Buffalo NY Fishing Report – Observations from 04/20 – 04/26/2026
Here’s our latest Buffalo NY fishing report: I chalked all 7 days this past week and managed to fish the entire system – from Lake Ontario to Lake Erie and both sections of the Niagara. I encountered a fair amount of friction throughout — north winds that trashed the river, big seas on Lake O, mechanical failures, cold rain, and a tournament that humbled me. Still, every crew showed up ready to put in work, and we found windows to make good things happen: kings for longtime clients who’d been chasing that moment for years, smallmouth sessions that put me right in my happy place, and a Lake Erie action so good it made enduring a little misery worth it. Despite some of the drama – it’s safe to say spring insanity is in full swing, folks.
Days on the water: 7
Who we fished with: friends/clients
Where we fished: Lake Ontario, Lower Niagara, Upper Niagara, Lake Erie
What we caught: lake trout, smallmouth bass, walleye, king salmon
Tactics: trolling stick baits and spoons, casting finesse baits
Detailed Reporting/Daily Observations
04/20/2026 – 3 Generation Outing (Day 1)
Fished the Lower Niagara, Upper Niagara, and Lake Ontario with Tim, Andy, and Noah. Short version of the story – we bounced around a lot at first. Those big north winds that kicked up the night before kept blowing through the morning, and I’m pretty sure they pushed the mud that usually hugs the east bank across the entire system. Even the west branch — which almost always stays clear when the east goes dirty — was trashed.
The forecast showed that those N winds were supposed to calm down later in the day. So, we took a few hour break, had some lunch, and linked back up around 2:30PM. We launched from Lewiston, NY and drove out to Lake O. It was gorgeous out there – and we did well.
It ended up being an emotionally and physically taxing day, but quitting wasn’t an option for me – and I knew it wouldn’t be for Tim and Noah. I’ve been fishing with them for years – they’re always ready to put in work. 
4/21/2026 – 3 Generation Outing (Day 2)
Fished Lake Ontario out of Lewiston, NY with Tim, Noah, and Andy. With the water clarity in the river still being trashed, fishing Lake Ontario again was the only option. I got set up and started pulling when the impeller on my kicker failed. Devastating. That forced me to troll on the main, and since idle on that engine is around 3 mph, I had to use the trolling motor to slow us down — not optimal at all. Boat control was a constant fight.
We still caught a few, but I had to call it around 11:30 AM and run the boat to the emergency room (Collins Marine). I can’t afford to be handicapped like that during the season.
It was a trying couple of days for these guys, and I’m not happy about it. But at the very least, I confirmed what I hope they already knew — I’ll always put forth max effort, even past the breaking point. They’re already booked for the fall – as always, I’m looking forwardf to having them back.
Big shout‑out to Collins Marine for getting me operational within a few hours. Their service team has saved me more than once.
4/22/2026 – My Happy Place
Fished the Upper Niagara with Troy and John. When we talked the night prior, I told Troy that I had yet to spend a day targeting smallmouth bass with clients this year. I also told him, as I mentioned in last week’s report, that I poked around the upper last Thursday with my buddy Joe in crappy conditions and was disappointed with the result. Finally, I let him know that I had been doing well on king salmon lately. He took all that in stride and replied that he’d rather cover water and target smallies – my man!
It took a little instruction up front – the fish weren’t very aggressive – bites were light. However, once they got the hang of it, they proceeded to hammer. Watching it all unfold put me in my happy place. There’s nothing I love more than fishing smalljaws in the spring on the upper. It’s magical on the toughest days. The guys did well. 
04/23/2026 – Mission Accomplished
Fished Lake Ontario out of Lewiston, NY with Steve, Ethan, and Conner. Steve and Ethan have been fishing with me for years – in the spring and fall. Throughout their visits, they’ve caught 8 species of fish. However, their timing was always off to get the one they wanted the most – king salmon. Well, we finally made it happen.
It was crowded and kinda grindy where we fished. We never really got a consistent bite going – lots of strikes and long periods of inactivity. Still, they closed the deal on some beauties – Steve landed my biggest of the year so far.
After a few hours of salmon fishing, we fished the Lower. It was slow there, but we managed to land a few beauties. 
04/24/2026 – High Seas
Fished Lake Ontario and the Upper Niagara with Ryan and Chrissy. I love fishing with this couple – always a blast. Ryan really wanted a shot at kings and I was happy to oblige. However, when I spoke with him the night prior, I informed him that it was going to be sporty out there. The NOAA maritime forecast called for 2-4’ waves – Warrior weather for sure. He was down to give it a shot. Chrissy was too – maybe just a little hesitant.
The forecast wasn’t wrong – it was big out there. Unfortunately, action was slow. Boat control in those big waves was problematic. We got a few bites and landed a couple of fish – then it got really big and seasickness became a problem. So, we took the boat out of the water and pushed to the Upper Niagara. It was cold and breezy up there too – but far more tolerable and the action was good. 
