Fishing in the Lower Niagara River and Western Lake Ontario
Western Lake Ontario
DEC Region 9 contains the Niagara River and the western-most portion of Lake Ontario in New York. The general consensus is that trout and salmon fishing in the Niagara County portion of western Lake Ontario is among the very best New York has to offer. Lake Ontario and the Lower Niagara feature opportunities for catching steelhead (rainbow trout), chinook salmon, coho salmon, brown trout and lake trout. Lake Ontario's chinooks are, by far, the largest found anywhere in the Great Lakes.
Western Lake Ontario offers spectacular near-shore chinook fishing starting in late April and lasting through May. The Niagara Bar, the ouflow area at the mouth of the river, is one of the top areas on the Great Lakes for spring fishing opportunities. Spring action continues east to 30-Mile Point at Golden Hill State Park and all points in between. Offshore fishing for chinooks ramps up in July and runs through September. Popular ports for offshore fishing are Wilson, Olcott and Youngstown (near Fort. Niagara). A good concentration of spawning-bound chinooks occurs each year at the Niagara Bar, offshore of the mouth of the Niagara River, during late August and early September. These chinooks enter the Lower Niagara River and are caught by boat and shore-based anglers later in September and October.
Eighteenmile Creek, which enters Lake Ontario at Olcott Harbor, also gets a strong run of chinooks, starting in mid-October. Many thousands of anglers use the Fisherman's Park facility at Burt Dam, Town of Newfane, for gaining stream-fishing access to Eighteenmile Creek chinooks.
Later in October and November, brown trout begin to enter Eighteenmile Creek on spawning runs providing Lake Ontario's best streamside brown trout fishing. Brown trout are available all winter long, in addition to steelhead. Burt Dam and its relatively constant reservoir discharge, provide ice-free fishing conditions, essentially all winter long. Other small tributaries of note that attract good runs of fish include Four Mile Creek, both branches of 12 Mile Creek and Keg Creek. All are dependent on good water flow for fish runs.
Lower Niagara River
The Lower Niagara River contributes more water to Lake Ontario than any other source, and is a powerful attraction to trout, salmon and other highly-sought sportfish. The Lower Niagara can be fished literally 12 months of the year, however swift currents in some areas can be dangerous without proper experience and knowledge of the river. It is advisable to use the services of a knowledgeable charter fishing guide before fishing in sections of the river upstream of Lewiston.
In addition to chinook salmon runs which peak in early October, the Lower Niagara is famous for its steelhead (rainbow trout) fishing which begins in earnest in November, and lasts all winter long into late spring. Most steelhead fishing is done from boats, drifting baits ranging from spawn to body baits to fly-like offerings. Shoreline fishing is available at several locations including Artpark and associated fishing trails, as well as the New York Power Authority fishing platform and shorelines along Devil's Hole State Park and Whirlpool State Park.
In addition to steelhead, the winter menu also includes great opportunities for catching large brown and lake trout. Browns are available during November and December, with fish up to 30 pounds caught recently. Lake trout are also available to drifters during winter and spring, with fish over 20 pounds available in one of the largest known concentrations of overwintering lakers in the Lake Ontario system.
The Lower Niagara also provides excellent opportunities for catching large (10 plus pound) walleye. Several of the guides, and other local experts, specialize in catching large walleyes which reside in the river during the winter. There is also a mid-summer bite of large walleyes that materializes most years. Again, special expertise may be required to target walleye, which are numerous, but difficult to catch, in the bait-laden waters of the Lower Niagara.
For those interested in dipping for smelt, the Lower Niagara provides one of the few locations along New York's Great Lakes shoreline where smelt are still abundant enough to support a sportfishery. Smelt run the river after ice out, which usually occurs in April. Popular smelt dipping areas are at Artpark and the Village of Lewiston Marina.
Fishing Telephone Hotline Numbers
Niagara County Fishing Hotline-(877) FALLS US
