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Fishing Report

CHAUTAUQUA LAKE

With trout season opening at midnight Wednesday, anglers have been on Chautauqua Lake in good numbers since last weekend. While these are first trips after boats come out of winter storage, it’s important to remember safety. While the lake has laid down a bit it doesn’t take much wind out of the northeast to turn a comfortable trip into an adventure that you may or may not be ready for. Reports of good numbers of crappie are being caught off the Islands (Grass and Rock) in the southern basin, also off Lakewood Bar and Bemus Bay. When one can find them (some tackle shops were not open this past week) minnows will be your best choice.

LAKE ERIE AND TRIBS

March and early April for Lake Erie anglers means perch fishing and the action in the Great Lake is on. From the dumping grounds at Dunkirk Harbor to Buffalo and points in between, anglers are finding good limits at 50 to 60 feet of water. Fishing minnows close to the bottom is working best during the early season. This week the parking lot at the lunch of Cattaraugus Creek had barely enough room for the trucks and trailer in it. Steelhead action in the Lake Erie tributaries has been picking up as weather begins to stabilize. The rain and little snow earlier this week have brought creek levels up and bring fish in the creeks.

LAKE ONTARIO AND TRIBS

On Lake Ontario, boats were making it out onto the lake this week to start chasing fish on the big water. State parks have their launch ramps open, as well as the Town of Newfane marina. Trolling the shoreline with stickbaits in 8 to 20 feet of water seems to be the best approach. If there’s a mud line, work the edge by long lining off the back of the boat or use in-line planers. Brown trout are the primary target, but you may also catch a steelhead or Coho salmon. On the Niagara Bar, a few Chinook salmon have also shown up for a nice bonus while drifters have targeted lakers and browns. The piers were also producing some brown trout for casters using spoons and spinners off Wilson and Olcott. It’s getting near the tail end of the steelhead run into the tributaries, but some steelhead and brown trout are still available. A few suckers are starting to show up and the first smallmouth bass should also become available in the tributaries. There are still some bullheads available in Wilson and Olcott, too.

LOWER NIAGARA RIVER

The strong winds late last week have put little of stain into the river system, but it didn’t shut it down entirely. It has improved every day since then. Conditions were near perfect early this week according to Capt. Chris Cinelli of Grand Island. Pink egg sacs, beads and Kwikfish were all working for him as they targeted steelhead.

Lake trout and brown trout are all being caught from both boat and shore, too. Lake trout like big minnows and the Niagara Bar has been a good place to start … if you can get out there. Mike Rzucidlo of Niagara Falls reported 5 feet of visibility this week in the river and was catching trout on both spinners and jigs. Others have drifted egg sacs or beads to hit some steelhead. April 1 is still the inland trout opener around the state and that doesn’t impact Niagara Falls USA very much because our Great Lakes waters are open year-round.

UPPER NIAGARA RIVER

Emerald shiners are schooling in many harbors and marinas around the upper Niagara River, are still working on yellow perch. Best catches are still coming out of the Grand Island marinas. Emerald shiners are available for dipping at marina/harbor sites and work great for perch.

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