Buffalo NY Fishing Report – Observations from 03/10/2025 – 03/16/2025
Here’s our latest Buffalo NY fishing report: It’s good to be back, folks! Friday night, before my first charter of the season, my wife asked if it felt like going back to school. “Kind of,” I told her—but with way more excitement than dread. School meant schedules I couldn’t control, tests, and seeing friends after a long break. Getting back on the water? That’s something I’ve been itching for. Clearing the cobwebs and firing up the Warrior felt damn good. Keep reading for more details.
Days on the water: 3
Who we fished with: friends/clients
Where we fished: Lower Niagara, Upper Niagara
What we caught: brown trout, steelhead, walleye
Tactics: drifting bait; jigging bucktails, swimbaits, and blade baits
Detailed Reporting/Daily Observations
3/10/25: Boat Prep
Just got back from Texas late the night before—tap here for the trip report—and hit the ground running. Pulled the boat out of storage (huge thanks to Bob Copelin at Collins Marine) and dropped it off at Streamline Designs for some wrap repairs.
3/11/25: Family Time
Boat was still in the shop, so no fishing anyway. Spent the day with the family instead—can’t complain about that.
3/12/25: Moving In
Wrap was done, so next up was getting the Warrior detailed. Liam Kennedy worked his magic—she looks brand new. Then came the “moving in” part. If you’ve never owned a boat, picture this: two hours of rerigging rods, stowing gear, and triple-checking everything. OCD doesn’t help. Worth it, though.
3/13/25: Lower Niagara Recon
Hit the Lower Niagara with the Whisperer for a scouting run. The weather was a dream—sunny, 50s, barely a breeze. We caught up like old times, but the fish weren’t cooperating. Worked all the major drifts and only picked away at a few. Slow day but still beats the couch.
3/14/25: Upper Niagara Lessons
Fished the Upper Niagara with my buddy Ron—another recon trip. Zero fish, but we learned plenty. Stumbled on schools of smallmouth bass packed tight in shallow water, soaking up a couple degrees of heat from the sun. When I say tight, I mean no gaps—fish on fish. We tried multiple baits trying to get a response—nothing. I’ll get deeper about this later.
3/15/25: First Charter of the Season
Fished the Lower Niagara with new clients Mark, Matt, and Alex from Grand Island, NY. We had a big SSW wind blowing all day and endured about 30 minutes of downpours. Action was a grind most of the day, but we hit a sweet spot with a steady walleye and brown trout bite. Problem is, walleye season just closed—so bent rods, big smiles, quick releases. Those guys were a blast to fish with, though. It made a slowish day fun. My apologies for the poor quality of some of the photos–downpour rain will have that effect sometimes.
3/16/25: Weather Wins
Rain, wind, and no bookings. Stayed dry and off the water.
Seasonal Assessment/General Observations
As I noted in the introduction, returning to the water and getting back into the rhythm of things has been a welcome change. The lack of consistent action this past week was somewhat disappointing, though not entirely unexpected. March is often a month of feast or famine—either highly productive or notably slow—where precise timing and location are critical to success (and often seemingly random). That’s the nature of this time of year.
I’ve been impressed, however, by how quickly the ice on Lake Erie has diminished. That said, significant ice coverage remains (Great Lakes Ice Cover Database: NOAA GLERL), and its presence continues to influence conditions. Much like ice cubes in a glass, this lingering ice keeps the water entering the Niagara River at approximately 33 degrees—just one degree above freezing. For cold-blooded creatures, such low temperatures are far from ideal, limiting their activity and responsiveness.
Despite the near-freezing water, the fish still require sustenance, though their appetites are minimal. This challenge is compounded by the onset of the steelhead spawn. One female we caught had already released her eggs and was preparing to exit the river, while a large, vibrantly colored male the Whisperer landed was clearly focused on reproduction. With their energy directed toward spawning, catch rates naturally decline. Additionally, an influx of smelt entering the river provides ample natural forage, further reducing the fish’s interest in our offerings.
In summary, the slow action this past week was understandable given the cold water, spawning behavior, and abundant bait. Yet, these conditions are temporary. The boat is prepared, I’m pumped up and in the game, and I anticipate a noticeable improvement with just a slight rise in temperature. It won’t be long before the season gains momentum.
Buffalo NY Fishing Report – Forecast for 03/17/2025 – 03/23/2025
Forecast Commentary
The forecast for the upcoming week looks promising. If it holds as predicted, the region will see a mix of seasonally normal temperatures and some of the nicer weather we’ve experienced lately—though, technically, spring hasn’t kicked in yet. Most days, if not all, should be fishable, though wind will make things challenging here and there, particularly on Thursday and possibly Friday. The weekend outlook, however, is shaping up to be excellent.
I’ll be out on the water tomorrow, then again Friday through Sunday. Midweek, I’ve got some medical appointments—routine preventative stuff—to handle. The game plan is to keep working the Lower Niagara, squeeze in at least one more recon trip on the Upper Niagara, and, weather permitting, probe the deep water of Lake Ontario for lake trout. I bet they’re out there waiting. After a long off-season, I’m fired up to be back in the groove—boat’s ready, gear is rigged and ready to go, and I’m itching to see how the spring unfolds.
Stay healthy my friends – mentally and physically,
Ryan