Greater Niagara Region
Frank Campbell
Frigid temperatures are continuing throughout Western New York, impacting any open water fishing like the Niagara River. Waters below Niagara Falls in the lower river are finally starting to clear a bit, but it’s been so cold that it is nearly impossible to fish. Capt. Ryan Shea of Brookdog Fishing Company braved the cold over the weekend with a customer and they managed to catch a few trout on 10 mm orange and pink beads and white Mister Twisters. Water color was decent and was not the issue. The biggest problem was the cold, with rod guides freezing up and creating retrieval issues. Even the diehard shore guys are waiting for things to warm up a bit and they may have to hold off until next week.
Your best option right now is on hard water. Wilson Harbor is your best bet according to Lisa Drabczyk of Creek Road Bait and Tackle in Lewiston. Yellow perch is the primary target, but the occasional pike or trout can also be caught from that area.
Another good ice spot not too far away is Buffalo Harbor. Tommy Ortolano of Lake Effect Bait and Tackle in Tonawanda reports 10 to 12 inches of ice with a mixed bag catch for anglers – pike, perch, panfish, and even the occasional rainbow trout. Live bait like minnows and shiners, wax worms, small jigs, jigging Rapalas are all working for ice fishermen.
On a final note, whether you are ice fishing, fishing the streams or the Niagara River, make sure to clean up after yourself! It only takes a few bad apples to spoil it for everyone else. A good example of that is the closing of the shooting range at the Tonawanda Wildlife Management Area in Royalton. Some people littering the area was one of the reasons for the closure. Clean up after yourself and take along an extra bag for other refuse you may encounter. Carry out what you carry in … and then some. Show some respect for our natural surroundings.
Oswego County
Report is Courtesy of the Oswego County Department of Community Development, Tourism and Planning
Salmon River Report:
The CFS at the Pineville gauge was at 915 as of this morning; we’ve had a few spikes and drops since January 20th. Temperatures have been hitting lows below zero lately. With very cold weather forecasted this weekend. Water levels will be dropping to 285 for the weekend.
Not a lot has changed since last week. But things on the horizon look like a big change is coming next week. As the water flow on the Salmon River is lowered to normal winter flows the fishing has typically led to good fishing this winter.
With the lower water and cold temperatures fish have settled in and biting. Concentrate your efforts on the bigger deeper pools and anywhere are you find slow water. Fish the inside edges and the belly of the pool.
When winter sets in the more lethargic and less active the fish become. Finding baits that pique their interest this time of year seem to be the best method to triggering bites. Egg sacs have been the best bait in slow cold water. Blues really shines during wintertime. White and peach being the next best.
Other bait options are pink worm and marabou jigs tipped with wax worms.
Best color combinations are typically white with a pink or purple collar. Black stoneflies with chart, blue, or copper back also working for bottom bouncers.
Oswego River Report
The Oswego has finally dropped below 7000 CFS. With these lower flows you are now able to wade around more parts of the river. Use caution when wading this time of year with cold conditions be very careful of shelf ice. The rock will have a lot of ice and a lot of slippery spots.
Anglers are seeing fair numbers of fish in the river. Most anglers are fishing jigs, beads and egg sacs under floats to generate bites.
This lower flow also makes the high wall very fishable. As it gets colder fish will migrate to the deeper spots. The lower Oswego behind the hotels has seen a solid freeze up after the deep freeze and snow. But one good south wind and could all open back up!
Oneida Lake Report
Temperatures remain cold and we have seen a lot of snow fall recently. We now have approximately 8-10” of ice in most places but with the usual pressure cracks, especially near Taft Bay. We’ve seen Atv’s and snowmobiles out daily. But be careful and do your homework on crossing, especially in the changing conditions, slush pockets are showing up here and there too.
The following bite report is courtesy of Captain Chris of Irish Knots; check him out on Instagram (@Irishknotsfishing):
We are reporting everything from walleye to big perch to even a dandy trout caught by team member Jackie McCManus!
The finicky walleye are loving Caty jigs and the more aggressive fish have entertained Jigging Raps and some jigging spoons. Otherwise, you can target perch in deeper water typically the 30′ range and the walleye have been cruising structure between 18′ to 25′.
Colors of choice have been Wonderbread, Glo Green, UV, Green/Yellow with Pink taking a random bite!
Sandy Pond Report
There is a lot of ice on the north pond now, 9-11” as of today.
The following report is courtesy of Woody’s Tackle Shop, just off Route 3 in Port Ontario.
The pike bite is still hot and the perch bite has been picked up as well. We also have several reports of big steelhead caught while ice fishing.
Our go-to baits this time of year are Jaw Jackers, Soco eyeball jigs, slender spoons, Caty jigs, and Swedish pimples. Jigging Rapalas is another go-to technique.
