Buffalo NY Fishing Report – Observations from 08/10 – 08/16/2026
Here’s our latest Buffalo NY fishing report: Another 7 straight days on the water, folks, with a little bit of everything thrown into the mix. The walleye bite remained ridiculous, with limits coming easily most days despite crowded launches, dead-calm conditions, and a few questionable forecasts. Smallmouth cooperated when the conditions were right, including one particularly wild day of Warrior weather. We had some memorable moments along the way—a birthday trip, an 8-year-old catching his biggest fish and out-fishing Dad and Grandpa, a long-time neighbor finally getting his first walleye trip, and a newly engaged couple overcoming a stolen-passport fiasco just to make it to the boat. Throw in a few last-minute opportunities and a couple of weather-related curveballs, and it was another week full of good fishing, good people, and good times!
Days on the water: 7
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, drifting live bait
Detailed Reporting/Daily Observations
08/10/2026 – Getting one Over on the Meteorologist
Fished Lake Erie out of Hanover, NY with Fritz and Craig. Fritz has been fishing with me for years. He usually comes to town in the spring and fall with his childhood friends, Mike and Tom. This time, he and Craig were passing through Western New York on their way home from a stay at Craig’s family cabin in Georgian Bay. Fritz figured he’d reach out and see if I could get them on some walleyes. I happened to have an opening, so it worked out perfectly.
In the days leading up to the trip, the forecast looked ugly—rain, scattered thunderstorms, and strong winds. To make things even more dramatic, NOAA had issued a small craft advisory for Lake Erie beginning late that morning. It wasn’t looking good.
However, it looked like so long as we started early, we might be able to get a decent window before things deteriorated. As it turned out, that window was there—and then some.
The rain never touched us, and the wind didn’t kick up until after we were off the water. We hammered walleyes for a couple of hours before pivoting to bass fishing. The walleye action was so good that I barely had time to take photos. The bass action was good too.
Fritz and Craig were blown away by how incredible the fishing was. I’d say we got one over on the meteorologist.
Awesome session!
08/11/2026 – Birthday Session
Fished Lake Erie out of Buffalo, NY with new clients Bill, Jacob, and Johnny. It was Jacob’s birthday, and all he wanted was to go fishing. He didn’t care what we caught—he just wanted to bend some rods and have a good time. Bill, Jacob’s dad, was on board with that, but added that it would be great if we could get into some walleyes. I told him we could make that happen.
The walleye bite was grindy at first. We were seeing more drum and perch than ‘eyes, and with the lake dead calm, I didn’t want to waste the morning. I made a long run offshore to see what we could find. We found them—and hammered.
With our limit in the box, we pivoted to bass fishing. Jacob spends a lot of time catching crawfish in the creek near his house and wanted to learn how to rig them as bait. I was happy to oblige.
Not a bad way to spend a birthday.
08/12/2026 – Thumbs Up Assist
Fished Lake Erie out of Buffalo, NY with A.J. and Dwayne, along with Jimmy Rores of Big Greek Charters. Joe Fonzi of Thumbs Up Guide Service had a scheduling conflict and needed a couple of boats to step up and cover a trip. Jimmy and I were happy to fill in.
The forecast was way off—this time, NOT in our favor. Lake Erie was rolling, and it was classic Warrior weather. The guys were blown away by how well the boat handled the conditions.
As is usually the case when the waves are cranking, the fishing was excellent. The smallmouth were fired up and feeding aggressively. We caught MANY before the thunderheads started building.
This was a corporate trip focused on getting clients together and having some fun, so there wasn’t much interest in sticking around to test the weather. We called it early and headed in.
It was a blast while it lasted.
08/13/2026 – Ruined at 8 years Old
Fished Lake Erie out of Hanover, NY with Jeff, Taylor, and Max—who is 8 years old. This was one of my favorite kinds of trips: three generations of men spending the day together on the water. There’s something pretty special about that.
As we were leaving the launch, I noticed Max was wearing gloves. I asked him why, and he told me he wasn’t comfortable holding fish. I told him that would probably change by the end of the day. It did.
After he reeled in his first walleye, Max held it for a photo without the slightest hesitation. It was great watching him overcome that fear almost immediately.
The family proceeded to hammer walleyes throughout the morning, putting together their limit with ease. We had a nice west wind blowing, so we switched over to bass fishing—and that was excellent too.
Max proceeded to land a biggie smalls, several more bass, and a tanker walleye. By the end of the morning, the 8-year-old was out-fishing both Dad and Grandpa. He’ll fish for many years and may never again have a day quite like the one he had at eight years old.
Awesome day!
08/14/2026 – Friday is the New Saturday
Fished Lake Erie out of Hanover, NY with Jim, Ron, and Riley.
To start, the launch was once again jammed. It was a gorgeous day—clear skies with light and variable winds. I should’ve known it was going to be a zoo.
I headed east, away from the crowds, and we proceeded to hammer immediately. Lately, the walleye action has been so good that I’ve been fishing only three rods—and I haven’t been using a net. I simply grab the leader and snatch the fish out of the water by the belly or gill plate.
