Lower Niagara/Lake Ontario Fishing

[Spiel]

Lower Niagara/Lake Ontario

 

December 18, 2008

Will Elliott / buffalonews.com

 

 

Coho is the way to go all along the Lake Ontario shoreline. After two record-sized coho “crossbreeds” (both well over 30 pounds) were weighed in earlier this fall, boaters during the fall and now feeder-stream waders have been hitting into these silvery salmon everywhere from the Niagara Bar to well east of Point Breeze.

 

Western New York streams see the normal influx of steelies and browns before the official arrival on winter Saturday, but late-season runs of lingering king salmon and unusual numbers and sizes of coho salmon have been moving up stream in areas not even close to stocking sites.

 

Johnsons Creek, west of Oak Orchard River, accounted for one wall-worthy coho, according to Sharon Narburgh at Narby’s Superette and Tackle Shop in Kent. Narburgh also notes casters have hooked into these silver streakers below the Waterport Dam on Oak Orchard and below Burt Dam on Eighteen Mile Creek.

 

Larger coho often have some king salmon swimming in their gene pool, and all put on a vicious fight in whichever pool they are hooked. As waters clear in streams from Four Mile Creek to Point Breeze, casters have to drop to smaller bugs, flies, spinners, spoons and egg offerings, as well as switch to lighter, less-visible line.

 

Perch have also put in a solid showing in bays and along stream edges close to their mouths. Oak Orchard still produces better for boaters than shore casters, but numbers remain solid there. Irondequoit Bay ice melted off last week and shore prospects still look poor for the coming week. When firm ice finally forms, areas as shallow as 3 feet could be productive. Check before heading to ice hot spots at Irondequoit or around Braddock Bay.

 

Coho and perch have been lean, but steelies are mean along lower Niagara River drifts. Waters cleared from tan to green Wednesday morning, and steelies hold from Devil’s Hole down current to the U. S. Coast Guard Station.

 

The New York Power Authority casting pier at Devil’s Hole is closed for the season and will reopen in the spring when weather permits. Shore casters have a parking area above the hole and another at Whirlpool Park.

 

Lake Erie

 

Cattaraugus Creek ran muddy most of this past week, but smaller feeders have settled to fishable levels. Silver Creek looked good — and produced nice trout — early Wednesday morning. Both Canadaway and Chautauqua creeks hold good numbers of steelies.