Buffalo NY Fishing Report – Observations from 10/12 – 10/18/2026
Here’s our latest Buffalo NY fishing report: This past week on the water was ABUSIVE, with wind and cold temperatures limiting our options almost daily. Still, it’s a testament to the region and my clients that we had solid action throughout. The smallmouth bite in the upper and lower Niagara was consistent, we put together a nice box of walleyes on Lake Erie with some lake trout in the mix, and despite tough conditions, good times were had daily. Well, one day of nasty weather finally forced me off the water, and after 14 days straight, I wasn’t complaining. Through it all, my clients were game for the adventure, and we made the most of what Mother Nature gave us.
Days on the water: 6
Who we fished with: friends/clients
Where we fished: Lake Erie, Upper Niagara, Lower Niagara, Lake Ontario
What we caught: smallmouth bass, king salmon, walleye, lake trout
Tactics: casting finesse baits; drifting live bait and skein; trolling spoons
Detailed Reporting/Daily Observations
10/12/2026 – Danny and Jen Day 2
While we were wrapping up our smalljaw session the day prior, Danny mentioned that if conditions allowed us to target something different the following day, they’d be up for an adventure. I suggested lakers and walleyes. Aside from the fact that catching both in the same session is awesome, it would shave about an hour and a half off their commute back to Ohio. Both said that sounded like a blast.
So, we met at Barcelona Harbor, NY, and went for it. In typical fall fashion, the lake forecast was off—Lake Erie was rolling out there, far bigger than predicted. Nothing too crazy, but it wasn’t comfortable.
After hunting for a bit, we got into some lakers, mostly small ones. Walleyes were fairly consistent throughout the morning. As the day went on, the lake got bigger and bigger, and the current was raging. Before I knew it, we were well on our way to Dunkirk. Not wanting to get too far from Barci, I pulled the lines and made our way back.
That ride was a wild one. By the time we got in line with the harbor, I asked Danny and Jen if they wanted to keep fishing in those conditions. I told them I was totally down but wouldn’t be upset if they wanted to call it a half day. Fairly weary from what we’d endured up to that point, we made our way in.
Memories made, plus a box full of walleyes.
10/13/2026 – Let’s Go For It!
Fished the Lower Niagara and Upper Niagara with Larry, Jim, and Tom. This trio has fished with me for years and is always a riot—lots of ball-busting and trash-talking. I aspire to be that way with my friends when I get to their age, lol.
When I spoke with Larry the afternoon prior, I mentioned that it was going to be a tough outing. We’d be dealing with a huge south wind that would have the current raging. IN other words, I gave them an out. However, I followed that up by telling him that if they wanted to go for it, I was confident we’d do well. They were all in.
This is as good a place as any to mention that Larry likes to use his own rod and reel whenever possible. He’s got a Zebco Bullet spincast reel mounted on an Ugly Stik. I’ve made fun of him for using it in the past—you know, being a grown man and all. However, for some unknown reason, he excels with that rod compared to mine, so I allow it.
Anyway, despite the wind, we did very well, landing A LOT of smallies, including some nice ones.
10/14/2026 – Steve and Zan Day 1
Fished the Lower Niagara and Upper Niagara with Steve and Zan. We spent a couple of hours casting crankbaits and fishing skein for kings to no avail. So, we went downstream to see what we could make happen despite a consistent NW wind. Unfortunately, the bass bite downstream was a grind.
I moved to the Upper Niagara and covered some ground. The bite was picky there, too, but we closed out the day with a few nice fish.
10/15/2026 – Steve and Zan Day 2
Fished Lake Erie out of Buffalo, NY, with Steve and Zan. Conditions were about as good as you could ask for—partly cloudy skies, slightly stained water, and a nice chop on the lake. We should’ve done well. Instead, it was a grind. I’m still scratching my head over this one.
We marked fish everywhere we went, but all we caught were small ones. Despite the cold, a steady NE wind, and a tough bite, the guys stayed in good spirits and gave it their all until we called it a day.
Days like this sting. You put in the effort, the guys are great, the conditions look good, and the fish just don’t cooperate. After a decade of chartering, a day like this still bothers me as much as it did when I started. That said, I’m thankful to have spent it with guys who understand that sometimes, that’s just how fishing goes.
