CHAUTAUQUA LAKE

With deer season under way and waterfowl beginning there hasn’t been much in the way of fishing activity lately. However, anglers are catching some walleye around the deeper holes. Vertical jigging techniques work well. There are only a couple weeks left before muskellunge season closes on Nov. 30. Trolling or casting along deep weed edges is a good bet with large stickbaits and bucktail spinner.

UPPER NIAGARA RIVER

After a week of muddy water in the Niagara River, the fishing is slowly starting to improve to the delight of boaters and shore anglers. Mike Rzucidlo of Niagara Falls saw a slight green tint show up in the lower river on Tuesday and he grabbed his gear to head down to the New York Power Authority (NYPA) fishing platform in the gorge. Using a pearl zoom swimtail, he took a couple of walleyes. He switched to a No. 4 spinner and caught a couple of late-run king salmon. When he switched to a jig he managed to catch a small rainbow trout. The fishing platform is normally shut down for the winter on Dec. 1, unless we see some ice. If we do, the platform will be shut down early. Keep that in mind.

LOWER NIAGARA RIVER

A few boats hit the lower river earlier this week under marginal conditions and the fish were hungry. Gold 3.0 MagLips worked off three-way rigs, as did beads and egg sacs. They caught a mixed bag of fish that included steelhead, brown trout and lake trout. Remember that lake trout season is closed so be sure to release those fish quickly and unharmed. Bass are still available in the lower river, too. If you want to try and target smallmouth, head down river from Lewiston and bounce swim baits off the bottom.

LAKE ONTARIO AND TRIBS

Most of the Lake Ontario tributaries are in good fishing shape, giving anglers plenty of options this weekend. Eighteenmile Creek has moderate flow, but has bumped up slightly from a couple days ago. There are still lots of king salmon around Eighteenmile, but the majority are a bit “old.” There have been good numbers of brown trout and fair amount of steelhead as well. Oak Orchard has slightly high and slightly stained flow. Oak anglers report good catches of brown trout with some steelhead, king salmon and coho salmon mixed in. Oak Orchard Creek is also the top regional spot for a chance at an Atlantic salmon catch, although they are less numerous than the other salmonids in that creek. The snow/sleet/rain that fell over last 24 hours will help sustain flows and fishing opportunities on Fourmile, Twelvemile & East Branch, Keg, Johnson, Marsh and Sandy Creeks.

LAKE ERIE AND TRIBS

There has been no shortage of water in the Erie tributaries this fall, bringing in more fish with each high water day. Currently, steelhead numbers and catches are good on all streams. Cattaraugus Creek is the only unknown, as it has been too high to fish for the past month. The small to medium sized streams have bumped up to slightly high levels following yesterday’s wet wintery mix. The smallest streams are the best bet at the start of the weekend. Be aware that fall fingerling rainbow trout were recently stocked in Eighteenmile, Cattaraugus, Canadaway and Chautauqua Creeks. Please handle with care.

With water temperatures now in the 30s, expect steelhead to be more lethargic. They tend not to move far to grab bait and will generally strike less aggressively. Keep drifted offerings slow and low along slower moving “seams.” Downsize your float to detect light biters. Egg flies, nymphs, egg sacs, trout beads and jigs with feathers or mister twister work well.