working.
Today the south wind is cranking and predicted to blow for a couple of days so that will push warmer water out and bring cold water closer to shore. Look for the marks to catch salmon.
All the ramps in Wayne County are open for business. You should not have any problems launching a boat.
As of today, Tuesday August 27, there is still a no-wake restriction on Wayne County waters. That could change any day.
The Loc Fall Derby runs until Labor Day, so you have plenty of time to hook a $25,000 Grand Prize king. Hughes’ Marina has weighed some nice kings and browns and still holds first place for the largest brown.
No NYS fishing license is needed for the Fall Derby.
Check the leader board at www.loc.org
Awards ceremony is Monday at Captain Jacks, Sodus Point.
Bays
Wayne County still has a no-wake condition. The Wayne County Sheriff’s Office declared a State of Emergency on Sodus Bay, East Bay, Port Bay and Blind Sodus Bay effective 12:01 a.m. Saturday May 11.
SODUS BAY – IDLE SPEED ONLY CAUSING NO WAKE WITHIN 1000 FEET of shore.
PORT BAY, EAST BAY and BLIND SODUS BAY – IDLE SPEED ONLY CAUSING NO WAKE.
The docks at Margaretta Road launch are now finished. They are 60 X 60-foot poly deck dock.
To launch at Port Bay, use the south end DEC launch off West Port Bay Road. The north end road is now opened for launching.
Port Bay waters have produced some perch at the channel. The perch stay out in the lake all summer and return to the bays in the autumn. They do hang-out in the channel where the water temps are mixed.
There have also been some extra-large blue gills being caught at the channel.
Sodus Bay has been the hotspot for bass this year. Tournament anglers are catching five pounders. The water level is lower so there is plenty of weedlines to throw out worm rigs, targeting big mouth bass.
If you need tackle Bay Bridge Sport Shop and Davenports at the south end of Sodus Bay are always opened. B-E Fishing in Ontario has everything you need to put you on the water.
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
The kayak anglers were paddling around Widewaters, casting for some largemouth bass. The fishing has been excellent this year, with bass, catfish, bluegills and sunfish. There are plenty of access points for launching a boat or fishing from shore.