Buffalo NY Fishing Report – Observations from 06/29 – 07/05/2026
Here’s our latest Buffalo NY fishing report: The first week of July brought plenty of variety—and plenty of heat. Between family trips with my nephews, birthday fishing, two days of fly-fishing sessions, and a reunion with a pair of salmon anglers learning to embrace the slower pace of walleye fishing, there was never a dull moment. The fish cooperated, limits were the norm, and one memorable photo opportunity even turned into a quadruple. If there was one consistent theme this week, it was simple: start early, beat the heat, and let the walleyes do the rest.
Days on the water: 6
Who we fished with: friends/clients
Where we fished: Lake Erie, Upper Niagara, Lower Niagara
What we caught: walleye, smallmouth bass, freshwater drum
Tactics: trolling worm harnesses, casting finesse baits, casting flies
Detailed Reporting/Daily Observations
06/29/2026 – Out with the Nephews
Fished Lake Erie out of Buffalo, NY with my nephews Mason and Gabriel and their friend Reese. I like to get the boys out a couple times a year and this was our first outing. They brought Reese along who had never caught a walleye before.
It was a grindy bite – super calm, HOT, and very buggy. The further offshore we went, the better the bite got. I ended up further offshore than I’ve ever gone out of Buffalo, NY. I might as well have launched from Sturgeon Point or the Catt.
We eventually caught our limit and went drumming. Then I went home and scraped all the dead gnats from my seats and hull. 
06/30/2026 – Birthday Session with Clan Jarosz
Fished Lake Erie for walleyes out of Hanover, NY with the Whisperer, the Silent Assassin, and Captain America. I always fish on my birthday (big 48 this year) – and it’s always good. This one was no different. We solved the world’s problems and caught walleyes along the way. I had the Whisperer home in time for his afternoon nap. The one picture I took came out blurry. I thought I got all the blood off of the lense – I guess not. 
07/01/2026 – Fly Fishing (and ROASTING) with Chris – Day 1
Fished the Upper Niagara with Chris. You might remember him from a report back in March. He’s a fly or die kind of angler and an excellent caster. Being new to the area and about to pick up a boat, he wanted to dabble with some drum and post spawn smallies on the fly.
The bass bite was non-existent. The drum cooperated though.
Oh yeah, it was windy and ridiculously HOT. We were baking out there by late morning. Thankfully we started early and ended early. Still, when I got to my truck at the end of our session, the temperature reading was over 90 degrees.
07/02/2026 – Fly Fishing (and ROASTING) with Chris – Day 2
Fished the Lower Niagara with Chris. It was another fly fishing session. This time, we focused on smallies. He made more than a handful of connections throughout the day. Nearly all were visual takes. It was cool watching those fish emerge from the weeds and T-bone flies.
07/03/2026 – Bro and Sis Sesh in Pursuit of Gold
Fished Lake Erie for walleyes out of Hanover, NY with Robin and Terry. I had fished with Robin a couple of times a few years ago, and she impressed me with her angling skills. We finally got back on the water together—this time with her brother.
Neither of them had fished for walleyes in decades, as both are avid salmon anglers living near Lake Ontario. They brought the same intensity to walleye fishing that they use for salmon. More than a handful of times, I had to remind them, “Relax! This isn’t salmon fishing.”
Eventually, they settled into the “walleye vibe” and put together their limit in short order. It was an excellent session with steady action from start to finish. At one point, I was getting ready to take a photo of a double – that turned into a quad. Summer walleye chaos at its best.
Thankfully, they’re both early risers, so we hit the water at 6:00 a.m. and were off the lake before the wind and heat really kicked in.
07/04/2026 – 4th of July
I had a client on the docket, but we opted to reschedule. It worked out well – I ended up attending my 30-year high school reunion the night prior.
I needed the day off anyway. I think all the heat throughout the week fried my brain a little bit.
07/05/2026 – Another Gold Mining Sesh with New Clients
Fished Lake Erie for walleyes out of Hanover, NY with Maddie (daughter), Dan (son in law), and Darrin (dad).
It was another classic Catt session. I went out to 70’ – deployed baits – and caught the hell out of walleyes for a few hours. The team – a doctor, an engineer, and a lawyer – caught on quickly and did very well.
Weirdly, it was one of those days where it wasn’t chaotic – just a steady bite all morning. Although I generally prefer chaos, it was nice chatting and netting fish at a consistent pace for once. 
Seasonal Assessment/General Observations
There’s a lot of bait—and, in turn, a lot of walleyes—around these parts. Fish deeper than 65 feet, and you’re almost guaranteed to cross paths with them. You can fish shallower – but if you do, you’re likely to cross freshwater drum– sometimes many of them. That’s really all the information you need to be successful right now.
I’ll also give you a little insight into how I fish for walleyes. Some of it might be controversial, but I haven’t missed a limit yet this season, so I must be doing something right. Here it goes:
- Color doesn’t matter. People often ask what colors I’m using. Honestly, I rarely know or even pay attention. I use #14 Colorado blades in patterns like Skittles, Tequila Sunrise, John Deere, Eye of Sauron, Tie Dye, and plenty of others. They all look completely different, and they all catch fish every day. When I set my spread, I use just about every color in the rainbow—some harnesses have nearly every color on them. If I think it looks cool, I fish it. In fact, when my daughter was younger, I used to let her pick the colors when I was shopping. Inevitably, my spread ended up with lots of pinks and purples…and it caught plenty of walleyes.
- In-line weights are my go-to. I troll between 1.2 and 1.5 mph, and every rod has a different in-line weight. I let out the same amount of line on each setup, allowing the weights to naturally stagger my baits throughout the water column. When I’m fishing over 65 feet of water, every rod gets bit throughout the day.
- I rip my crawlers in half. You’d be surprised how small a piece of nightcrawler will consistently produce fish. In my experience, smaller pieces often improve both hookup percentages and landing percentages.
The main point? Just cross fish.
Right now, all you need to do is fish deeper than 65 feet, and you’re going to run into walleyes. If you’re feeling adventurous, head out to 75 or even 80 feet—they’re there too.
If it’s choppy, run a few miles offshore into the waves, turn around, and troll back toward your launch with the waves. And when you pass through a big pod of fish, don’t turn around to hit it again. The walleyes in that deeper water aren’t in a “spot.” They’re out there hunting – cruising around looking for schools of bait or relaxing between meals. Have the confidence to know you’ll run into another group before long and just maintain your course. Keep your lines wet and cover water – it’s ridiculously simple, and efficient.
Buffalo NY Fishing Report – Forecast for 07/06/2026 – 07/12/2026
If the forecast holds for this upcoming week, we’ll get a small reprieve from the heat. Rain will make an occasional appearance, but not enough to be a deterrent. Wind might pose a small issue here and there, but only if you go out in the afternoon – even then it looks manageable
I’ll be out daily. Walleyes will be the primary target but I’ll check in on the bass and drum too. Stay tuned!
Stay healthy, my friends. Mentally and physically,
Ryan