Buffalo NY Fishing Report – Observations from 11/17/2025 – 11/23/2025
Here’s our latest Buffalo NY fishing report: Mid-November 2025 on the Lower Niagara and Lake Erie turned into a full-on circus—perfect conditions stacked the river with anglers, turning every drift into a gauntlet of near-collisions and constant 360-degree vigilance. Crowds meant new anglers often got short shrift while I played dodge-boat instead of fine-tuning their presentation. Still, every outing had more than a handful of awesome moments. Seeing steelhead launch into acrobatic farewells was a regular occurrence. The bar produced some giants when we were able to get out there. Even the coldest, brownest, wind-whipped grind sessions delivered fish for clients willing to suffer for it. Pain, chaos, lost giants, and pure joy—another classic week of WNY fall insanity.
Days on the water: 7
Who we fished with: friends/clients
Where we fished: Lower Niagara, Lake Ontario, Lake Erie
What we caught: walleye, smallmouth bass, lake trout, brown trout, steelhead
Tactics: drifting live bait and beads; casting deep diving crankbaits
Detailed Reporting/Daily Observations
11/17/2025 – Lots of Pain – a Little Bit of Pleasure
Fished the Lower Niagara with long-time clients Steve and Ethan, in town from NH. When I spoke with Steve a few nights prior to the trip, I let him know that it was going to be a painful session due to cold, wind, and likely poor water clarity. He understood but just wanted to get out on the water with his son for a day. So, we decided to go for it.
The entire day prior, BIG NW winds raged the region and turned perfect water clarity into something more brown than green. Not unfishable, but not great either. Cold NW winds continued to blow all day while we were on the water, trashing dexterity and generally sucking heat (life) slowly out of us. It was a grind, but we closed the deal on more than a handful of fish and left the water knowing we gave it our all. 
11/18/2025 – Challenge Accepted
Fished Lake Erie and the Lower Niagara with Titus, Josh, and Justin – up from PA. I’ve fished with Titus a couple times in the fall. We targeted trout, but I hyped up our Lake Erie fall smallmouth fishery during those sessions – that stayed with him. So, when he booked this trip, he asked if we could fish Erie for smallies AND the Lower for trout in the same day. I told him it’d be challenging as there’s only so much daylight, but if conditions line up, it’d be doable. Well, conditions lined up almost perfectly!
I’ve never tried this program in the fall – admittedly, it was a little stressful. I had to teach 2 relatively new anglers (Josh and Justin) how to fish 3 different ways throughout the day. Plus, bounce from one location to another. However, I loved the challenge and for the most part, it paid off. Titus in particular, got a solid dose of what’s possible. 
11/19/2025 – It was…Emotional
Fished the Lower Niagara with Nick, Chandler, and Bill. It was a zoo – perfect weather and water clarity had everyone that could take off work on the water. It didn’t matter though; the bite was excellent – especially for steelhead. However, we had a case of the “dropsies” – losing fish.
In defense of the guys, most of the time it wasn’t their fault. They all connected to numerous steelhead – some of the biggest I’ve seen in the river in years. All but one (ironically the nice one Nick landed) were bright chrome and fought like psychos. Numerous acrobatics and one, the biggest of the batch, paused under the boat after jumping 3’ out of the water, seemed to look at us, then did a crazy gator roll and popped the hook. Classic fuck you moment. Like the title said – it was emotional. Good times though!
11/20/2025 – Running the Gauntlet
Fished a half day trip on the Lower Niagara and Lake Ontario Bar with Jake and Danny. It was another ridiculously crowded day and since it was going to be a short day, I opted to cover almost all the drifts in the river at least once. Plus, conditions were finally right (good wind for once) for us to fish the bar. The guys did well! 
11/21/2025 – Working for Jimmy
Jimmy Rores of Big Greek Charters brought Teddy Kessler of Rivermaster Charters and me on for a 3-boat trip on the Lower Niagara. I had Zach and Jamie – both great guys and anglers. We fished for about 4.5 hours before calling it a day. Lots of boats but steady action throughout the morning.
