Greater Niagara Region
Frank Campbell
The Screamer Team led by Dave Antenori of Pennsylvania came up with a huge 12 fish tournament box – the tournament limit for the day – to score 270 points and jump from 10th place all the way to first place to win over $20,000 for the Professional Division of the Lake Ontario Pro-Am. Their total was 471 points based on 10 points per fish and a point per pound. They beat out Capt. Pete Alex of Vision Quest Charters by less than 5 points. In the Amateur Division, it was the Mutiny team scoring nearly 260 points for two days of fishing.
Capt. Roy Letcher of Newfane reports that action has been good both out deep and in closer to shore. He should know as he was on the winning Pro Team for the Lake Ontario Pro-Am Salmon Team Tournament held out of Wilson and Olcott last weekend. For numbers of fish, his team ran 13 miles out to target colder water that produced smaller fish on all spoons. The next day, they fished the warm water inside to target bigger fish with a mix of meat, spoons, and flasher/fly rigs. Letcher says put your baits down 45 to 70 feet below the surface over 150 to 250 feet of water. The best spoons were Northern King and Dreamweaver spoons. The next tournament is the Orleans County Open this coming weekend.
Karen Evarts at The Boat Doctors and Tackle Barn in Olcott reports that bass action has been good at Burt Dam with artificial baits. Bowfins and perch have been hitting in Olcott Harbor.
In the Niagara River, every report usually begins with how bad the moss is for this time of year. Tommy Holycross of Wheatfield continues to pick up some lake trout despite the moss problem at the NYPA Fishing Platform. Smallmouth bass and white bass are around in good numbers when the muskies aren’t cruising through. Moss is heavy, so Holycross was battling the obstacle by drifting minnows and jigs. Capt. Frank Campbell of Lewiston reports walleyes and smallmouth bass are still available, but you really must work for them through the moss. White bass are available as well.
On June 8, the Pendleton Lions Club will be hosting a kid’s fishing derby at West Canal Marine Park from 9 a.m. to noon. The 3rd Annual free kids fishing derby sponsored by the Northern Niagara County Kiwanis will be held at Wilson Tuscarora State Park from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. for kindergarten to 8th grade students.
Wayne County Fishing Update
Chris Kenyon
Lake Ontario
The bite has been in 125 to 300 fow and they are hitting spoons and meat rigs. Michigan Stingers, Carbon 14, and Moonshine RV’s all work. Flasher flies will also net 15 pound kings.
In the mix has been cohos and some steelhead straight out from Bear Creek. (Town of Ontario)
Don’t forget to sign-up for the LOC Summer Derby.
Bays
June 15th is the bass opener for New York State. Sodus and Port Bays will have largemouths around the docks. Or fish the weed lines using top-water lures, spinner baits, or weedless rigged worms. Chartreuse should be your dominate color.
Port Bay is running 68 to 70 degrees and that is the perfect temperature for bluegills. Fish the points with white/chartreuse color… 2inch grubs. There are some rock bass coming from the bay using the same presentation.
Sodus Bay has some perch action near the islands; however, most fish are out in the lake. There doesn’t appear much shad bait to keep them in the bays.
Limits for northern pike are 5 fish 18 inch minimum.
Limits for walleye are 5 fish 15 inch minimum.
Launch sites for Sodus: Next to the Coast Guard Station (till Memorial Day) and Bay Bridge Sport Shop. Check out the Margaretta site to see if you can launch there. It’s on your right on Route 14 just past Martin’s Marina.
Launch sites for Port Bay: Barrier bar road at the north end of West Port Bay Road and the south end DEC site.
Erie Canal
Bass boats were out in waters at Widewaters casting for bass along the shoreline. It’s all fish and release until June 15, 2024.
Some rock bass were caught near the Port Gibson bridge. Crappies can still be caught by suspending small jigs in 8 fow.
The bass season starts June 15th if you wish to keep your catch. Make sure the fish are 12 inches and the limit is five fish. Widewaters has the bass.
The official opening of the canal was May 17, 2024. The water level is back for the boating season given anglers more areas to fish.
Anyone underway in a boat less than 21 feet in length anytime between November 1 and May 1 must wear a securely fastened life jacket.
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 Road.
Notable Freshwater Fishing Regulation Changes
The following list offers a summary of the most notable fishing regulation changes resulting from the adopted rulemakings described above.
- New statewide regulation for rainbow trout, brown trout, and splake in lakes and ponds. The season will now be open year-round, with a five-fish daily limit, any size, with a “no more than two longer than 12 inches” harvest rule.
- Statewide Atlantic salmon regulations will now allow for a year-round open season.
- Ice fishing is permitted on all waters in New York unless specifically prohibited with the exception of Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Hamilton, Herkimer, Lewis, St. Lawrence, Warren, and Washington counties where previous rules remain.
- New specific dates replaced floating dates for statewide season openers to include:
- May 1 – Walleye, Northern Pike, Pickerel, and Tiger Muskellunge.
- June 1 – Muskellunge. (Note that in 2022, DEC will allow for the fishing of muskellunge beginning the last Saturday in May to accommodate previously planned fishing trips);and
- June 15 – Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass.
- A five-fish daily walleye limit in Oneida Lake.
- A new regulation to limit the growth of the walleye population in Skaneateles Lake. No daily possession limit; 12-inch minimum size limit, open year-round.
- The statewide sunfish daily harvest limit has been reduced from 50 to 25 fish: and
- The statewide minimum size limit for crappie has been increased from nine inches to ten inches.
Orleans County
Orleans County Sportfishing Coordinator Ron Bierstine:
Capt. Bob Songin of Reel Excitement Charters reported that the fishing has been real good and shares tips on the best tackle to use. View his At the Oak video on his Facebook page from this past weekend, 6/2/24.
Capt. Rick Hajecki of Crazy Yankee Sportfishing posted the “picture of the week” of him and his son with a 15# Chinook salmon that his wife Alexandria caught in 250 FOW just off Johnson Creek, 60′ down on a Cannon Downrigger. It ate a Dreamweaver UV Green Jeans!
Save the Dates!
- King of the Oak 2024: June 7, July 20 and August 31.
- Blow date will be Sunday after original date. Presented by Ernst’s Lake Breeze Marina
- Orleans County Open Fishing Tournament: June 7-9, 2024. Follow them on Facebook. Captains meeting Fri., June 7 at the Black North following the KOTO weigh-in. (Approximately 4 PM)
Oswego County
The salmon have returned to Oswego County waters. We don’t know what they’ve been eating, but they got bigger while they were away!
Lake Ontario – Oswego
Click Here of the 10 day Forecast
Salmon have been caught from 120-400’ of water. Warm water has also moved in so be prepared to fish deep!
We recommend:
- Down riggers-65-130’
- Divers set to 225-315’
- Coppers 300-500’
- Flasher and fly or Flasher with meat rigs have been best. But many fish are being caught on spoons too.
Lake Ontario – Mexico
Click Here of the 10 day Forecast
Brown trout fishing remains good out of Mexico.
We recommend:
- 40-70’
- Keeping downriggers close to bottom
- Divers at 150-200’
- Coppers set to 200-300’
- All spoons in all sizes. Stingrays and magnums have been working now that the bait has moved in.
Free Oswego Fishing Guide
The updated Oswego County Fishing and Hunting Guide is now available online and in print. The guide features a new cover and an expanded listing of fishing guides and charters.
The 67-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.