Buffalo NY Fishing Report – Observations from 08/11/2025 – 08/17/2025
Here’s our latest Buffalo NY fishing report: This past week on the water was loaded with fishing action, laughter, and unforgettable stories on Lake Erie and the Lower Niagara. From three generations of family reeling in limits out of Buffalo, NY, to young anglers landing their first walleyes at our 2025 Summer Fishing Camp, each trip brought its own magic. We had lifelong friends sharing tales of mischief, aerospace students finding zen in the chaos of a hot bite, and even a first-time angler outfishing the veterans. Despite one day of nasty weather, the week was packed with banner sessions, big fish, and the kind of moments that keep me hooked on this life. Here’s the rundown of another incredible week on the water.
Days on the water: 6
Who we fished with: friends/clients
Where we fished: Lake Erie, Lower Niagara River
What we caught: walleye, smallmouth bass, freshwater drum
Tactics: bottom bouncing worm harnesses, trolling divers and planer boards with harnesses and spoons, drifting live bait
Detailed Reporting/Daily Observations
08/11/2025 – 3 Generations on the Water
Fished Lake Erie for walleyes out of Buffalo, NY with Larry, Dave, and Carter – up from PA. Larry is a long-time client who makes a few trips here every year – sometimes with friends, sometimes alone, and sometimes with family. On this trip, his nephew, Dave came along. Dave’s son, Carter, also joined. This was Carter’s first walleye trip.
Anyone who’s fished walleyes with me is familiar with my shallow water spread – 2 rods in the bow and 2 rods in the back – simple and efficient. If I’m looking for some additional chaos, I’ll run 4 rods in the back (2 additional rods on planer boards). I bring this up because there’s only one seat in the bow. So, whomever sits up there will likely experience 2x the action and must keep their head on a swivel. Young Carter was that angler – and he did very well.
It was an excellent session – everyone left with their limit. 
08/12/2025 – Summer Fishing Camp 2025 – Day 1
Since 2020, I’ve been running a fishing camp for kids – ages 8 to young teens. This year, we executed a 2-day program and this was Day 1. 3 Captains – me, Mike Trifiletti, and Joe Srouji – fished with 9 boys on the Lower Niagara and Lake Ontario. I had Ryker (14), Gabriel (12), and Killian (9) on my boat. They mined a hefty pot of Lower Niagara Gold. 
08/13/2025 – Maintaining Momentum
Fished the Lower Niagara for walleyes with Raphael, Jacob (his son), and Abby (Jake’s girlfriend) – in town visiting from MA. I’ve been fishing with Raphael and his boys for years now. They come to town for a week or so every year to visit family and book a fishing trip to do a little bonding. It’s always a good time and I’ve enjoyed watching his boys grow into young men.
On this trip, I decided to fish the lower Niagara to avoid the 1-3’ waves rolling on Lake Erie. Plus, given the action I experienced the day prior, I had a hunch we’d be in for a banner session. It far exceeded expectations. Abby – who fished maybe a handful of times in her life – had the “medicine” all day. Everyone caught many fish, and some big ones too, but Abby pulled some tankers out of every zone while the boys looked on. Awesome trip! 
08/14/2025 – Summer Fishing Camp 2025 – Day 2
On Day 2 of the Summer Fishing Camp, we fished Lake Erie out of Buffalo, NY for walleyes. I had Gabriel (12), Eddie (12), and Killian (9) on my boat. Gabriel and Killian caught their first walleyes ever earlier in the week. Eddie, aspired to catch his first one on this trip. He did just that – landing many, to include an 8lber! It was another banner session out of Buffalo, NY with all the boys bringing home limits of Lake Erie gold. 
08/15/2025 – Getting Grounded
Fished Lake Erie for walleyes out of Buffalo, NY with Kenneth and Elecktra. These 2 are super deep thinkers – both currently developing their skills in aerospace engineering at UB. With much of their time spent trying to solve ridiculously difficult problems, they needed a little bit of R&R.
As you might imagine from folks that study how to get things off the ground and into space, their desire and ability to focus and “get it right” led to a banner session. It took me a little while to find and stay on fish – the schools moved around a lot throughout the day. However, we were able to find a massive concentration by mid-morning, and chaos ensued. Once again, both left with limits of Lake Erie gold. 
08/16/2025 – Stories for Days
Fished Lake Erie for walleye out of Buffalo, NY, with Ed, Ed, and Al—friends who’ve been close for over 50 years. I met Ed last summer when his daughter, Kristina, booked a walleye trip for her, her dad, and her brother (Matt). We fished out of Cattaraugus Creek and caught a ton of tanker ‘eyes that day. The great time we had led Kristina to book another family trip this past July. If you follow my reports, you likely saw the photos from that banner session.
Ed, after those two trips, decided I could handle him and his lifelong buddies, who’ve been fishing and getting into trouble together since childhood. These guys may be older, but their energy is contagious. I’ve logged thousands of days on the water with clients, and while the action is important, it’s the conversations and boat dynamics that make a trip memorable. This day will stick with me.
We started slow, picking up a few fish here and there. Then I moved to a completely different area and a large concentration of fish. It was chaos—in the best way. We hauled in so many fish we released anything under 20 inches. Beyond the incredible action, it was the stories, laughter, and camaraderie that made the day special. No dull moments, just pure fun. Days like this remind me why I love this work and make me hope my friends and I stay this close when we’re their age.
Unfortunately, I didn’t take many photos – I was happily distracted most of the day.
08/17/2025 – Weather Day
Persistent rain and a small craft advisory forced me to reschedule the trip.
Seasonal Assessment/General Observations
Not much has changed on the angling front for me. As you likely noticed, the large concentrations of walleyes that have been in front of Buffalo since the last thermocline flip are on the move. Early in the week, I had no trouble finding them in shallow water. Toward the end of the week, the deeper the better. Don’t get me wrong, if you hunt hard enough and pick through enough drum, you can still catch them in shallow. However, if you want to run a spread that’ll catch almost exclusively walleyes, water deeper than the mid 50’ range is your best bet…for now.
Buffalo NY Fishing Report – Forecast for 08/18/2025 – 08/24/2025
Forecast Commentary
The forecast for this upcoming week is a nail biter. If it holds, stand-by for another “shuffling of the deck.” Big Northeast winds are supposed to blow through the region Monday through Thursday. That’ll make Lake Ontario unfishable or very difficult to fish for small boats most of the week. There’s also a very good chance Lake Erie will experience another thermocline flip – the models I look at are predicting just that. That’ll be the 3rd flip of the year.
If another Lake Erie flip happens, I’m unsure of what the outcome will be. If what happened during the previous 2 are an indicator, expect Buffalo to see a massive influx of walleyes and bait – especially toward shallow water. Also expect to see a massive push of fish into deep water – center lake from the Catt to Erie, PA and beyond. The only way to confirm or deny is time on the water. I’m looking forward to figuring it out.
Stay healthy my friends – mentally and physically,
Ryan