4/25/2026 – Bonding Through Pain
Fished Lake Erie out of Buffalo, NY with first time clients Jon, Brandon, and Zach. At the start of the week, the forecast was full of questionable days — cold temps, big winds, the usual spring chaos. But this day looked the worst, and it kept degrading right up to the night before. When I talked with Jon, I gave him an out: “It’s gonna be cold and very wet — NOT optimal. I completely understand if you want to reschedule.” He said his sons‑in‑law were down to fish regardless, so they wanted to give it a shot. Nobody has to twist my arm to endure pain while catching smallies.
Well, it was very wet and very cold. But it’s always that way underwater, so the fish didn’t care. The action was ridiculous and the guys did great. Photos were limited — I couldn’t keep my phone lens dry, so most of the shots came out blurry. After about two hours, nobody could use their hands anymore and everyone was soaked to the bone. Jon looked at me and said it was time to head in.
I’m glad these guys wanted to give it a shot — and they didn’t regret it. Hard not to feel good when you hammer like that. I’m always down to go as long as it’s safe. Wind, rain, and cold don’t bother me much — I’m out in harsh conditions all the time and have the gear to stay warm‑ish and dry. But not everyone is prepared for that, which is why I’m brutally transparent during pre‑trip conversations. Still, I get that coordinating schedules between three people isn’t easy, so sometimes it’s worth enduring a little hardship and bonding through it instead of staying inside.
We laughed and shook hands at the dock, reflecting on the insanity and making plans for our next trip – when its warmer and NOT raining.
PS: You’ll notice Zach is in a hoodie and shorts. He’s a madman with a very high tolerance for pain – I was envious. He wasn’t the first to want to tap out. He was happy the rest of the group wanted to lol. 
4/26/2026 – The Tourney
Fished Lake Erie out of Buffalo, NY with Rick, John, and Dave. It was a 3-boat tournament this group of friends does for fun – a tradition we started last year. On this iteration, my buddies Mike Trifiletti of Riverborn Fishing Company and Jimmy Rores of Big Greek Charters were the other 2 boats. Last year, my boat crushed the competition. This year, we got crushed. I take full responsibility for the loss.
For the first 2 hours, we were in the lead. However, me being me, I wasn’t satisfied with just winning. I haven’t fished Erie for smallies yet this year. So, I wanted to learn something new/explore some spots in the lake that have been perennial spring producers for me. Error – never leave fish to find fish in a tournament.
Anyway, we took a short run to one of those spots. It produced, but due to the lack of wind, it was grindy. That set us back about 45 minutes – and put us more than a handful of fish behind the other 2 boats. We couldn’t catch up.
I’ll say this much though – with about an hour left in the day, I noticed the wind kicked up. So, I made the call to return to that spot and we hammered. It was an awesome rally but too late to take the win. Tournament fishing is all about time management – and I failed on this one. Still, the 3 boats combined landed 162 fish. Pretty ridiculous to complain about that. 
Seasonal Assessment/General Observations
As expected, temperatures this past week reverted to early spring/late winter. On Monday, the boat was covered in ice for the first few hours. As I mentioned last week, I’m glad this happened. Things heated up way too fast — in ten days, the water jumped 13 degrees. I looked back through the records, and that’s never happened since we started tracking lake temps.
That warm surge pulled kings in and fired up the smallies, but too much heat too fast pushes kings deep and gets smallmouth into spawn mode early. I’ll always play the hand Mother Nature deals, but I’m happiest when I can get at least three weeks of steady smallie and king action this time of year. Thanks to this cool‑down, that might actually happen.
Smallmouth bass are firing on all cylinders, and king salmon are thick in water less than 50 feet. We’re in peak spring fishing mode. Decisions, decisions.
Oh — and walleye season opens next week too.
Buffalo NY Fishing Report – Forecast for 04/27/2026 – 05/03/2026
This week looks like true spring – mild to warm temperatures, not a lot of wind, and a touch of rain to keep things interesting. I’m booked daily and expect to execute all those trips. My time will be split between Lake Ontario, Lake Erie, and the Upper Niagara. More kings and smallies my friends. It’s peak season folks – I’ve been training for this all winter. Going strong and feeling good. Stay tuned!
Stay healthy, my friends. Mentally and physically,
Ryan
P.S. Trees are budding, more migratory birds are showing up, lawnmowers are out — spring is in full swing. Actually, we’re mid‑season as of this writing. I bring all this up because until now, it felt weird to encourage folks to think about the summer when it’s been freezing.
Summer walleye fishing is only a couple months away, and my schedule is starting to fill up. I have zero doubts that the walleye action this year will be as good as last year. They might not flood the Buffalo part of the basin again, but they’ll be loaded by the Catt and Barcelona regardless.
Call soon to reserve your spot — I have a couple openings in late June, more than a handful in July, and plenty of opportunities in August. Get on the docket while you can – I’d love to have ya!