11/22/2025 – Behold! The Circus
Fished the Lower Niagara with new clients Mark, Thomas, and Brennan. It was a Saturday and other than a slight NNE wind, the weather was perfect. Accordingly, there were more boats on the water than I’ve seen all season – total zoo. Although there were more than a handful of “incidents” caused by the traffic, we made it work and the guys caught some gems.
It’s stressful as a captain to fish new clients through crowds. Trout fishing on the lower Niagara done well is a game of inches. Nobody, no matter how long they’ve been fishing, gets the presentation down right away. It takes time and “getting the right feel” for it. I can get folks dialed enough to close the deal so long as I can focus on them individually. Well, add numerous distractions caused by near impacts of other boats and having to keep my head on a swivel, the anglers get short shrift. Unfortunately, I only have so much capacity to see 360 degrees at all times. 
11/23/2025 – The Tempest
Fished the Lower Niagara with Kristina, Matt, and Dillon. Once again, the circus was in full effect. I tried to avoid it, but Mother Nature wasn’t having it. BIG wind from the WNW kicked up much earlier than forecasted and denied our ability to fish the bar and the lower parts of the river. So, we were forced to join the crowd. The team picked up the technique quickly and made it happen.
The wind grew bigger throughout the day and toward the end of our session, sporadic rain and a drop in temperature made things kinda miserable. We opted to quit early having more than accomplished the mission. 
Seasonal Assessment/General Observations
Fall insanity continues, folks…and it’s not a secret. Catch rates are ridiculous when the conditions line up. Besides Monday, the weather was nearly perfect all week so everyone with a boat not yet winterized was out. Dealing with crowds has been the biggest challenge. Breathing exercises have been an important part of my routine when I’m on the water – something to calm me down amidst all the boats and ridiculous behavior.
I’ve given this a lot of thought lately and I realized why I hate crowds while I’m fishing – nothing feels novel. Well, that and I think humans are at their worst when they accumulate in groups larger than a dozen or so. One of the aspects of fishing and chartering for me that gets my blood pumping and adrenaline flowing is when I see (or feel when I’m holding a rod) a rod tip jump and a hook set. I’ve executed thousands of charters and fished easily as many days recreationally and I still get that sensation. However, when there’s a fleet of boats floating down river and I see hookups and fish landed all around me, that jolt of excitement doesn’t bubble up as much.
Many of you reading this have fished with me already this fall or are on the docket to fish with me soon. Don’t take what I wrote above the wrong way, I want to be out there giving you the opportunity to have an awesome experience. The most important thing to me is to show you a good time. It’s a little tougher in crowds but consider it a cultural experience. A quasi harvest if you will. Something like the buffalo jumps executed by native Americans on the plains – the bounty is big and nobody wants to miss it.
Buffalo NY Fishing Report – Forecast for 11/24/2025 – 11/30/2025
The forecast for this upcoming week looks like a reversion to the mean. Monday – Wednesday look very fishable, beyond that – chaos. If it unfolds as predicted, starting Wednesday night and continuing through Friday, Lake Erie will get huge and accordingly, the river will get muddy.
Of course, I will be monitoring conditions daily after that wind hits us. If the long term forecast comes to pass, it’s likely that Thursday – Saturday will be shot due to poor water color and below freezing temperatures. I’m optimistic it’ll be good enough to go for it on Sunday.
Other than Thanksgiving, I’m booked daily. So, if you’re on the docket for the end of the week – hope that the forecast changes and expect a call from me soon to discuss (BTW – I have plenty of days open in December if you want to reschedule).
Enjoy your Thanksgiving and stay healthy my friends – mentally and physically,
Ryan
NOTICE: I’m not including this note in an attempt to fill my spring calendar early. I’m not trying to create a sense of scarcity to encourage folks to call me ASAP. I’m being completely transparent – if you want to fish with me this spring, please get in touch soon. My calendar is already HEAVILY booked. I’m not sure how/why it happened so early this year, but a lot of folks have been proactive and reaching out well in advance of the season to book a prime date. If you’re interested in experiencing spring insanity and want to ensure you have a date, please get in touch soon.