Buffalo NY Fishing Report – Observations from 10/19 – 10/25/2026
Here’s our latest Buffalo NY fishing report: It was a productive week with plenty of variety. Despite a couple of way-off forecasts, I managed to fish Lake Erie, the Upper and Lower Niagara, and the Lake Ontario Bar catching bass, lakers, and walleyes along the way. The Upper Niagara bass bite was strong on every outing with a few biggies and ridiculous numbers. Lake Erie action came in flurries, but we landed plenty of walleyes and lakers on every session. Best of all, I finally got to run my full 360 program on the Upper Niagara and explore some new water I’ve wanted to fish for years. The fall frenzy is nigh folks, it’s been awesome so far and it’s only going to get better.
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; trolling spoons
Detailed Reporting/Daily Observations
10/19/2026 – Another Off Forecast
Fished Lake Erie and the Upper Niagara with the Whisperer and the Silent Assassin. The plan was to go perch fishing, as the forecast called for waves of 1’ or less. These guys have been nudging me to give perch fishing a shot for years, and I finally caved, especially with such an ideal forecast.
Unfortunately, when we got out on Erie, consistent 3’+ waves were rolling. We set up on the first spot, and the Whisperer hooked up immediately. Then, nothing for a long time.
I said something along the lines of, “I don’t know much about perch fishing, but what I do know is that it’s tough when there are big waves.” The guys concurred, so we moved to the river to do some bass fishing. That bite was picky at first, but after a little hunting, we got into them.
10/20/2026 – “Leave the Bait at Home”
Fished the Lower Niagara and Upper Niagara with new clients, Keith and Jason, who were in town from PA. When I spoke with Keith the night prior, I gave them two options: fish for lakers and walleyes out of Barcelona, NY, or target smallmouth bass in the Niagara River. Keith said they prefer fishing with rod in hand, ideally casting. I explained that smallmouth bass would be their best bet, but I fish bait a lot this time of year because it’s far more productive. Keith told me I could leave the bait at home. Both he and Jason were competent anglers who just needed a little orientation to make it happen.
Over the years, I’ve had clients book trips and tell me they’re good anglers, only to discover after a few minutes of fishing that they’re not. That’s not a problem—I adjust the plan for the day accordingly. But it does happen. I explained this to Keith, and he assured me I wouldn’t have to worry about them. He was right.
These guys were excellent anglers and willing to cover a ton of water and explore throughout the day. We caught fish everywhere we went, prospecting with blade baits and hooking up often. It was a blast and made me feel like I was fishing the Upper Niagara in the fall for the first time.
10/21/2026 – Something New to Do
Fished Lake Erie out of Barcelona Harbor, NY, with Steve and Alex. If you’re a regular reader of these reports, you’ve seen their faces many times. These guys like catching big trout and salmon, and we usually cast cranks in Devil’s Hole this time of year. However, with the salmon bite up there all but dying off last week, I offered them a Barci experience. They had never been there before and were all about a new experience.
The bite was good for both lakers and walleyes, but it came in waves. We’d go long periods without action, followed by a stretch of chaos. We caught some beastly specimens of both species.
10/22/2026 – My New Happy Place in the Fall
Fished the Upper Niagara with new clients Alan, Jarod, and Shane. Alan organized the trip to treat a couple of his clients and friends to a day on the water. The forecast looked perfect, so the plan was to execute the 360 program on the Upper Niagara—hitting spots around the entire circumference of Grand Island. I’ve wanted to do this all October, but strong winds have prevented it. I was stoked to finally run the program without any issues.
I’m happy to say we covered a ton of water and caught fish in every zone. I also fished three new areas I’ve wanted to explore in the fall for years, and we found plenty of fish in all three. I’ve said this a few times over the years in my reports, and I’ll say it again: nothing makes me happier while guiding around here than learning something new or catching a fish in a new place. It was an awesome day.
10/23/2026 – In Town from Philly
Fished Lake Erie out of Barcelona Harbor, NY, with new clients Peter and Steve. These buddies were in town from Philadelphia, PA, for the Sabres/Flyers game and wanted to do a little fishing while they were here. They don’t have many walleyes back home, nor do they have any lakers. Wanting to catch something new, Barci sparked their interest, so we made it happen.
Once again, action was spotty. We caught fish, but the bites came in flurries. For most of the morning, there was only a light chop out there—until around 11:30 a.m., when things started to change. Despite a forecast to the contrary, the waves grew to consistent 3-footers, with the occasional 4- to 5-footer. It got a little sporty out there, and considering we already had a very healthy box of fish, the guys decided to call it a bit early.
Note: the ramps at Barcelona Harbor will be out by the time you read this. The cleaning station at the Buffalo Small boat harbor was open when I stopped there on the way home. However, I don’t know how long that’ll last. Also, the hoses at the washdown station by the ramp there are turned off—I wasn’t happy to find that out the hard way. 
10/24/2026 – Last Minute Cancellation
One of the clients I had scheduled for this day called to tell me he had to get emergency surgery earlier that week. Although he wanted to fish badly, he needed time to heal. Although I really wanted to get back out there, I was also happy to have the day off. I took the time to detail the boat, go to the gym, do some end-of-year inventory, etc. – you know, relaxing stuff.
10/25/2026 – Post Wedding Relaxation
Fished the Upper Niagara with Bill, Derrick, and Derrick’s father, Sal. After Friday, Derrick is now Bill’s son-in-law. Derrick and Bill’s daughter got married near Seneca Lake, and Bill and Sal came to town for the wedding. The guys wanted to follow that up with a day on the water, and I was happy to make that happen.
I executed the full 360 program. The bite started off kind of grindy. We caught fish everywhere we went, but the action was sporadic at best. That all changed in the back half of the day—the crew rallied and managed to catch quality fish in excellent numbers. Although I wasn’t happy with the slow start, I’d rather finish strong than crush it early and end on a dud.
Gorgeous weather, plenty of action to go around, and a super-relaxing day. A wonderful session.
Seasonal Assessment/General Observations
Stable weather this past week allowed me to cover a lot of ground and get a sense of what’s going on. Here are a few notes:
- The bass bite on the river remains strong. Areas that have been pressured over the past few weeks are starting to produce very poorly. Cover water, explore new areas, and you’ll be surprised by what you find.
- I’m still clueless about the Lake Erie bass bite. Honestly, that’s not bothering me much. I’ll get out there more next month, when the water temperature drops and those historically high-producing areas start filling up with fish.
- The salmon in the rivers and creeks are mud sharks at this point. Enough said.
- The trout run on the Lower Niagara is building steam. There are a lot of browns and lakers in the system, but the bite for them isn’t good just yet. It’s like the fish are getting used to their surroundings when they first enter the system. You’ll see a lot of porpoising and “vying for position” going on. People mistake that behavior for feeding, but that’s not what’s happening. You can spend time fishing for them and maybe catch a couple, but they’re still getting “set up.”
- There are still quite a few migratory schools of walleyes swimming around New York waters. I’ve only fished for them out of Barci lately. It’s not a furious bite, but with enough work, limits are attainable.
Buffalo NY Fishing Report – Forecast for 10/26/2026 – 11/01/2026
For the most part, the forecast for next week looks good. There are a couple of days when the wind will create some problems, but every day looks fishable. I’m booked daily and expect to be out every day.
Once again, I expect to fish Lake Erie, the Upper and Lower Niagara, and Lake Ontario. Bassing will take priority, but I’m confident we’ll get into some trout and walleyes at some point. Stay tuned!
Stay tuned!
Stay healthy, my friends. Mentally and physically,
Ryan