With the regular big game season on our doorstep, look for fishing pressure to lighten up in the tributaries and the river. Niagara River action for trout and bass has been good. It’s the last two weeks of inland musky season in places like Chautauqua. Perch are still available if you can get out on Lake Erie.
Lake Erie and tributaries
Walleye fishing at night is still working for some anglers, reports Capt. Dave Adrian of Blasdell. Fishing with some friends, they are trolling from half hour before sunset to three hours after dark using Scatter Raps in Clown and Fire Tiger patterns. It’s best to impart action to the lure by aggressively twitching two or three times per forward sweep of the fishing rod, insists Adrian. Target 6- to 9-foot depths and adjacent to shallow gravel piles at the end of the break walls and gaps in Buffalo Harbor. Troll at slow speeds upstream where the current is present. In-line boards can be used but are not necessary. Use common sense, especially if there are other boats around in a relatively small area. There are still some days when Mother Nature will let you fish for yellow perch. Steve Brzuszkiewicz and Tom Baskerville, both of Marilla, decided to take advantage of the side dock at Sturgeon Point to hit a previous spot that offered them success around the 55-foot mark. The duo managed another 100-fish limit of tasty perch, and Brzuszkiewicz was surprised by a 30-plus pound catfish that gobbled up one of his emerald shiners the same morning. The perch ranged from 8 to 13 inches long with a good mix of males and females. Bite action varied from hard bites to hanger bites. They also had quite a few double-headers. Bruce Kowalski with TAAR Outdoors in Lake View reports that yellow perch are still being caught out of Cattaraugus Creek, too, when the weather permits. Target either side of 55-foot with live minnows for best results. The Erie tributaries are still low and clear, but steelhead are in and up most tributaries. Danny Jankowiak of Buffalo reports that most of the creeks are low. His best report came from Cattaraugus Creek, where he caught a 13-plus pound steelhead swinging a self-tied olive streamer.
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Niagara River
Things are coming alive in the lower river as the water temperature has dropped to 51 degrees. Mike Ziehm of Niagara Falls has been out on the river this past week catching browns, steelhead, lake trout, smallmouth bass and some late-season king salmon. The water clarity was sitting right around 6 feet as of Tuesday. Ziehm has been using mostly ¼-ounce bucktail jigs in white and silver and a few No. 4 spinners in silver and orange. The NYPA fishing facilities will be closing for the season at dusk on Dec. 3.
Capt. Joe Srouji of Angler Edge Charters reports that the steelhead bite is getting better in the upper sections of the lower river. He was also doing well on browns down river and on the Niagara Bar. Eggs and beads have been catching most of the trout for him. His tip for success is to use lighter fluorocarbon leaders and smaller hooks when the water is clear. Jon Holden and Brian Graham of Lockport drifted off Artpark over the weekend and couldn’t keep the lake trout off using silver and chartreuse Kwikfish lures off 3-way rigs. Remember that lake trout season is currently closed and if you do catch one, release it unharmed. Lake trout season reopens Dec. 1 in the lower river and Lake Ontario.
Perch are still being caught on emerald shiners, according to Capt. Frank Campbell of Lewiston. Smallmouth bass are scattered throughout the river and In-Fisherman came into town to finish up a fall TV piece on bass with swimbaits and jigging spoons. They caught fish up to 5½ pounds. On the Niagara Bar and lower drifts, action has been good to very good for brown trout, with a mix of lake trout, smallmouth bass and even a salmon while drifting Mag Lip plugs in green and silver off 3-way rigs.
Bass action in the upper river continues to be good. Mike Rzucidlo of Niagara Falls hit some of the marinas around Grand Island, casting Shad Rap plugs. He caught several small pike and had some follows from muskies.
Lake Ontario and tributaries
Karen Evarts at the Boat Doctors Tackle Barn reports action has been up and down in Eighteen Mile Creek and at Burt Dam. Egg sacs and beads are the best enticements for brown trout. Steelhead are moving into the creek. Smaller streams along the lake continue to suffer water flow issues. Secondary options have been Johnson and Sandy Creeks to the east. Yellow perch are being caught in Olcott and Wilson harbors.
Ron Bierstine with Oak Orchard Tackle reports that the good fall action continues in the Oak, especially for browns with some steelhead and Atlantic salmon in the mix. Brown trout are spread out. Lower and clearer flows are in the smaller waterways so gear down to smaller presentations and lighter leaders. In the Genesee River, Wade Rowcliffe of Rochester reports good fishing using plugs like Kwikfish and Flicker Shads, drifting or slow trolling for a mix of trout, walleye, pike and bass.
Chautauqua Lake
It’s crunch time for the inland musky season with two weeks left to go, closing Nov. 30. The musky bite has been a bit flat the last few outings for Capt. Mike Sperry with Chautauqua Reel Outdoors. Casting near weeds on the north basin is always a good choice. Deep diving cranks worked parallel to the weed lines is one of Sperry’s go-to tactics in the fall. The north basin is clear, so natural colors work best like yellow perch or black and silver. If you’re after walleyes, jigging the north basin holes with jigging Rapalas and Gotchas will work. Fish are still being caught casting from shore after dark.
Finger Lakes
Surface temperatures on the lakes are just starting to creep below 50 degrees, according to Capt. John Gaulke with Finger Lakes Angling Zone.
Cayuga Lake: Expect good lake trout fishing in 100 to 130 feet of water, says Gaulke. Fish are post-spawn and back on the feed. There are trout throughout the length of Cayuga Lake apart from the north end. Water temperatures are cold enough for shallow lake trout movements. Checking the shallows (as close in as 10 feet of water) can be well worth your while on the right days. Shallow lake trout will hit most lures – spoons, stickbaits, jigs, blade baits and more. Expect good perch and pickerel fishing out of Union Springs/Cayuga.
Seneca Lake: Gaulke reports that anglers should expect good pike fishing, especially in the northern half of the lake. Perch and bass fishing should also be good. A few landlocked salmon are starting to show up for trollers in the southern third of the lake. Lake trout fishing should be fair to good out of Sampson State Park and further north.
Otisco Lake: Docks are slated to come out this week from the state launch, says Gaulke. Fishing has remained good for tiger muskies, walleyes and bass, along with occasional perch.
Skaneateles Lake: Docks are slated to be removed this week, too. Fishing is good to excellent for smallmouth bass and nice-sized yellow perch. Expect good fishing on all the Finger Lakes right now for yellow perch, bass and fish in the pike family. It’s a great time to be out on the lakes, insists Gaulke.