CHAUTAUQUA LAKE

Up until pre-poison being introduced into Chautauqua Lake, the walleye fishing on the lake was really good for shoreline anglers casting at first light and just before dust but magically the bite has stopped, just like turning a light switch off. The upper basin has been producing deep walleyes off Warners Bar and in front of WeWanChu Cottages.

Reports of good numbers of muskie in the 46-50 inch range. Perch are hitting lakewide, with a good blue gill bite happening off Mayville Flats.

LAKE ERIE & TRIBUTARIES

The special early season (make sure to check NYS DEC regulations) smallmouth bass anglers have sharing stories of many 5-plus pounders and several tipping the scale at 6 pounds. Van Buren and Dumping Grounds have been producing the best numbers.

Cattaraugus Creek is still fishing good but the other Lake Erie tributaries have slightly lower and clear conditions. It is primetime for smallmouth bass fishing in tributaries. Traditionally, woolly buggers and streamers are good bets for fly anglers, and spinning anglers do well with stickbaits, minnows and jigs with grubs or plastics fished under a float. The lower section of Cattaraugus Creek is a good spot to target channel catfish. Nightcrawlers, chicken livers or raw shrimp fished on the bottom work well, especially at night. The deeper holes down low in the other creeks may hold catfish as well. Anglers can also catch catfish along the Lake Erie shoreline on calm nights, especially near stream inlets.

LAKE ONTARIO

& TRIBUTARIES

Using downriggers and divers to get baits down as deep as 140 feet below the surface over 300 to 350 feet of water. Spoons and N&D cut bait were the two items that worked best for presentations. The divers were are being set 350 feet back on No. 1 setting. Everything isn’t deep though. Some of the bigger kings being taken on free-floating sliders off the riggers. Anglers are doing very well on the Niagara Bar, but closer to the ledge. Cut bait off the riggers 100 to 120 feet down over 120 to 180 feet of water was the best. On the divers, they were set at No. 1 and were 270 feet back. Spoons or flasher/fly worked best.

LOWER NIAGARA RIVER

In the lower Niagara River, smallmouth bass have been everywhere according to Lisa Drabczyk with Creek Road Bait and Tackle. Tube jigs and swim baits are the way to go. Rage Swimmer and the 4-inch KVD Swim-N-Shiner have been the hot baits for smallmouth bass for Capt. Frank Campbell of Niagara Region Charters. Walleye are still being caught at Lewiston Landing at night, but action is slowing down according to Drabczyk. If you want to give it a try, use jigs, ribbed plastics and live bait. Some steelhead are still in Devil’s Hole. Use live bait if fishing from a boat. Shore casters are using beads, spinners, spoons and sacs if you can find some dry land to cast from. Bass is the top target in the upper river, too. Some walleyes are being caught off Broderick Park.