CHAUTAUQUA LAKE

The walleye bite along weed edges has generally been fair, with some good days mixed in. Trolling with worm harnesses and stickbaits or jigging with jig and worm or bladebaits can be productive. Anglers have also picked up some good walleye catches by jigging around the deeper holes in the north basin. Regular bass season opened Saturday. Largemouth bass are typically available in the nearshore areas and around docks. Shallow diving stickbaits, spinnerbaits, tube jigs, plastics and live shiners are good bass baits.

LAKE ERIE

& TRIBUTARIES

From Dunkirk to the Pennsylvania line, anglers have targeted walleye and had varying catch success from 30 feet of water all the way out to 85. However, for the casual angler, trolling or bottom bouncing in 30-60 is a good bet for decent to good walleye action. To the west, walleye are scattered throughout the water column, with higher numbers in the bottom half of the water column. Off Sturgeon Point, anglers report decent catches between 35-60. There was also some good action Friday around Myers Reef in 35-40. Buffalo area anglers are catching decent numbers off the windmills in 30-45. Walleye are also available around the Buffalo Harbor gaps and outside the breakwalls. Walleye fishing inside the outer harbor has been spotty lately.

Yellow perch fishing effort has been relatively light lately, with most anglers chasing walleye. The most consistent perch fishing has been off Cattaraugus Creek. Catches have been modest for most, but the occasional limit has come in. Perch catches off Sturgeon Point have mostly been incidental catches by walleye anglers. The traditional bass season kicked off Saturday, allowing Erie anglers a daily limit of five bass, 12 inches or larger. The best bass action has been in the harbors. The bite should be picking up on the lake as well. Good spots to try include Seneca Shoal, Myers Reef, Evans Bar and Van Buren Reef. Many smaller reefs, rock piles and humps hold bass as well. Tube jigs, jigs with twister tails, deep diving stickbaits, live minnows and crayfish are all good bass baits.

LAKE ONTARIO

& TRIBUTARIES

Lake Ontario anglers are working the 110-foot water depth line from Wilson to Olcott. With a good salmon bite on a combo of high spoons and deep meat dragging the bottom. Green flashers out 150 feet took many fish all weekend. Saturday’s northeast wind dropped the water temperature 9 degrees so anglers headed north and found a warm pocket of water in 350 feet of water.

LOWER NIAGARA RIVER

The lower river action has been good from boats but finding a place to fish from shore had been difficult at best. The NYPA platform is under water and the gorge shoreline offers little relief from the water. Boaters are doing well on a wide variety of fish species. Steelhead and lake trout are still available according to Lisa Drabczyk with Creek Road Bait and Tackle. Walleye and bass are hitting with regularity, too. MagLips, Kwikfish and live bait like shiners will catch you fish. For bass, tubes and swim baits work well. You can start using live bait to target bass now. Remember that musky season opened Saturday in the Great Lakes, too. The upper river and Buffalo Harbor is the best place to be for consistent musky action. Bass fishing has been very good there as well. The foot of Ferry Street is a good place to start.