10/16/2026 – Weather Day
Facing a huge SW wind and consistent rain, I opted to reschedule my trip for the day. I took the time to run errands and hit the gym. After 14 days straight, I was happy to spend a day off the water.
Maybe I’m getting old, but I don’t remember getting this beat up by the weather in the fall. My memory is likely flawed, but the conditions I fished through over the prior two weeks felt more abusive than any stretch I can remember from previous falls.
You might notice in my pictures that I fished the same beat more than a handful of times. I covered a ton of water and didn’t spend much time in any one area, but in my defense, my options were limited.
I’ve mentioned this in previous reports, but no matter how wild the weather gets this time of year (within reason—I get it, that’s subjective, but the Warrior can take it), there’s always somewhere to tuck away. Unfortunately, I had to “tuck away” almost every day.
Anyway, all that abuse from the wind had me exhausted. I forced a gym session—mainly to see how much it affected me. I figured out that taking 2 weeks off of training at my age hurts. Gotta re-balance
10/17/2026 – Greg and Tanner Day 1
Fished the Lower Niagara and Upper Niagara with Greg and Tanner. After six years of fishing with me, these guys have seen it all—insane bass sessions, as many walleyes as they wanted, kings through tempests, beautiful weather, and absolute grinds in horrendous conditions. Bottom line, they don’t cancel. They go for it no matter what, and it’s always a blast.
I called Greg a couple of days prior to let him know it was going to be another adventure and to dress for the worst. They’ve been in this situation before and were well prepared.
We faced 40-degree temps and a STIFF N wind that cut right through you. When that’s the hand you’re dealt around here, options are limited. We made the best of it, as per usual.
10/18/2026 – Greg and Tanner (plus Nicki) Day 2
Fished the Upper Niagara with Greg, Tanner, and Tanner’s girlfriend, Nicki. As I mentioned above, these guys have been fishing with me for years. Nicki almost always comes up with them, but usually stays at the hotel to relax. Finally, the guys got her to join us, and I’m glad they did. We had a blast!
“Sometimes it’s a rock. Sometimes it’s a fish. If you’re lucky, it’s a potluck.” — Best line of the day, courtesy of Nicki. She’s not an angler, but she kept up with the guys and landed the biggest fish of the day. Of course—women outfish dudes every outing.
The photos say it all. It was an awesome session.
Seasonal Assessment/General Observations
My biggest take-away from this past week is that I’m thankful to have such hardcore clients. While many people opted to stay off the water, I somehow managed to fish six days and once again hit Lake Erie, the Upper and Lower Niagara, and Lake Ontario. It was wild, but I’m not going to sugarcoat it—it was tough at times, too. Here are a few notes:
- I don’t know what’s going on with the bass bite on Erie. That’s my biggest blind spot right now. I was only able to get out there once this past week to target bass, and it was tough.
- The river bite for smallmouth bass is good. However, the wind has limited me to fishing just a handful of areas. We landed a few nice fish this past week, but no giants. That’s a little discouraging, but I’m not ready to say the biggies aren’t around. Still, the numbers have been excellent, so it’s tough to complain.
- The Lower Niagara is about as saturated with salmon as it’s going to get. There was a brief stretch of about 10 days when the bite was good, but it’s back to grind mode now. Most, if not all, are mud sharks at this point. Not zombies yet, but they’re getting there.
- I’m sure there are still plenty of walleyes swimming around NY waters. There were on Monday, and I doubt that’s changed much. I’ll likely find out next week.
Buffalo NY Fishing Report – Forecast for 10/19/2026 – 10/25/2026
I hesitate to comment on this in case I jinx it, but the forecast for this week looks wonderful. Wind, precipitation, and temperatures all look mild. It’ll likely be peak fall foliage, too. Get outside and enjoy it.
WNY weather is chaotic this time of year, but things eventually revert to the mean. What I mean by that is three-plus weeks of abusive weather is an anomaly. That trend always ends, and when it does, it’s usually followed by a long stretch of stable weather. If the forecast holds, that’s what we have in store.
I’m booked daily, and all my clients are solid. Unless something changes, I’ve got another seven-day stretch ahead, with plans to fish everything from Erie to Ontario at least once.
Stay tuned!
Stay healthy, my friends. Mentally and physically,
Ryan