The next derby is an open water derby with bass nation, on Saturday February 5 th. Woody’s is the weigh in station for the region, and you can also register there in the morning or online ahead of time. Call Woody’s for more information at 315.298.2378, or check out their Facebook page.
The main points of ice access for Sandy Pond are: Greenpoint, “The Elms,” Wigwam, and the new DEC launch at Stanley Drive, which is now a free option for parking, but it is a bit further to walk.
Additionally, Woody’s recently announced that they will be the 1k a day weigh-in sponsor for the Pro-Am, this summer. We look forward to the warm weather, but not until we’ve had our share of ice fishing. It’s looking like a good season ahead.
Wayne County Fishing Update
Chris Kenyon
Streams
Streams are still locked-up and the temperatures are not predicted to soar…so try your luck on the ice.
Lake Ontario tributary regulations
Three fish in combination and not to include more than one Rainbow Trout (or Steelhead) and One Brown Trout.
Bays
Sodus Bay has a solid eight plus inches and Port Bay has eight to ten inches of ice. You still need to be cautious of shoreline ice, bubblers and small tributaries entering the bays.
Anglers are scattered out from Third Creek, straight out from Shippers Landing restaurant, and near Oak Park. Perch are hitting mostly silver. Use Swedish Pimples, small Kastmasters or larger jigs tipped with spikes.
There is around five inches of snow on top which makes hauling your trap a bit of a challenge.
The larger ice fishing jigs will get you to the bottom in 30 feet of water real quickly.
The Port Bay action is just west of the channel and on the east side of the bay. The perch bite has been excellent, however sometimes you need to move around if you are catching smaller fish.
The limit on perch is 50 fish with no minimum length.
All persons on board a recreational vessel less than 21 feet in length (including canoes, kayaks, and rowboats) must wear a USCG–approved PFD from November 1 to May 1.
Erie Canal
There is safe ice near Widewaters however you still need to be cautious above canal current. The Widewaters area has perch, sunfish, and crappies.
All persons on board a recreational vessel less than 21 feet in length (including canoes, kayaks, and rowboats) must wear a USCG–approved PFD from November 1 to May 1.
The 2021 New York State fishing guide can be found at https://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/7917.html for downloading and printing at home. Production of hard copies is finished and have been delivered to License Issuing Agents. Hard copies can be requested by emailing FWFish@dec.ny.gov.
Keep informed from the NYS Canal web for changes and restrictions with canal waters. Keep informed about 2021 canal hours. (There will be no fees for the 2021 canal boating season.) May 21st is the scheduling for the canal opening. Hours are 7 am till 5pm. Stay informed with the below web page.
Safety Precautions from DEC
While enjoying the outdoors, please continue to follow the CDC/New York State Department of Health guidelines (leaves DEC’s website) for preventing the spread of colds, flu, and COVID-19:
- Try to keep at least six (6) feet of distance between you and others.
- Avoid close contact, such as shaking hands, hugging, and kissing.
- Wash hands often or use a hand sanitizer when soap and water are not available.
- Avoid surfaces that are touched often, such as doorknobs, handrails, and playground equipment.
When fishing, DEC recommends avoiding busy waters and following the guidelines on DEC’s website about fishing responsibly in New York State. If an angler arrives at a parking lot and there are several cars, they should consider going to another parking lot. If an angler is fishing upstream, they should fish downstream of the other angler or consider fishing another day. Anglers fishing from boats should be able to maintain at least six feet of distance between one another. For more information about the benefits of being outdoors safely and responsibly, go to DEC’s website.
New York State is open for fishing and DEC encourages anglers to recreate locally at a nearby waterbody. New York’s lakes and streams offer great opportunities for fishing in a wide array of settings across the state. Even during the current COVID-19 public health crisis, getting outdoors and connecting with nature while angling in New York’s waters is a great way to help maintain mental and physical health.
Orleans County
This week’s report is from Ron Bierstine from Oak Orchard Tackle & Lodge:
Winter and cold and snow is hanging in. Seasonable cold is forecast to hang in at least thru the week and weekend. Some Lake Effect Snow showers have amounted to a few more inches of fluffy accumulation on top of the 1-2 ft of previous snow. Forecast is mostly clear thru the upcoming week, no significant impact expected from the upcoming east coast storm. I, for one, am glad for some consistent winter weather to at least “reset” seasonal conditions after the mild fall. The hope is this cold weather will be a good thing for later winter and spring steelhead action. For now most all waterways are low and clear. Fast water spots on the Oak remain open with just some bank ice. Careful and hardy drifters have hooked up on some bright steelhead. The other area smaller waterways are mostly iced and snowed in.