Who needs a net? It just takes longer to get the fish from the water into the box. You might be wondering, “What if you lose them?” So what. We’ll catch another one in a couple of minutes.
Before long, the bugs came out and it got HOT and humid. Still, we put our limit of ‘eyes in the box with ease. We attempted to do a little bass fishing afterward, but that was a dud. With almost no wind, we were roasting out there and barely moving.
Friday is definitely the new Saturday.
08/15/2026 – A Day to Remember
Fished Lake Erie out of Buffalo, NY with Cody and Sydney, who were in town from Ohio. Sydney booked the trip as a surprise for Cody’s birthday. The night before, she surprised him with the fishing trip. Much to her surprise, he returned the favor by surprising her with a marriage proposal. Then the drama started.
They were staying in Niagara Falls, Ontario, and we planned to meet at 5:30 AM to beat the crowds. The forecast looked beautiful and summer is coming to a close soon – I knew it’d be a zoo out there. Unfortunately, that’s not when we linked up.
At 4:30 AM, I received a text from Sydney: their passports had been stolen. Apparently, someone had broken into their car and taken everything—including their passports.
They called the police to file a report. Six hours later, the police still hadn’t shown up. At that point, I encouraged them to try crossing the border and see what happened. Worst case, customs would pull them over and they’d finally get the attention they needed.
So that’s what they did.
Meanwhile, I’d already been through half a French press of coffee when I got the original text. I was way too amped up to go back to bed, so I headed out and fished the Upper Niagara by myself. I found some fish—not a ton—but I did catch fish in a location I’ve never fished/been meaning to fish for years.
Around noon, Sydney messaged me to say they made it across the border and were on their way. Yes!
We ended up fishing a half-day around Buffalo for bass. It was crowded, mostly with pleasure boats, and the fishing was a little grindy—but it had its moments.
After everything they’d been through that morning, I was just happy to get them on the water and give them a chance to end a very dramatic day on a much happier note.
Oh, and congratulations again to the newly engaged couple!
08/16/2026 – Harvest with the Neighbors
Fished Lake Erie out of Hanover, NY with Tony, Mike, and Martin. Tony is my next-door neighbor. We talk almost daily while I’m in my driveway cleaning the boat after a day of fishing. We’ve been neighbors for 10 years, yet somehow I’d never taken him walleye fishing.
A last-minute cancellation opened up a spot, so we decided to fix that. Another 24 walleyes saw their first—and last—nightcrawler.
Seasonal Assessment/General Observations
I can feel summer coming to a close. I’ve noticed a lot of Monarch butterflies fluttering over Lake Erie lately – that’s one of the first signals that autumn approaches Days are shorter. Sunrise is noticeably later. There’s a little bite in the morning air.
Walleyes are still on the feed. Water deeper than 70’ is loaded with smelt and ridiculous numbers of hunting ‘eyes. The bite has been insane. Go as deep as possible – they’re everywhere. I caught them from the mid-70s into the 90s this past week. Fish the bait – and don’t hesitate to fish that stuff up top.
Drum are starting to migrate. Why mention drum? Because most of the summer, they’re the enemy of the bass and walleye angler. I’ve seen huge schools cruising around – mostly in water shallower than the mid-60s. Which is why I recommend fishing for walleyes in the mid-70s or deeper – I haven’t seem them there.
Bass numbers are on the rise – likely due to the departure of the drum. Don’t get me wrong, I’m landing drum during my bass sessions lately – but far less than a couple weeks ago.
Buffalo NY Fishing Report – Forecast for 08/17/2026 – 08/23/2026
Once again, the forecast for this week looks very nice. Cool temperatures will dominate the front half – then back to heat over the weekend. The wind might be a factor here and there – but nothing concerning. Scattered showers will make an appearance too – but nothing prolonged.
I’m booked daily – most will be walleye trips but as per usual, I’ll check in on the smallies too. However, that’ll be in the river because the Turtlebox Bassmaster Open at Lake Erie starts this week.
That tournament will make the Buffalo Safe Harbor Marina a no-go zone through the weekend. I stopped by there on my way home today to spray down my boat and the parking lot was already jammed with lots of branded trucks and bass boat trailers.
Stay tuned!
REMINDER
If you haven’t booked your fall trip yet, now’s the time to get in touch.
September still has plenty of availability, and it’s one of my favorite months of the year. The crowds begin to thin out, the weather is often outstanding, and both the walleye and smallmouth bass fishing can be exceptional.
I also have a few dates available in October—another fantastic month for walleyes and smallmouth. On top of that, there’s a chance to target fall-run king salmon and giant Lake Erie lake trout.
Finally, I have a handful of openings in November, which coincides with the peak of the fall trout spawning run. No matter which month you choose, fall offers some of the best fishing of the year and plenty of opportunities to get after it.
Stay healthy, my friends. Mentally and physically,
Ryan