Buffalo NY Fishing Report – Observations from 06/08 – 06/14/2026
Here’s our latest Buffalo NY fishing report: Although I’m away on vacation as most of you are reading this, it was a full week, so I wanted to leave everyone with a little something. It was one of those weeks on Lake Erie where every trip had a story. A last‑minute cancellation turned into an unexpected session with a country music artist who said yes to a fan’s fishing invite. A three‑generation crew reminded me why family time on the water matters. A group of teenage boys hammered fish between storm cells and conspiracy debates. Long‑time clients battled picky bites and super‑clear water. New clients proved that old friendships and annual traditions still matter. And I wrapped it all up with a half‑day grind before heading out on vacation.
Days on the water: 5
Who we fished with: friends/clients
Where we fished: Lake Erie, Upper Niagara
What we caught: walleye, smallmouth bass, freshwater drum
Tactics: trolling worm harnesses, casting finesse baits
Detailed Reporting/Daily Observations
06/08/2026 – Last Minute Providence
Fished Lake Erie for walleyes out of Buffalo, NY with Kristen, Creed, and Roxy. I had a cancellation for this day a couple days prior, so I was planning on my usual day‑off routine of running errands and going to the gym. Then my buddy Joe Srouji of Anglers Edge Outdoors called the night before to see if I was available for a trip. Of course I jumped at the opportunity to get in some more reps. He put me in touch with Kristen.
She had attended a Creed Fisher concert at Iron Works that evening and had the courage to get backstage after sound check and meet Creed. She told him how much she enjoyed his music and asked if he wanted to go fishing. Amazingly, he said yes. I say “amazingly” because how many performing artists do you think would accept a fishing invite from a random fan—and the day after a performance?
I’ve never really listened to much country music, so when Kristen explained who he was and the story of her fandom, I went into the trip with an open mind. To me, it was another opportunity to show off the fishery to someone from out of town and make sure everyone had a good time.
We had a blast. Conversation flowed for hours, and before long we had our limit of Lake Erie gold. On the drive home, I listened to his music for the first time—and I have to say, I’m a fan.
06/09/2026 (morning) – 3 Generation Session
Fished Lake Erie for walleyes out of Buffalo, NY with Bill, Scott, and six‑year‑old Lincoln — grandfather, dad, and son. I’m a huge fan of three‑generation sessions, and it seems like there’s been an uptick in them this year. Maybe it’s a sign of shifting priorities for this generation of parents.
Quick aside: I get a lot of calls from parents asking about the best age to get their kids into fishing. My answer is always the same — you know your kid better than I do. I’ve had five‑year‑olds on the boat who were laser‑focused and surprisingly good anglers. And I’ve had eleven‑year‑olds who started complaining an hour into the trip that they were hot and wanted to go in. As a parent, you need to ask yourself what kind of day do you want to have and understand what your child is capable of. Don’t underestimate your kids though – if they’re interested in fishing, their endurance will surprise you.
We started the day at 6:00 AM, so I was already impressed that Scott got Lincoln up and moving early enough to make that happen. I was even more impressed with how engaged Lincoln stayed throughout the trip. By hour three, he finally said out loud what all of us were thinking: “When are we heading back in?”
Why? Because we filled the box quickly, there was no wind, it was brutally hot and humid, the lake was crowded, and the midges were horrendous. Why keep grinding? We were only a couple fish short of our limit, and everyone was happy to head in and beat the crowds back to the cleaning station.
Awesome session.
06/09/2026 (afternoon) – Dodging Storms with the Boys
Fished an afternoon session on Lake Erie for walleyes out of Buffalo, NY with John, Michael, and Alex. I love these trips — parents drop their teenage boys off with me and we get to work. I fished with John and a couple of his friends last summer for bass and we had a blast. This time, he wanted to catch fish they could eat and show that he knew how to clean them — my kind of kid.
