Buffalo NY Fishing Report – Observations from 03/31/2025 – 04/06/2025
Here’s our latest Buffalo NY fishing report: I want to start with an apology—I sent last week’s report out in a rush and neglected to update the introduction in both the email and the report itself. You have plenty of options for quality content about the Buffalo Niagara fishery, and I owe it to you to deliver the best and most timely updates I can. I fell short on that last week, and I’m sorry.
As for the fishing—there’s not much to report beyond frustration. I’m doing everything I can to stay motivated, but this past week threw ice flows, high winds, rain, stuck ships, and poor water clarity our way. I only managed to fish a couple of days. Still, I hope you find something worthwhile in this read.
Days on the water: 3
Who we fished with: friends/clients
Where we fished: Lower Niagara, Lake Ontario
What we caught: brown trout, steelhead, walleye (cath and release), lake trout
Tactics: drifting bait; jigging bucktails, swimbaits, and blade baits; trolling spoons
Detailed Reporting/Daily Observations
3/31/2025 – Stuck Ship and Ice Flows
This happened: Ice on Lake Erie delays American Mariner’s transit, boom removal | News 4 Buffalo. All the ice broken up while creating a lane for this ship came downstream late afternoon. The Upper Niagara filled up with ice…followed by the Lower Niagara. Besides, there was a stiff SW blowing as well as rain so I cancelled my trip.
04/1/2025 – Continued Ice Flow
I rescheduled my trip a couple days prior because the forecast called for stiff N winds and below freezing temperatures. I’m glad I did because the ice flow continued – fishing would’ve been impossible.
04/02/2025 – Risk Averse Error, Plus Late Day Downpours
While watching the ice flow through the Lower Niagara canyon the day prior, I called the folks I had booked for this day and cancelled my trip. The ice was bank to bank from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario – I didn’t think there’d be a snowball’s chance in hell the current would clear all that out in one day. Well, it did.
I checked the river in the morning and it was clear of ice. I asked the people I had booked if they could still make it, but they had a 2 hour commute to get to the Lower. By then, they’d spend more than half the day fishing in a stiff E wind and downpours. So, we rescheduled.
04/3/2025 – Finally Made it Out
Fished the Lower Niagara with Dan, Brian, and Chris. The wind was huge out of the SW, but we were able to stay sheltered upstream of the boat launch. These guys were excellent anglers who managed a Lower Niagara Grand Slam – lake trout, brown trout, steelhead, walleye. Brian caught both walleyes. The one we boated was smallish and I didn’t take a picture. The other one he connected to shook the hook right before I was able to net it – it was a GIANT.
04/04/2025 – Error After Error
I fished Lake Ontario with Shawn, Phil, and Andy. The previous day’s wind had pushed ice through the gap in the boom, filling large portions of the Upper Niagara. By late afternoon, most of the upper river was iced over—except for the last five miles or so, where the wind seemed to pin the ice against the bank. Seeing all this on my drive home along the upper, I figured the Lower Niagara would be safe to fish the next day. The guys, staying at Niagara Crossing with a view of the Lower Niagara, confirmed that the ice hadn’t reached there before dark.
Overnight, the wind died down. At around 7:00 AM, Shawn called to report an ice flow in the Lower Niagara. I met them at their hotel soon after and judged the ice navigable enough to launch from Lewiston and head to Lake Ontario (Error #1). While the ice was a hassle, the real problem was the water clarity—it had deteriorated drastically overnight. Mud from over two inches of rain a few days earlier had finally washed downstream.
So, we faced ice and muddy water—far from ideal conditions. Still, I held onto some hope since the wind was calm (a slight northern breeze), making Lake Ontario a possibility. But when we got out there, we found the river’s mud plume stretched a few miles in every direction. Fishing deep, cold, and heavily stained water rarely yields results. We gave it a shot anyway.
Unwilling to quit, we pulled the boat and relocated to Wilson, hoping for clearer water (Error #2). It was slightly better there, but not by much. We tried regardless. The day was soul-crushing—especially since these guys had flown in from Florida to fish. I’m still kicking myself for not being more cautious on their behalf.
04/05/2025 – Too Many Problems
Rain, ice flow, a drop in temperatures, a big E wind, and marginal water clarity – all these factors were at play the evening prior. Concerned about taking an “L” 2 days in a row, I cancelled my trip – it ended up being the right call.
I spent part of the day driving the system to see if it would be fishable for Sunday. Water clarity improved markedly – it looked perfect. However, ice flow remained problematic. There wasn’t as much as the day prior, but there was enough to make me concerned about what the following day might bring. 
