CHAUTAUQUA LAKE

Chautauqua Lake anglers are finding smallies — the special catch and release (with artificial baits) started Dec. 1 — in deep sections of the lake, including Long Point, Warners Bar and Lakewood Bar. Tube and crawfish plastic baits are working well.

The walleye bite continues to be good for those black jig heads tipped off with a nightcrawlers on deep edges and the northeast side of Rock Island.

LAKE ERIE AND TRIBS

This fall, all Lake Erie tributaries have been reporting good water conditions and excellent fishing opportunities. Stream conditions are still good going into the weekend, and steelhead anglers are doing very well. Most steelhead have been in the 21-24 inch range, with the occasional bigger fish. With fairly saturated area soils, it doesn’t take much rain to rile the creeks. The light rain that swept through earlier this week has all creeks running slightly high and brown. Levels are peaking now. Tributary steelhead commonly take flies such as egg imitations, nymphs, streamers and wooly buggers. Drift anglers do well with egg sacs, beads and jigs with grubs fished under a float.

LOWER NIAGARA RIVER

The lower Niagara River was stained, but a few captains decided to give it a go since their customers were already in town. Capt. Vince Pierleoni of Newfane managed to hit double digit trout — half steelhead and half lake trout — using egg sacs off three-way rigs. Use bright-colored baits when the water is stained. MagLips and Kwikfish in silver and chartreuse will also work when drifting from a boat. When the water is stained, though, there is no guarantee you can catch fish from a boat. Shore fishermen can actually do a little better than the boaters in that some cleaner water can sometimes be found closer to the shoreline. Egg sacs or egg imitations work well, as do spoons and spinners. You need something to get the attention of the fish. However, the lower Niagara River and Lake Ontario are both open until Dec. 15. To take advantage of the extra couple of weeks of action, the Niagara Musky Association will be holding the John Henning Memorial Lower River Musky Tournament today from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. We’ll have to see if Mother Nature — and the fish — cooperate for the anglers. Dec. 1 was the opening of lake trout season in the lower river and Lake Ontario for the Province of Ontario. New York’s lake season opens on Jan. 1, 2018. If you do catch a lake trout, be sure to release it quickly and unharmed.

LAKE ONTARIO AND TRIBS

Burt Dam and 18 Mile Creek has been muddy and flow has been slow with around 80 to 100 cfs coming through Burt Dam. Some fresh kings and cohos are still being reported, but the run is essentially over. Those are being replaced by steelhead and browns, but not in huge numbers, according to Wes Walker at The Slippery Sinker. Some big perch have been coming out of Wilson and Olcott harbors, as well as from the creeks in those locations. The piers have been productive when you can stand on them.

The Lake Ontario Counties Trout and Salmon Derbies are offing a Christmas deal right now. Check out www.loc.org, and make sure you mark Jan. 19-21, 2018 on your calendar for the fifth annual Greater Niagara Fishing and Outdoor Expo at the Conference and Event Center in Niagara Falls.