Wade Rowcliffe with a brown trout he caught on the Yo-Zuri 3.5-inch Gold Crystal Minnow last weekend.
More wind in the forecast as Niagara River fishing continues to be hampered due to muddy conditions. How bad it will impact the weekend remains to be seen. Water levels in some of the smaller tributaries off Lake Erie and Lake Ontario are being affected by low conditions, too. The ice boom installation should start Dec. 10.
Lake Erie and tributaries
Erie tributaries are getting some runs of darker fish that have been hanging in the lake mouths according to Danny Colville with Colville Outfitters of Hamburg. There are some that would have entered the creeks in September, spawned during the warm fall and now they are on their way back to the Lake. The Buffalo-area tributaries have a few small runs coming through in catchable numbers according to Colville. If you time it correctly, western Erie creeks have decent numbers of fish as well. The fish size is up this year and, although numbers are lower, the quality is absolutely worth the time. Standard baits like marabou jigs, soft beads, hard beads, egg imitations, egg sacs and streamers are producing says Colville. The smaller creeks still need consistent blow outs. With colder temperatures, the water flows will remain a little bit longer, but the silt will fall quickly, making the creeks clear. Justin Stevens with Catt Creek Bait and Tackle reports that they have had very good reports from 18-mile Creek. Although it has been crowded in the mornings, lots of rainbow trout are being caught midday on peach egg sacs and beads. Cattaraugus Creek has been tough to fish lately. Fishermen are using egg sacs and night crawlers according to Stevens. Best reports are from Clear Creek to Gowanda. Ken Jackson of Sanborn sends word that several creeks are the lowest he has seen in years. Both jigs and egg sacs have been working for steelhead on both Lake Erie and Lake Ontario tributaries. Remember that the Dunkirk Fishing Platform on the west side of the harbor is closed for repairs but the City Pier remains open.
Niagara River
Capt. Ryan Shea of Tonawanda reports water was just clear enough to make things work this past weekend. However, fish were caught despite marginal conditions. Steelhead and brown trout will be the focus as conditions continue to improve. On Tuesday, Capt. Frank Campbell of Lewiston sent a report saying he hit the water of the lower river for a couple hours on Tuesday afternoon and, fishing with Gary Hall of Niagara Falls, they boated eight steelhead, including two double headers using MagLips plugs off three-way rigs. On Monday afternoon, there was about 3-4 feet of visibility up in the gorge for Mike Rzucidlo and Mike Ziehm of Niagara Falls. Both were using No. 4 spinners to catch steelhead up to 12 pounds. The John Henning Memorial Musky Tournament scheduled for last Sunday was a no-go due to turbid water conditions. NY Power Authority fishing facilities are now closed for the season and will not reopen until April 1. The installation of the ice boom at the head of the river where it meets Lake Erie will begin on Dec. 10 if the weather cooperates. This is a bit earlier than normal due to Covid-19 safety concerns.
Lake Ontario and tributaries
Karen Evarts at the Boat Doctor in Olcott reports that some trout are available. Best baits in the streams have been wax worms, flies, egg sacs, beads or other egg imitations and jigs. With the regular deer season ending on Sunday, look for activity in the streams to increase. We could be getting some more rain. Ron Bierstine at Oak Orchard Tackle reports there will be a slight warm up forecast through the end of this week and then a chance of rain or showers, changing over to snow showers by Sunday. Flows in the Oak for now are medium and mostly clear. This could change with more canal water showing up and if we get any significant rain. Because it has been cold, Scott Feltrinelli of Ontario Fly Outfitters says it is sometimes better to wait until the afternoon and let the water warm up. He noticed some good water flow in some of the tributaries between the Oak and Rochester, probably due to canal releases. Smaller tributaries need rain again and they could get it soon. He has been catching brown trout, steelhead and the occasional Coho salmon. He even saw a king in a creek last week. Fishing should be solid through the holidays according to Feltrinelli. The streamer bite has been the ticket the past week or two.
Chautauqua Lake
Not much happening on Chautauqua now except perch and crappie in the canals reports Capt. Mike Sperry of Chautauqua Reel Outdoors. That is really hit and miss right now, too. The regular deer season ends Sunday and better reports should start to come in. It will not be long before ice fishing season will begin.
Final comment period for NY Trout Stream Management Plan
The state’s Department of Environmental Conservation has released its final Trout Stream Management Plan for public comment. Portions of the plan were the result of over 20 public meetings held in 2017, along with input from biologists and fisheries experts. It covers a wide range of management areas and angler interests associated with trout stream management in the state. To view a copy of the plan, visit www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/111015.html. The comment period ends Jan. 25, 2021.
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December 10, 2020 at 12:24AM
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Muddy conditions continue to hamper Niagara River fishing - Buffalo News
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