04/06/2025 – Another Day on the Margins
Stiff NW winds, temps in the upper 30s/low 40s, and the ice flow I saw the day prior had me concerned. The guys I had on the docket have more days on the books in the upcoming months. We decided not to risk showing up and being greeted by cold winds and a big ice flow.
My buddy Joe Srouji (Anglers Edge Outdoors) checked out the water in the morning and called me to say that it was ice free and that the water clarity was excellent. So, having nothing else to do, we decided to put in some work for a few hours. It was slow. 
Seasonal Assessment/General Observations
On Maintaing Sanity
If you’ve been following my reports for a while, you’ve probably picked up on a pattern: the amount and quality of content tie directly to how much I fished that week. When I barely get out on the water, you’re guaranteed well over 1,000 words of me rambling about one thing or another. But if I’m fishing nearly every day, the writing shrinks—replaced by pictures. Here’s why that happens:
- The more I fish, the more ‘blown out’ my mind gets. Time on the water for me is hyper-stimulating and fully in-the-moment. Don’t get me wrong, I love it. I have a blast and often get into deep conversations with my clients. But I’m also juggling a million little details: drift speed, angles, how the clients are presenting baits, and on and on. By day’s end, my mental well is nearly tapped out—just enough juice left to scribble a few notes.
- When I fish very little, my mind runs wild. The well overflows, and I end up with long writeups (like this one). If I can’t deliver fish porn, I figure I can at least offer something entertaining to read—hopefully!
In a group chat with many Niagara River captains, I’ve noticed the same pattern as in my reports. When we’re all out fishing, it’s radio silence—nothing gets posted. But when we’re off the water, the chat explodes with memes, shit-talking, and banter. It’s our way of venting frustrations, blowing off steam, staying entertained, and commiserating. The latest vibe in there? We’ve all thought about pulling a move like this guy: https://youtu.be/hY7bMAFKTfc?si=rr3udzfmUtm-_CM2
On the Fishing
Since I didn’t fish much this past week, I don’t have any profound insights to share about the regional pattern. Honestly, fishing hasn’t been very viable lately—the conditions have been brutal. As I mentioned in the intro, we faced near-daily challenges: ice, rain, mud, wind, and wildly erratic temperatures kept everything chaotic and uncooperative.
One small observation from the little time I did get on the water: on Thursday, when I managed to fish the river at least marginally effectively, we landed some fresh steelhead. It’s a cautious optimism, but I’m hopeful more are moving into the system. As for Lake Ontario, we haven’t had a decent shot at it in over a week, so I’m at a loss there. All I know is Friday humbled me hard. Still, if we get good water clarity and minimal wind out there, I think some banner days could be on the horizon.
The bottom line? It’s been a rough start to the season—discouraging, for sure. But I’m not letting it break me. Patience is the name of the game (yeah, I know, I’ve been saying that a lot lately).
Buffalo NY Fishing Report – Forecast for 04/07/2025 – 04/13/2025
Forecast Commentary
This Upcoming Week
Cold temperatures are hanging on for another week—it’s shaping up to be chaotic again. The forecast has temperatures in the 30s and 40s most of the week, maybe creeping into 50s for a day, but that’s as warm as it’s supposed to get. More rain and big winds are coming too, which might kick up ice flows and muddy the water. I’ll be making some last-minute calls.
I’ve already rescheduled my Monday and Tuesday trips (guys coming from PA for two days). Wednesday and Thursday might need rescheduling too—those clients are in from Ohio for a couple of days. Fingers crossed the forecast will improve.
Even though the week ahead looks tough, there’s some potential upside. North winds are set to dominate the forecast (with just a couple exceptions). If they do their job, they could push any mud from the Niagara toward Lake Ontario’s southern bank, clearing up the deep water. That might give us a shot at lake trout fishing—we just need the wind to cooperates so we can get out there.
All the wind and rain from this past week have cut down the ice cover on Lake Erie. I doubt the power authority pulls the ice boom this coming week, but I bet coverage is below 250 square miles now. If the weather cooperates, they should remove the boom the following week. Once that happens, far more options will open up.
Book Your Summer Trip Soon!
Spring’s off to a rocky start, but I’ve vented enough about stuff I can’t change. Calling clients with bad news isn’t my favorite task, it’s an unfortunate part of the deal when Mother Nature has a say. The good news? Most folks who book with me aren’t focused on one species. They’re usually just looking to have a fun experience out with friends or family, happy to roll with whatever trip I suggest.
That’s been a lifesaver lately. A bunch of the people I’ve had to reschedule have jumped on the walleye train for summer instead, and my calendar’s filling up fast. Summer might seem far off, but those wonderful, easygoing days are closer than you think. If you’re planning a trip, book soon—spots are going quick.
Stay healthy my friends – mentally and physically,
Ryan