niagara Niagara Falls USA Fishing Forecast for Thursday, March 8, 2018 from Destination Niagara USA

[Niagara County]

It’s starting to feel like spring a bit. The time changes on Saturday as we “spring” ahead, the days are growing longer, and the sun is a little higher in the sky. The WNY Sport and Travel Expo is also here, the final big trade show of the season – slated for the Erie County Fairgrounds in Hamburg March 8 to 11. Kids day is Saturday and the first 100 kids to the door on Saturday morning (March 10) will receive a fully-rigged cane pole. We are slowly starting to turn the corner on a variety of fronts. On Lake Ontario, the first trollers have started pounding the surf with in-line planers and stickbaits like Bay Rats and Live Target plugs. At least, that’s what was working for Capt. Vince Pierleoni of Newfane recently when he ran a shakedown cruise out of Olcott. While most of the fish were brown trout, he did catch his first salmon of the year – a shaker, but still a salmon. It should be a good year for kings after a record-breaking performance last year in the lake. In 2017, the catch rate for salmon was the best ever in the 32-year history of the open lake creel census. You can find out more about how the fishery fared in 2017 and what the plans are for 2018 when the State of Lake Ontario meeting comes off on March 14 at Cornell Cooperative Extension Niagara, 4487 Lake Ave., Lockport starting at 6:30 p.m.

 

The tributaries off Lake Ontario have been low and clear for the most part. The snow storm last week dumped some significant snow around, but there was no real warm off to melt it off quickly. It’s been more of a slow drain, adding some flow to the systems. There are trout available, but you may have to use a stealthy approach with the clear conditions. Egg sacs, jigs tipped with wax worms and some different fly patterns will catch you fish. Mostly steelhead are being caught but there are a few browns around, too. Remember that pike season closes on March 15 if you are fishing in the harbors of Wilson or Olcott. If you want to help out with the Lake Ontario Trout and Salmon Association’s pen rearing project for salmon and trout, they will be organizing the pens and getting them in the water on April 7 at the Town of Newfane Marina in Olcott starting at 9:30 a.m.

 

Click here to see the rest of this report on ILoveNYFishing.com.