CHAUTAUQUA LAKE

With December beginning, Chautauqua Lake is in transition. During this period, we like to discuss boater/angler safety. Just because there is a little ice on the Lake, doesn’t mean it is fishable. Chautauqua Lake hasn’t seen much angling activity until safe ice arrives. Walleye are available close to shore during low-light periods. Casting small stickbaits works well.

UPPER NIAGARA RIVER

In the Upper Niagara River, Capt. Ted Kessler was reporting some good musky action recently, including a doubleheader for two brothers — Virgil Mosiman of Kenai, Alaska and his brother Brad from Warsaw with 47-inch and 38-inch muskies while fishing with Capt. Ted Kessler of Grand Island in the Upper Niagara River. The season closed on Nov. 30 in the upper river and Lake Erie, as well as the rest of the state, except for the lower river and Lake Ontario.

LOWER NIAGARA RIVER

The Lower Niagara Falls, water was stained, but still fishable after the most recent storm. The lower river had been hot the past week as waters cleared and trout fishing took off. Lisa Drabczyk at Creek Road Bait and Tackle in Lewiston reported that beads, egg sacs and Kwikfish/MagLips lures fished off three-way rigs from boats has been good to very good for a mixed bag of trout. Just ask 87-year-old George Gregory of Lewiston who was fishing with his son, Kurt, and Capt. Joe Marra of Lewiston. They caught double-digit trout over the long weekend using primarily egg sacs, catching steelhead up to 13 pounds and some nice browns. What had them talking, though, was a lake trout that both father and son caught at the same time.

LAKE ONTARIO AND TRIBS

Fishing on the Lake Ontario tributaries is now primarily for a mix of brown trout and steelhead, although the odd fresh salmon can still surprise you. Flows on Eighteenmile and Oak Orchard Creeks have bumped up to slightly high and stained, with 2 feet or less of visibility. The freestone creeks are all fishable at present, ranging from slightly low to slightly high. However, the forecasted rain on Saturday night will likely have all creeks on the rise again.

LAKE ERIE AND TRIBS

Steelhead fishing had been on hold as creeks were running high and stained since Sunday. Most creeks are back in decent fishing shape today, but the window of fishing opportunity is small with rain and warmer temps forecasted for late Saturday. All creeks except Cattaraugus Creek currently have moderate to slightly high flows. The Catt remains high and stained. The Erie tributaries have been fishing well this fall, with good numbers of steelhead spread throughout. With colder water temperatures, it is best to keep drifted offerings slow and low for steelhead that are lethargic and hugging the bottom. Target steelhead in deeper holes, pool tailouts and slower moving seams. Downsize your float to detect light biters. Steelhead commonly take flies such as egg imitations, nymphs and wooly buggers. Drift anglers do well with egg sacs, beads and jigs with grubs fished under a float.