Western New York Fishing Hotline

May 9 to May 16, 2008

Lake Ontario and Tributaries

West is best for Lake Ontario trout and salmon, with the top catches between Olcott and the Niagara Bar. Lake Ontario water temperatures hover around 45F.

From Olcott west, trollers are concentrating efforts in 50-100 feet of water, fishing 25-65 feet down. Spoons and flasher flies have been most productive in netting a mix of chinooks, cohos, steelhead and lake trout. The shallower Niagara Bar area is also a hot spot for trout and salmon. Boaters from Oak Orchard east are seeing the same mix of trout and salmon, just not the numbers. Trolling in 50-70 feet of water with downriggers set between 25-45 feet down has been productive. The best bite has been on spoons.

Brown trout are sticking closer to shore in 20-50 feet of water, with the best bite on spoons and stickbaits. Target areas near stream inlets where waters are warmer and stained. Trollers moving in and out of or skirting mud lines are catching good numbers of brown trout with a few steelhead mixed in. Off inlet areas that have been productive include 18 Mile Creek, Johnson Creek, Oak Orchard Creek and the Genesee River.

Perch catches remain good in Olcott and Wilson Harbors. The best bite has been on minnows and jigs tipped with wax worms. Catches of northern pike have also been good in the harbors. Fishing from the Olcott piers has produced a few steelhead and brown trout and surprisingly there have been reports of steelhead catches up at Burt Dam.

Lower Niagara River

The steelhead bite is still cranking on the lower river. Good catches have been reported from the Devil's Hole, Artpark and Stella Drifts. Egg sacs, minnows and kwikfish have all been drawing strikes. Shore anglers are enjoying an increase in perch catches as they begin to move up the river. Fishing from shore or dock with minnows has been productive from Lewiston to Youngstown.

Silver Lake

Northern pike have been the story for Silver Lake this past week. Anglers report good pike catches in the shallows lake-wide on live chubs. Crappie catches have been modest in the shallows at the south end of the lake, with minnows and small tube jigs getting the most attention. Trollers are picking up a few walleye in the shallows at night.

Conesus Lake

Bass fishing has been good in shallows between 3-8 feet of water near structure. Stickbaits, Rat-L-Traps and tubes have all been productive. Anglers have also reported a good amount of northern pike hook-ups on spinnerbaits and pike shiners. Walleye catches have been decent on stickbaits, worm harnesses and jigs tipped with leeches or nightcrawlers. Each spring season, walleye anglers do well in shallow areas near structure or stream inlets.

Hemlock Lake

Hemlock Lake is a good bet for early season trout. Trolling near shore with spoons or fishing with shiners are proven methods for the rainbows, browns, lakers and Atlantic salmon which inhabit this lake. Hemlock Lake was recently stocked with yearling brown and lake trout to boost populations. These stockies are smaller (9") than the minimum size limit of 15" and should not be kept. Also look for walleye in the shallows along the dyke and at the south end near the inlet of Springwater Creek.

Canadice Lake

Trout action has been decent near shore on minnows, spoons and spinners. Canadice was recently stocked with yearling brown and rainbow trout to boost populations. These stockies are smaller (9") than the minimum size limit of 15" and should not be kept.

Honeoye Lake

Bass action has been good around edges, rocks and weeds in 3-8 feet of water. The best bass catches have come on tubes, Rat-L-Traps and stickbaits. With the warming water, bluegill are starting to move into the shallows, look for panfish action to pick up shortly. Crappie catches remain good at the south end near the inlet on small tubes and minnows.

Stocked Trout Ponds

Two easily accessible Niagara County ponds were recently stocked with trout. These sites are great places for youth anglers to catch their first trout. Oppenheim Park Pond in Wheatfield received 200 yearling rainbow trout and 100 2-year old brown trout. Hyde Park Lake in the City of Niagara Falls received 1,600 yearling brown trout, 200 2-year old brown trout and for this year only, 300 yearling rainbow trout. Anglers be advised there is a daily limit of 5 trout, any size. Earlier this week, Dewitt Pond in Batavia was stocked with 500 2-year old brown trout. Anglers be advised there is a daily limit of 5 trout with no more than 2 longer than 12".

