I was there last week and the water was pretty low and only flowing over the east side of the spillway. It was tough to see anything. Unfortunately you can't get to that side anymore because the eagles have created a next over there.
There's also a new shop a little farther west, across from Minnehan's. It's called Buzzard's Outdoor Store. It's quite new, but they do have worms and shiners and some other smaller equipment. I kind of like it just because they actually have a parking lot, unlike FLPC (the old Ted's/Doc's location).
We hit the outlet last night, and it was all but dead. I may have seen 2 bluegills in there (they were schooled up a couple weeks ago). We must be in "tween" season right now.
This is why I love drop shot rigs. Get the bait up 12-18" off the bottom and it significantly reduces goby hookups. It's not 100% foolproof, but it definitely helps.
Yeah, the bluegill spawn at the north end, pike, walleye, bullhead, and rudd spawn at the south.
I don't have much of the pike making it over the dam, but I have a few of the staging below, and trying to get over.
I've been down to the inlet several times to watch the spawning runs, and I'm always drawn to the swampy area above the spillway. Has anyone ever fished it, obviously in a canoe or kayak, and is it even worth it?
I’m planning to take my oldest fishing (he’ll be at at that time) out on either Hemlock or Canadice Lake. I’m going to be borrowing a canoe to do it, so we can expand the fishing area a bit beyond just shore fishing. That said, trolling for trout and the like isn’t an option on those lakes. Of the two, which do you think is the better of the two to canoe fish on, and what tips do you have to give him the best opportunity to catch anything (and I mean anything, he’s still at the stage he’s content catching panfish)
I was talking to my cousin about this, and this is the first rainbow stocking in a while. I guess they were pushing for browns recently, and they've been fighting it, so he was happy to hear they will be raonbows that are going in.
I'm seeing reports that pike are starting to run now. Walleye will run after the pike, but the walleye just hang out below the spillway while the pike will jump the spillway.
I'd contact a local marina. That may at least give you a starting point. I can't remember how we found our guy (up in Clayton), but we started by working through the Clayton Marina.