As we headed out, I could see thunderheads and showers on the horizon, so we got to work with ruthless efficiency and got into fish right away. When those ominous clouds crept closer, we pulled lines and tucked under the Hwy 5 bridge for about 30 minutes. The storm cells ended up missing us anyway, so we raced back out and got after it. The boys hammered while we talked about conspiracy theories and what life is like for teenagers these days. I get plenty of intel from my teenage daughter — the girl’s perspective — so it was interesting hearing it from the boys’ angle.
Public service announcement to all parents: if your kids are into fishing but you aren’t, you don’t need to feign interest. My father wasn’t an angler either. I got into fishing on my own, rode my bike to wherever I could fish, and he enabled the passion by taking us up to Georgian Bay, renting runabouts, and letting us roam. Booking a charter for your kids is the same thing. I’ve never had a negative experience with this — and I’ve done more than a handful.
06/10/2026 – Back out with Brian and Doc
Fished Lake Erie and the Upper Niagara with Brian and Doc. I’ve been fishing with these guys for 6 years now and every session is a good time – non-stop conversation and stories for days. The mission was to target walleyes for a couple hours then convert to bass fishing. Mission accomplished.
The walleye bite was a little picky, but we got into them. Lake Erie was rolling so I decided to move to the river to target bass. The bass bite was equally picky. It’s late in the spawn and every fish was in rough shape – skinny and some were badly beat up. We caught many, but most were small males. Plus, the algae in the river was problematic at times. Although we battled wind and SUPER CLEAR water, the guys did well and, as always, we had a blast. 
06/11/2026 – Lake Erie Gold with New Clients
Fished Lake Erie for walleyes out of Buffalo, NY with Dan, Jeff, and Todd. These guys are all close to my age and are high school buddies. They make it a priority to hang out and do different activities throughout the year – that’s awesome, I love seeing it from guys in their 40s. It means they’ll continue it until they can’t physically do it anymore. Something everyone in our generation should aspire to.
The walleye bite was consistent – we got our limit in a few hours and converted to bass fishing. The forecast called for wind gusting into the teens out of the SW and 1-3’ waves – but that didn’t happen. It was super calm out there so the bass bite was a grind. The fish we did catch were super skinny after being in spawn more for a couple weeks now. 
06/13/2026 – Half Day B4 Vacay
Fished a half day trip on Lake Erie out of Buffalo, NY for walleyes and bass with Ed, Jesse, and Dom. Lake Erie had a good walleye going but the bite was lackluster compared to recent outings. We fished for an hour and a half and only managed 6 fish. Not sure why it was slower for me – there’s still plenty of bait around, but I did notice the water temps are getting hot out there. Close to 70 degrees.
Anyway, the guys only wanted a few for dinner, so we pivoted to bass/drum fishing. We got a few.
06/14/2026 – Trip to Snake River Departure
To be continued…
Seasonal Assessment/General Observations
I’m departing for vacation soon, so I’ll keep this brief. I’m done fishing Lake Ontari until the fall so I don’t have anything to comment on there. Smallmouth bass are wrapping up their spawn. They are as skinny and beat up as they’ll be throughout the year. When I return, I’ll be in pursuit of Lake Erie gold for a long stretch to give those bass a break/let them pack on some more weight.
The migratory schools of walleyes are in NY. From Barcelona to the Catt – they’re stacked from structure to deep water. I’m looking forward to migrating away from Buffalo to get after them when I return.
There are still plenty of resident walleyes around Buffalo, NY. I’m not sure how much longer that’ll last though. The water is warmer than it’s ever been this this time of the year. All that bait that’s hanging out (and keeping the resident walleyes close) won’t tolerate that for much longer. Expect to see local walleyes move further and further offshore in the upcoming week or so.
Buffalo NY Fishing Report – Forecast for 06/15/2026 – 06/21/2026
The forecast for the upcoming week looks tough. Rain, big wind, and cooler temperatures will create some challenges — but that might also slow down the rapid climb in water temps we’ve been seeing. I won’t be around, so good luck to all of you getting after it. Stay tuned for my trip report. I’m hoping to tangle with some dinosaurs in a gorgeous place. I’ll be back on the water next Sunday.
Stay healthy, my friends. Mentally and physically,
Ryan