Buffalo NY Fishing Report – Observations from 07/08/2024 – 07/14/2024
Here’s our latest Buffalo NY fishing report: It was yet another incredible week here in the Buffalo Niagara Region. Both Lake Erie and Lake Ontario are fishing VERY well. I bet the Niagara River is fishing well too, I just haven’t had the chance to check. I spent most of the week targeting walleyes but managed to sneak in a bass trip as well as a salmon mission. The action was excellent daily. This is summer fishing at its finest folks! Keep reading for more details.
Days on the water: 6
Who we fished with: friends/clients
Where we fished: Lake Erie, Lake Ontario
What we caught: smallmouth bass, walleye, freshwater drum, channel catfish, king salmon, coho salmon, brown trout
Tactics: trolling worm harnesses, drifting bait, trolling spoons.
Detailed Reporting/Daily Observations
07/08/2024 – Fished Lake Erie for walleyes with Paul, Gabby, and Derrick out of the Catt. This was my first time fishing with them and they were a blast – so much fun! Excellent session – got our limit early with some tankers in the mix.
07/09/2024 – Fished Lake Erie for walleyes with the whisperer and the silent assassin out of Barcelona. We struggled at first, but eventually found a big stack of them and got our limit. At one point, all 6 rods were on. Good times!
07/10/2024 – Big wind, big waves, big rain. A couple of tornados even passed through. Rescheduled the trip.
07/11/2024 – Did a Lower Niagara Lake Erie combo with Bill and Jarrod. Fish caught and good times had. It was a little big out there…just the way the fish like it. Action was consistent the whole outing.
07/12/2024 – Fished Lake Erie for walleyes out of the Catt with Paul and Kevin. Both were first time clients, and it was their first trip targeting walleyes. They did awesome. We caught our limit in a couple of hours then started jigging for them. Paul picked up a sweet surprise on a ¾ oz blade bait.
07/13/2024 – Fished Lake Ontario and the Lower Niagara with Ryan, Brad, and Chan. These guys have been fishing with me for a few years now.
The original plan was to fish for bass and drum on Lake Erie. The night prior, I talked with Ryan and explained that Lake Erie was supposed to be glass and that we’d have to either troll for bass or fish current.
That would’ve been fine, but I figured if we were going to troll, why not target kings instead. These guys have never fished kings with me so they were up for the challenge.
As I mentioned a couple weeks ago, I don’t target kings in the summer (too busy with walleyes and bass). However, it’s no secret that there are a ton of them in shallow water this year, making getting limits a reasonable goal even for the novice Lake Ontario angler.
We boated 7 (mostly immatures) in the first few hours and decided to move on to a different challenge – catch as many species as possible. Ryan ended up with 5 himself and we boated 7 species total: king salmon, coho salmon, brown trout, steelhead, smallmouth bass, freshwater drum, and a channel catfish. What a day!
07/14/2024 – Fished Lake Erie for walleyes out of Barcelona with Stan and Steve. It was ridiculously good – mostly smaller fish (16-18” range). Got our limit in about an hour then went deeper in search of bigger ones.
Seasonal Assessment/General Observations
On the Conditions
It was another scorcher of a week and I’m feeling crispy. Not much has changed since last week, but just in case you missed it, here’s an update.
Walleye
I wonder where the walleyes AREN’T right now. Everyone is catching limits out of Barcelona and the Catt. I’ve even heard Buffalo is getting good. That must mean there’s an immense school/multiple schools from the PA line all the way to Buffalo. All I know is that there’s a ridicuous amount of walleyes around.
Short note – you can go and set up near a huge group of boats if you want, but don’t assume there’s a ton of fish there. Most weekend anglers behave like herd animals – they go where they see a herd. If you’re confident, stay away from the groups and find your own stretch of water. I promise you – you’ll have more fun and you’ll cross MANY fish.
I’ve fished anywhere from 48’ – 80’ throughout this past week and caught fish in all depths. The biggest and most were in the shallowest water.
Smallmouth Bass
They’re still around the rock piles and a handful of them are on the sandflats. Live crawfish will catch them (as will any bait that imitates a crawfish or goby). Most are still skinny, but the water is warm and the feedbags are on. Oh yeah, drum are everywhere – plan on bending rods on MANY throughout the day.
Buffalo NY Fishing Report – Forecast for 07/15/2024 – 07/21/2024
Forecast Commentary
The forecast for this upcoming week looks good. I’m happy to see a big drop in the daytime highs – most of the days will be in the 70s. I’m not too psyched to see a couple of big wind days to start off the week, but we could use the shake up. Tuesday looks like it’ll be borderline fishable, but all the other days look great.
I’m booked every day this upcoming week. Once again, I’ll be targeting walleyes throughout the week with a side of bass and drum. Hearing that anglers are getting walleyes out of Buffalo lately is enticing. I’ll likely explore that option at least once before the end of the week. However, it’s kinda hard to NOT go to Barcelona and the Catt where it’s on fire. Decisions, decisions.
Hopefully I see you out there! Stay tuned.
Stay healthy my friends – mentally and physically,
Ryan