Syracuse.com - Aug. 10-12: Continued warm weather slows fishing bite down across the area

[HuntingNY-News]

Both bass and walleye bite slowed on Oneida Lake this week, but the perch bite appears to be picking up lately.

CNY FISHING FORECAST

Bait stores (list and map).

LAKE ONTARIO

Fishing picked up again last week. Chinook salmon are still scattered, so if not marking fish or bait keep searching. Fishing down 60 to 150 feet over 80 to 400 feet of water with spoons, flashers and flies, or flashers and cut-bait are all working for the salmon. Good colors have been whites and greens. Brown trout are being found in about 80 feet of water and lake trout in about 100 feet. Smallmouth fishing has been good in 15 to 30 feet of water around Mexico Point with live bait working well. Fish baits 1 ½ to 2 feet off bottom to help avoid some of the bait-stealing gobies.

SALMON RIVER

River continues to be low. Nothing to report.

OSWEGO RIVER

River continues to be low. Sheepshead, white perch, catfish and rock bass are active throughout the river with crayfish or worms working.

ONEIDA LAKE

Warm weather has slowed the bass bite. The smallmouth bass appear to be schooling, hanging just outside the weed beds. Try using crankbaits. Walleye bite is tepid right now. Successful anglers are getting them deep (25 – 30 feet of water) by jigging or trolling. The perch bite, meanwhile, is picking up. Try fathead minnows.

CAYUGA LAKE

Water fleas were less of a problem lately, but floating weed mats are still an issue. Lake trout are hitting spoons, or flasher and flies fished 50 to 80 feet down over 80 to 150 feet of water. It seems to change from day to day, with spoons out fishing flasher and flies one day and then the reverse the next. Many methods are working to get lures down to depth such as copper, wire, lead core, Dipseys and down riggers. Starting Dipseys at 200 to 300 feet back, 10 colors of lead core, and copper at 400 feet back has been good starting points. Vertical jigging continues to work for lake trout in 75 to 95 feet of water.

SENECA LAKE

Water fleas continue to be a nuisance when trolling on the lake. Try flea flicker lines or vertical jigging instead if fleas become too bad. Anglers are catching northern pike on minnows, stickbaits and spoons in the Watkins Glen area. Lake trout are hitting Spin Dr.’s and flies fished 125 feet down over 400 feet of water. Atlantic salmon are being taken 50 feet down in the middle of the lake. Vertical jigging has been good for lake trout in 75 to 95 feet of water.

OWASCO LAKE

Waterfleas continue to make trolling difficult on the lake. Try using flea flicker line or vertical jigging instead if trolling becomes too frustrating. The thermocline has set up at about 50 feet. Lake trout are being taken down 60 to 120 feet of water on spoons, and also on bottom in 100 feet of water fishing with live alewives.

OTISCO LAKE

Trolling with worm harnesses has been working for walleye. Bass are hitting wacky rigged stick worms and plastic worms on drop shot rigs in 10 feet of water along weed edges. Flipping tube baits and creature baits into the weed mats is also working for largemouth bass.

SKANEATELES LAKE

Rainbow trout continue to hit small spoons fished down about 20 feet. The early morning bite has been best with action slowing down about 7:30 AM. Lake trout are also hitting on spoons fished 55 to 60 feet down. Trout are feeding on small yellow perch, so good colors for the spoons have been perch colors. Glow baits are also working well. Bass fishing along the shore continues to be good from 5 to 30 feet of water with tube jigs, topwaters and drop shot rigs. Good colors for the drop shot plastics and Berkley gulp baits have been minnow imitating colors. The bite has been good throughout the day.

SODUS BAY

Bass fishing has been good early and late in the day with spinnerbaits, topwaters and a variety of plastics working.

SANDY POND

Largemouth bass fishing continues to be good early in the morning and in the evening.

WHITNEY POINT RESERVOIR

Walleye fishing has been good early or late in the day for anglers trolling with worm harness and nightcrawlers along the old river channel.

