Buffalo NY Fishing Report – Observations from 04/24/2023 – 04/30/2023
Here’s our latest Buffalo NY fishing report: It was another big week! Although the weather was anything but delightful, we managed to have strong outings daily. From Lake Erie to Lake Ontario, we had a blast and boated a multitude of species. Keep reading for more details.
Days on the Water: 6
Who we fished with: friends/clients
Where we fished: Lower Niagara, Lake Ontario, Upper Niagara, Lake Erie
What we caught: smallmouth bass, lake trout, steelhead, king salmon, coho salmon
Tactics: 3-way rig with live bait, trolling spoons, drop shots
Episode 50 of Two Angles on Angling is live: It was another big week for Jordan and I on the water, so we spend a big chunk of the podcast discussing how the season is unfolding. We follow the discussion about local conditions with a forecast for this upcoming week. After that, we get deep about the challenges to getting in touch with our more primitive side and how to mitigate them.
Daily Conditions Analysis
Monday – Fished the lower Niagara and the Lake Ontario bar. Slow bite all around/grindy day. Caught some big smallmouth bass.
Tuesday – Fished the Upper Niagara for smallmouth bass. BIG SW wind kicked up mid-day. Dumped hail and rain for about 30mins. Found shelter during. Caught many bass pre and post storm. Wild day but good times.
Wednesday – Fished the lower Niagara and the Lake Ontario bar. Slow bite all around/grindy day. Caught some big smallmouth bass.
Thursday – Fished Lake Ontario – caught a few kings. Followed that up with lower Niagara session – caught some biggie smalls.
Friday – Fished Lake Erie and the Upper Niagara – did well on smallmouth bass. Drop shots continue to be the ticket
Saturday – Fished Lake Erie – light drizzle, SE winds – had the best bass fishing session I’ve ever been part of. Got one fish over 7lbs, numerous fish in the 6lb class, and even more 5lbers. Magical day.
Sunday – Client called in sick. Kinda wet forecast so I was happy to take the day off.
Seasonal Assessment/General Observations
On the Conditions
I can say this for certain – the smallmouth bass bite is near peak my friends. As of this writing, the Niagara River is flowing at 45degrees. At that temperature, nearly everything is prime, from king salmon to perch. Although we’ve had some fairly strong outings lately, they could be even better. The biggest obstacle to banner sessions has been water clarity.
You’ve heard me complaining about water clarity for months now, so I’ll be brief in venting about it again. Every week, it seems like we get to near perfect conditions for maybe a day or two. However, Mother Nature doesn’t seem to want to make things easy for us this spring. Her modus operandum as of late is following clarity up with chaos.
I can’t be too grumpy about the adverse conditions though – I’ve been able to spend most days on the water lately. I guess I’m getting a little greedy. Although the bass fishing has been heating up, I would like to balance my schedule with more time on Lake Ontario fishing for salmon and trout. That’s been tough to do successfully with all the stained water. I’m not worried about it though – the best is yet to come. Stay tuned.
A Little Personal Reflection
It’s amazing how a few days of incredible fishing can soothe the soul. Needless to say – I’m very contented. I witnessed a magical day this past week. Everything came together – the right wind, the right water clarity, the right atmospheric conditions. It’s so rare that all the right ingredients end up in the recipe but when they do, it’s wonderous.
People ask me all the time, “Don’t you ever get sick of doing this?” My response is an emphatic, “NO!” I don’t know what else I’d be doing. Still, there are days that go by that just…go by. Then, there are the days that will be ingrained in memory as truly special. Thankfully, those days don’t occur often. Just often enough to make me look forward to every outing.
Buffalo NY Fishing Report – Forecast for 05/01/2023 – 05/07/2023
Other than some big SW winds, a little bit of rain, and a drop in temperatures at the outset, the rest of this upcoming week looks fantastic. The water is super clear right now – it’s beautiful – I just hope it lasts through this big SW blow. Even with a little bit of stain and adverse conditions, everyday will be fishable. Accordingly, I’ll be out there daily.
I’ll spend this upcoming week fishing where mother nature allows…fishing the conditions as some say. I’ll spend at least a couple days fishing the upper Niagara, a couple on Lake Erie, and a few on Lake Ontario. There’s a lot going on right now – time to watch it all unfold.
Stay healthy my friends – mentally and physically,
Ryan
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