LAKE ERIE

While some anglers are struggling, walleye anglers out of Barcelona Harbor are doing well 70-85 feet going down to 60, with better size coming off spoons. Regarding Barcelona Harbor, this past week didn’t seem to matter east or west, because anglers are reporting good limits first thing in the morning.

A few anglers have been picking up lakers heading east running down to 100 feet. Spoons that are run close to the bottom are a good bet. Depending wind direction, lakers may also be suspended. Yellow perch fishing has generally been slow. Anglers have been picking up some decent catches at times off Dunkirk in 50-60 feet of water.

CHAUTAUQUA LAKE

This past week saw the walleye anglers getting more action in the northern basin than the southern basin on Chautauqua. Trollers are more consistent in their creels, by working jointed stick baits in perch color off Warner’s Bar and Lighthouse Point. The key seemed to be keeping offers in 25-40-foot range, with the bigger “eyes” staging 10-12 feet off the bottom. The muskie bite continues to be off a little from the early season, but casters that put in the work are still doing well casting stick baits off the Mayville Flats and Warner’s.

LAKE ONTARIO

AND TRIBS

Out in Lake Ontario, Northerly and easterly winds have things messed up in the lake. Your best bet is to head out deep, according to Karen Evarts at The Boat Doctors. Target 400 to 500-foot depths for a mix of kings and steelhead on spoons, flasher-fly and even cut bait rigs. When you find them, you can do well. Capt. Jim Gordon of Appleton went out Tuesday and found a pocket of kings between 400 and 450 feet of water straight out of Wilson. He found good temperature 80 feet down and staggered his riggers in 60, 70 and 80 feet with green and black Moonshine spoons to limit out in short order. Brown trout can be found near-shore in shallower depths. Target 100 feet or less. That’s where Eric Bickel’s 12-pound, 4-ounce brown came from on a Stinger spoon.

NIAGARA RIVER

The winning walleye in the Fish Odyssey Derby was a 12-pound lower river fish reeled in by Richard Barber of Niagara Falls on a worm harness. Maribou jigs have also been working for walleyes, tipped with a worm. Both the river and the Niagara Bar have been good for walleye action. Bass fishing has been consistent, especially down by Fort Niagara. According to Capt. Chris Cinelli, most of the drifts in the lower river are holding bass. Crabs are still the best bait. Dropshotting has been working also with most Strike King plastic baits. In the upper river, Cinelli reports that there has been good bass fishing with crabs on the flat between Donnelly’s wall and the roundhouse.