Buffalo NY Fishing Report – Observations from 11/04/2024 – 11/10/2024
Here’s our latest Buffalo NY fishing report:
For much of this past week, the wind was ABUSIVE. Despite that hardship, I fished all 7 days – thanks to some hardcore clients that wanted to go for it vs. staying inside. There were high highs and low lows throughout the week, but every day ended up being a good time. I greatly appreciate those clients that chose to endure tough conditions – THANK YOU VERY MUCH! Keep reading for more details.
Days on the water: 7
Who we fished with: friends/clients
Where we fished: Lake Erie, Lower Niagara, Lake Ontario
What we caught: smallmouth bass, lake trout
Tactics: drifting bait, jigging bucktails, swimbaits, and blade baits, casting crank baits, drifting beads.
Detailed Reporting/Daily Observations
11/04/2024 – Fished Lake Erie out of Buffalo, NY for smallmouth bass with Tim and Noah. There was a BIG SE and S wind – but it was gusty. We had periods of mild wind followed by some gusts into the low 30s. It was an adventure – and the bite was incredible.
While battling the waves, young Noah asked me, “What was your best day of fishing?” I replied that there wasn’t just one, but there are some ingredients that make a day awesome for me. They are as follows: challenging weather, a problem to solve, fun clients, consistent action, and nobody else around. On this day we checked all those boxes. Awesome session. 
11/05/2024 – Fished the Lower Niagara out of Lewiston, NY with Jerry and Mark. We had big SW winds, so the guys opted to stay in the river vs getting beat up on Erie. The bite was decent for bass and trout, considering the current was ripping. 
11/06/2024 – Day 2 of the Jerry and Mark trip – fished the Lower Niagara again. More big winds prevented any other option. Not much of a change from the day prior in action.
I’ll say this much about my time with these gentlemen – they are impressive. Both Jerry and Mark are elder statesmen – Jerry is almost 70 and Mark is in his early 80s. You’d never guess that after spending time with these guys. Both have fished and hunted around the world (and continue to do so) and have stories for days. They’ve been through some wild situations in their travels, so when I offered the opportunity to reschedule due to big winds and a tough bite – they refused. They wanted a shot regardless. I admire the hell out of that – gives me something to aspire to. 
11/07/2024 – Fished the Lower Niagara out of Lewiston, NY with RD and David up from central VA. I gave them the option to fish Erie for smallmouth or the Lower for trout and they chose the latter. These guys fished Lake Erie with me a couple times and wanted to try something new/chalk up a new species. Mission accomplished. There were lots of boats and the bite was a grind. Still, we managed to put together a solid outing. 
11/08/2024 – Fished the Lower Niagara out of Lewiston, NY with Seth and Jim. Big WNW winds made fishing the Lower again the only option. It was another grindy day with dozens of boats and much of the downstream sections of the river tough to fish due to the wind. This was another outing where I was hesitant to fish due to the wind, but these guys were hardcore and wanted to give it a shot. I’m thankful they went for it.
11/10/2024 – Fished the Lower Niagara out of Lewiston, NY with Chris, Jay, and Nick. These guys have been fishing with me for 7 years now and this fall outing has become sort of a tradition. It’s always on a weekend, in crowds. So, it’s more than a day of fishing, it’s a day of entertainment and this day was no different. One of the wildest sights was 3 guys in a 5’ raft anchored at the bottom of the Artpark drift. They were Canadians and I have no idea how they made it over there. They didn’t last long though – we saw them later back on their side of the border out of the flow of traffic. 
11/10/2024 – Fished Lake Erie out of Buffalo, NY for smallmouth bass with Brian, Tom, and John. When I talked with Brian the night prior, I let him know it wasn’t going to be pleasant out there. We were looking at 100% chance of rain, a consistent SE wind, and temps in the 50s. He said he’d been watching it too and was down to fish anyway. YES! I was itching for a good Lake Erie session.
We started at 7:30 and the bite was very slow…until 9:00 when it lit up…and didn’t stop. Excellent action with more than a handful of bigs in the mix.
The rain kicked in around 10:00 and didn’t let up. We kept catching fish through it though. However, after about 2 hours of being cold and wet, we were losing our ability to use our hands. We did our last drift around 1:00PM, caught a few more, and headed in. Awesome day. 
Seasonal Assessment/General Observations
On the Conditions
It was a long week of battling wind and, surprisingly, getting burnt by the sun. My face and hands are quite crispy right now, but my mind and body are in the zone. Here are a few things I noticed while fishing:
- The fish in the Lower Niagara are getting sensitive to the pressure. There have been ridiculous numbers of boats out there and those fish have been continuously exposed to a gauntlet of hooks and weights. If you’ve been fishing down there lately, get away from the main group of boats and do some poking around – you’ll be surprised where you’ll find fish.
- The Lake Ontario bar was tough to fish throughout the week due to the wind. However, I’m sure there are a ton of trout out there if you’re looking for a break from the crowds.
- The bass continue to concentrate and are cruising around eating juvenile alewives. Many of the bass we’ve been pulling in lately have thrown up these small baitfish.
- The bass are also still on structure, feeding on gobys.
- The lakers are dropping eggs in full force right now – I’ve boated more than a handful deflated females. Accordingly, beads are your best bet.
- I’m not sure about the browns as the Canadian anglers have been crowding their spawning area – it’s been too frustrating for me to fish there.
Buffalo NY Fishing Report – Forecast for 11/11/2024 – 11/17/2024
Forecast Commentary
We’re in the thick of autumn, folks, where erratic weather is the norm. That trend will continue through next week with wind from every direction, cold and warm days, and rain sprinkled throughout.
The wind will be particularly bad tomorrow (it’s already starting to kick up), so I rescheduled my trip. The rest of the week looks manageable, and I’m booked daily so I’m hoping for 6 days out. If the forecast holds, I’ll make it happen.
The Lower Niagara and Lake Ontario bar will get most of my time. However, I’ll be on Lake Erie at least once next week (hoping for twice). Looking forward to it!
Stay healthy my friends – mentally and physically,
Ryan