CHAUTAUQUA LAKE

With the recent warm weather this past week and rain forecasted for this weekend, local officials have asked anglers to stay of the Lake.

LAKE ERIE AND TRIBS

Cattaraugus Creek is the best bet for open water this week, with the recent run-off increasing flows. The other steelhead tributaries are pretty well iced over. It is best to keep drifted offerings slow and deep. It is also good to concentrate efforts during the warmest part of the day. Common wintertime steelhead baits include egg sacs, egg flies, trout beads and small jigs tipped with a waxworm.

LAKE ONTARIO AND TRIBS

In Wilson Harbor, Lisa Drabczyk at Creek Road Bait and Tackle reports that yellow perch have been cooperating through the ice there. Open-water action was being reported at Burt Dam, according to Karen Evarts at The Boat Doctors in Olcott, but there has not been a lot of fishing activity there from anglers. Egg sacs or egg imitations top the list, but wax worms and jigs should catch fish, too. Melting ice and snow could start to bring steelhead into streams.

NIAGARA RIVER

The Western New York wind machine cranked up earlier in the with gusts up to 50 miles per hour. We bring this up because it could have an impact on the amount of ice in the Niagara River. We simply do not know for sure, but it is a word of caution heading into the weekend with the steelhead contest coming up. Saturday is the Roger Tobey Memorial Steelhead Contest, sponsored by the Niagara River Anglers Association. You must be a member of the NRAA. Sign up for both at Creek Road Bait and Tackle in Lewiston or sign up the morning of the contest at the Lewiston Launch Ramp. Cost is $20 for a membership and $20 for the contest, plus an extra $5 for a big brown trout purse. It looks like temperatures will be in the 40s today so take advantage of the warmth. The river was filled with ice earlier in the week, but Lisa Drabczyk of Creek Road Bait and Tackle reports that there are still some boats trying to head out for steelhead. Egg sacs have been working well for boaters. Live bait like shiners and minnows are also producing some fish.