National Hunting and Fishing Day is this Saturday around the country. Check out the NYPA Wildlife Festival in Lewiston at the Power Vista from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Also, in honor of NHF Day, Saturday is a Free Fishing Day in New York State. No license is required to fish any place in the state, but you must abide by the regulations for the body of water you intend to fish.
The Northeast winds and cooler temperatures were just what was needed to jumpstart the salmon run on the lower Niagara River. Reports of salmon moving from the lake into the river are consistently being reported by boaters throughout the river and, with the water temperature dropping below 70, it’s game time. The best action has been reported by shore anglers from Artpark all the way to waters below Niagara Falls. Spinners, spoons, and eggs are all taking fish for those casting into the whitewater areas. Drift fishermen in the river are catching a good number of walleyes and those targeting bass have also reported good to very good action. For walleye it’s been worm harnesses, while bass anglers have been having the most success on live bait such as shiners and crayfish. It seems some of the bigger bass have been responding to artificials such as crankbaits and plastics presented on drop shot rigs. Expect the salmon fishing to take off soon for drifters in Devil’s Hole using skein or MagLips off three-way rigs. Mike Rzucidlo of Niagara Falls hit the Niagara Gorge on Monday and went three for five on salmon casting his No. 4 spinners from the shoreline. The dynamic angling duo of Jon Holden of Gettysburg, Pa. (formerly of Lockport) and Brian Graham of Cambria enjoyed a great smallmouth bass day recently in the lower Niagara River, catching over 25 fish in the process. They were all caught and released. The top tactic was using three-way rigs outfitted with crayfish. When they ran out of live bait, they improvised and used a tube jig on the same three-way set-up and that worked, too.
Out in the lake, things are changing with the northeast winds currently going on. According to Capt. Matt Yablonsky of Wet Net Charters, cold water is moving in along the south shore of the lake. Hopefully things will stabilize by the weekend. Prior to the east wind, the fishing out of Wilson had been spectacular for staging mature kings and brown trout according to Capt. Mike Johannes of On the Rocks Charters. Best depths were 50 to 150 feet of water for stagers with e-chip flashers and flies. The browns were on bottom in 40 feet of water and chewing on spoons. Everything changed, beginning on Friday as the fish seemed to know that some strong northeast winds were coming. When he fished Sunday morning, the surface temperature went from 68 degrees at the pier on Friday to 52 degrees Sunday. In 35 feet of water, the bottom temperature changed from 57 degrees to 41 degrees. All the stagers seemed to have shot up the streams and rivers and the browns moved somewhere as well. Six miles offshore (roughly 425 feet of water), Johannes managed to find a mixed bag of kings and steelhead. The fish seemed to like dark spoons such as shadow or carbon 14 in magnum sizes. Riggers were down 50 to 80 feet down, with steelhead on sliders and kings on the bottom spoons. Divers worked best if he put them 60 to 70 feet down. Hopefully when it calms down, another push of stagers will be hanging out front.
Capt. Matt Bedient of 716 Sportfishing reports that fishing was excellent out of Olcott prior to this most recent wind event. His program of spoons and flasher-flies worked best in 50 to 100 feet of water out front.
Karen Evarts at The Boat Doctors and Tackle Barn in Olcott reports that the salmon action has been good to very good off the piers there. Brown trout and a few salmon have also made it up to Burt Dam, but the best is yet to come. Off the piers, J13 Rapalas, spoons like Moonshines and Cleos, as well as spinners are catching fish. Best colors are green and orange. Beads and egg sacs are working at the dam, and yellow and pink have been hot colors. Water releases from the Erie Canal will begin on Sept. 24 for 18 Mile Creek. Perch are biting in Wilson Harbor on crawlers and minnows according to Evarts.
Come fish the Niagara River with AGLOW at the 2026 Annual Conference, Oct 11 – 15!
Photo captions:
Mike Rzucidlo of Niagara Falls found his groove in the Niagara Gorge as he caught three salmon like this one this week.
Jon Holden of Gettysburg, Pa. (formerly of Lockport) shows off a nice smallmouth bass he caught in the lower Niagara River this week.
Brian Graham of Cambria got into the smallmouth bass action this week in the lower river using crayfish off three-way rigs.
Mike Ziehm of Niagara Falls continues to use spinners to take salmon in the Niagara Gorge.
Jon Holden of Gettysburg with another smallmouth bass he caught, this one off Fort Niagara in the lower river.
Big smallmouth bass like this one can also be caught along the shoreline in the Niagara Gorge as Mike Rzucidlo of Niagara Falls holds up a lunker.