Stocked Trout Streams

The inland trout streams are in good fishing shape, with decent flow and cool temperatures. Your best bet is to target trout in deeper pools, near undercut banks and around overhanging trees and shrubs. Light lines of 4-6 pound test monofilament and small hooks (size 8 or smaller) are recommended for inland trout. Wild and stocked trout will hit small spinners (Panther Martin, Rooster Tail, Mepps, Blue Fox, etc.) dry and wet flies, wax worms, nightcrawlers and salted minnows. Treble hooks can be difficult to remove from trout mouths. Try snipping 2 hooks off your spinner's treble hook; this will cause less harm to the trout you plan to release.

Each year many lakes and streams in Western New York receive stockings of yearling brown, brook or rainbow trout. In addition, many waters also receive hundreds of two year old brown trout (12-15 inches). Listed below are trout waters that have been stocked to date. Throughout April and May some waters will receive additional stockings and many other streams and lakes will be stocked. For information on stockings in Erie, Cattaraugus and Chautauqua Counties see the Lake Erie Fishing Hotline page.

BT- Brown Trout, 2YBT- 2-year old Brown Trout, ST- Brook Trout, RT- Rainbow Trout

Genesee County

Spring Brook (Byron)- 240 BT, 150 2YBT / Oatka Creek (Le Roy)- 4,000 BT, 1,400 2YBT.

Monroe County

Oatka Creek (Wheatland)- 2,330 BT, 450 2YBT.

Wyoming County

Cattaraugus Creek (Java)- 1,920 BT, 600 2YBT / East Koy Creek (Gainesville)- 4,720 BT, 650 2YBT / Buffalo Creek (Java)- 1,040 BT, 200 2YBT / Beaver Meadow Creek (Java)- 320 BT / Tonawanda Creek (Orangeville)- 960 BT, 200 2YBT / Little Tonawanda Creek (Middlebury)- 560 BT / Letchworth Park Pond (Genesee Falls)- 300 ST / Perry Park Pond (Perry)- 100 ST / Oatka Creek (Warsaw)- 1,360 BT.

Livingston County

Little Dansville Creek (Nunda)- 400 BT.

Allegany County

Dodge Creek (Clarksville)- 2,040 BT, 200 2YBT / Black Creek (West Almond)- 1,120 BT / Canaseraga Creek (Burns)- 1,520 BT, 200 2YBT / Genesee River (Amity)- 10,640 BT, 1,100 2YBT (Wellsville)- 6,200 RT, 4,800 BT, 1,200 2YBT / Little Genesee Creek (Bolivar)- 1,760 BT, 200 2YBT / Dyke Creek (Andover)- 720 BT, 200 2YBT / Cryder Creek (Independence)- 1,200 BT, 200 2YBT / Caneadea Creek (Rushford)- 1,040 BT / Hunt Creek (Alma)- 200 BT / Root Creek (Bolivar)- 600 BT / California Hollow Brook (Bolivar)- 400 BT / Vandermark Creek (Scio, Ward)- 960 BT / Belmont Rod & Gun Club Pond (West Almond)- 100 ST / Chenumda Creek (Willing)- 240 BT / Allen Lake (Allen)- 2,800 ST, 360 2YBT / Rushford Lake (Caneadea)- 3,800 RT.

Steuben County

Post Creek (Hornby)- 480 BT, 200 2YBT / Cohocton River (Cohocton)- 2,620 BT, 960 2YBT (Avoca)- 4,410 BT, 910 2YBT / Bennett Creek (Greenwood)- 720 BT / Meads Creek (Campbell)- 2,480 BT, 300 2YBT / Canaseraga Creek (Dansville)- 3,120 BT, 500 2YBT / Canisteo River (Hornellsville)- 1,280 BT, 400 2YBT / Dansville Reservoir (Wayland)- 540 RT.

If you need more fishing information or would like to contribute to the fishing report, please call or e-mail Mike Todd (716-851-7010; mttodd@gw.dec.state.ny.us). Good Luck Fishing!