Buffalo NY Fishing Report – Observations from 04/20 – 04/26/2026
Here’s our latest Buffalo NY fishing report: This past week, I managed to chalk another 7 days straight and once gain, spent time on everything from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario, to the Niagara in between. It was one of those rare stretches where every day had a story worth telling. Everything from redemption on the Upper Niagara, chaotic salmon/multi‑species sessions on Lake Ontario, giant‑hunting on Lake Erie, a personal best numbers day for me, and everything from calm sunrises to cold rain and nautical chaos in between. Awesome week!
Days on the water: 7
Who we fished with: friends/clients
Where we fished: Lake Ontario, Lower Niagara, Upper Niagara, Lake Erie
What we caught: lake trout, smallmouth bass, walleye, king salmon, northern pike
Tactics: trolling stick baits and spoons, casting finesse baits
Detailed Reporting/Daily Observations
04/27/2026 – Day 2 – Andy and Maks Trip
Fished the Upper Niagara with Andy and Maks. Last June, this father‑and‑son duo made the trip up from VA to chase smallmouth bass. When they booked, I told them it wasn’t an ideal time for smallies around here, but I was confident we’d still have a good time. We caught fish — but more importantly, I got to know them and saw right away that they were excellent anglers.
When we got off the water that day, I encouraged them to come back in late April this year and told them the action would be a completely different story. They took the advice, returned, and as promised, the action was awesome. Perfect weather, steady bite, and I got to watch them put in work and rack up numbers with some quality fish mixed in.
Redemption.
4/28/2026 – Day 2 – Andy and Maks Trip
Fished Lake Ontario out of Lewiston, NY with Andy and Maks. After a day of excellent smallie action, the guys wanted give king salmon a shot. These guys are rod-in-hand anglers – meaning they aren’t huge fans of trolling. However, both are meat eaters, so the opportunity to harvest some fresh salmon grabbed their interest – regardless of the method of capture.
The weather was NOT what we had the day prior. A big SW had us rocking around, so boat control was an issue at first. I adjusted, we got their limit quickly, and decided to try to follow that up with a multi species slam. Mission accomplished. 
4/29/2026 – A Little Bit of Pleasure, a Little Bit of Pain
Fished Lake Erie out of Buffalo, NY with Larry, Jim, and Tom. The mission was to hunt giant smallies. The harbor produced well, so I did what I always do and left fish to find fish. It took us a little bit, but we found them. Action was consistent – Jim had one on that would’ve been the giant of the year, but she came unbuttoned. No matter, he landed a couple biggies anyway.
That was the pleasure part – then came the pain. It was a chilly day, highs in the mid-40s. Those temperatures were tolerable – until the rain arrived. It was only supposed to be a light and sporadic sprinkle. That’s not what we got. At one point, Jim looked at me and said, “Take me back to the dock. I’m a popsicle.” I obliged and took Larry and Tom back out for another hour. They caught fish – which kept their mind off the miserable conditions – but were happy to get into the car Jim had warmed up at the end of the day. 
04/30/2026 – New Boat Personal Best
Fished the Upper Niagara with Rick and Von. These gentlemen have been fishing with me for over 7 years now. Every year, they hammer – incredible sticks. Well, on this date, they set my boat personal best for numbers. We’ll keep that number to ourselves, but we pulled up to the dock awestruck and exhausted. Numbers were insane, size was solid too. Von managed to boat a 6lber – true tank for the upper this time of year.
05/01/2026 – What More Can You Ask For?
Fished Lake Erie out of Buffalo, NY with Rick and Von. Still blown away from the day prior, the guys were content to float around and target biggies. We did just that. There was a lot of boat pressure out there, but it didn’t matter. When the rain and cold breeze kicked up, things began to get painful – but we still caught fish. Barely able to bend my fingers on my left hand, I asked the guys if they were ready to call it. Both remarked they thought I’d never ask. When we pulled up to the dock at the end of the day, Rick said something like, “I’m all fished out. My arms and shoulders are sore.” What a couple of days! 
05/02/2026 – Your Legs Work, Greg!
Fished Lake Ontario out or Lewiston, NY with Greg and Tanner. These guys have been fishing with me for a long time. Father and son duos can be tough a lot of times – getting a conversation going can be like pulling teeth. That’s never been the case with these two. Every trip is full of trash talking and telling stories. This one was no different.
The first time I took Greg and Tanner fishing for kings, there was a big NW and we hammered. It was “nautical” out there to say the least, and Greg’s mind was blown, well, frantic might be a better description. He had a hard time maintaining composure while reeling in kings in the 2-4’ waves. Well, on this day, it was no different.
The forecast was way off – Lake O was cranking out there. I looked at Greg after hitting the first wave and told him he better keep his shit together. He tried his best – I’ll leave it at that. As always, we had a blast. 
5/03/2026 – NOT Yesterday
Fished Lake Ontario out of Lewiston, NY with Greg and Tanner. We started bright and early – Lake Ontario greeted us with calm conditions and a gorgeous sunrise. Greg was relieved that we wouldn’t be riding the roller coaster again – he was beaming with confidence when we deployed our rigs. It didn’t take long before we got bit.
Action was consistent throughout the day. We had one long lull, but once we started crossing them again, it was on fire. I’ll let the pictures tell it. 
Seasonal Assessment/General Observations
I’ve been going 19 straight days, folks – and I’m booked solid into late June. Please forgive me if I don’t have much to elaborate beyond the daily play by play above. Body and mind are going strong – sleep, clean diet, short gym sessions here and there to keep the blood flowing beyond what the days on the water do. I’m feeling good – just in the zone. It’s insane out there – I’ll leave it at that.
Buffalo NY Fishing Report – Forecast for 05/04/2026 – 05/10/2026
Monday and Tuesday look a little hardcore (big SW wind) – river and bar weather for sure. Beyond that, take your pick of options. I’m booked daily and expect to execute all those trips. It’ll be another week of bouncing around between Lake Erie, the Upper, the Lower, and Lake Ontario. Looking forward to it!
Stay healthy, my friends. Mentally and physically,
Ryan
P.S. Trees are budding, more migratory birds are showing up, lawnmowers are out — spring is in full swing. Actually, we’re mid‑season as of this writing. I bring all this up because until now, it felt weird to encourage folks to think about the summer when it’s been freezing.
Summer walleye fishing is only a couple months away, and my schedule is starting to fill up. I have zero doubts that the walleye action this year will be as good as last year. They might not flood the Buffalo part of the basin again, but they’ll be loaded by the Catt and Barcelona regardless.
Call soon to reserve your spot — I have a couple openings in late June, more than a handful in July, and plenty of opportunities in August. Get on the docket while you can – I’d love to have ya!