Fishing picked up again last week. Chinook salmon are still scattered, so if not marking fish or bait keep searching. Fishing down 60 to 150 feet over 80 to 400 feet of water with spoons, flashers and flies, or flashers and cut-bait are all working for the salmon. Good colors have been whites and greens. Brown trout are being found in about 80 feet of water and lake trout in about 100 feet. Smallmouth fishing has been good in 15 to 30 feet of water around Mexico Point with live bait working well. Fish baits 1 ½ to 2 feet off bottom to help avoid some of the bait stealing gobies.

Oswego River

The river is currently only running at 417 cubic feet per second (cfs), as of 8/2. Sheepshead, catfish and carp are active throughout the river with crayfish or worms working.

Salmon River

Things are quiet on the river this time of year.

Cayuga Lake

Waterfleas were less of a problem last week, but floating weed mats are still an issue. Lake trout are hitting spoons, or flasher and flies fished 50 to 80 feet down over 80 to 150 feet of water. It seems to change from day to day, with spoons out fishing flasher and flies one day and then the reverse the next. Many methods are working to get lures down to depth such as copper, wire, lead core, Dipseys and downriggers. Starting Dipseys at 200 to 300 feet back, 10 colors of lead core, and copper at 400 feet back has been good starting points. Vertical jigging continues to work for lake trout in 75 to 95 feet of water.

Oneida Lake

Walleye fishing has slowed down on the lake as young of the year shad are becoming large enough for the walleye to feed on. Anglers report marking large schools of baitfish. Blade baits and bucktail jigs tipped with nightcrawler are still producing some walleye in 20 to 30 feet of water. Smallmouth bass are also keying in on the shad schools, so keep an eye out for birds (terns or seagulls). When bass chase the shad to the surface birds will swoop down to eat the shad. You can see this bird activity from a greater distance than you can see bass rolling on the surface as they chase shad. Good lures are lipless crankbaits, topwater or plastic stickbaits.

Sandy Pond

Largemouth bass fishing has been good early in the morning and in the evening.

Otisco Lake

Trolling with worm harnesses has been working for walleye. Bass are hitting wacky rigged stick worms and plastic worms on drop shot rigs in 10 feet of water along weed edges. Flipping tube baits and creature baits into the weed mats is also working for largemouth bass.

Owasco Lake

Waterfleas continuie to make trolling difficult on the lake. Try using flea flicker line or vertical jigging instead if trolling becomes too frustrating. The thermocline has set up at about 50 feet. Lake trout are being taken down 60 to 120 feet of water on spoons, and also on bottom in 100 feet of water fishing with live alewives.

Whitney Point Reservoir

Walleye fishing has been good early or late in the day for anglers trolling with worm harness and nightcrawlers along the old river channel.

Skaneateles Lake

Rainbow trout are hitting small spoons fished down about 20 feet. The early morning bite has been best with action slowing down about 7:30 AM. Lake trout are also hitting on spoons fished 55 to 60 feet down. Trout are feeding on small yellow perch, so good colors for the spoons have been perch colors. Glow baits are also working well. Bass fishing along the shore continues to be good from 5 to 30 feet of water with tube jigs, topwaters and drop shot rigs. Good colors for the drop shot plastics and Berkley gulp baits have been minnow imitating colors. The bite has been good throughout the day.

Susquehanna, Chenango, Tioughnioga and Unadilla Rivers

Fishing early or late in the day has been better on the river as it is low and warm. Jigs tipped with nightcrawlers are working for the walleye and tube jigs, stick worms (like Senko's or Stik-O's) and topwaters for the bass.

Eastern Region 8

Lake Ontario

Salmon are being found in 100 to 200 feet of water, depths are changing from day to day though as the cold water gets moved around. Fishing down 75 to 100 feet with spoons, or flasher and flies, or flashers and cut-bait has been working. Brown trout are being found 40 feet down over 80 to 100 feet of water with spoons producing the most action. Smallmouth bass fishing has been fair by trolling crankbaits in 15 to 25 feet of water. Toss out a marker buoy when a fish is caught and then work the area with plastics or bait. A few large yellow perch are hitting minnows or worms fished off from piers along the lake.

Seneca Lake

Waterfleas were less of a nuisance last week, but weed mats still made trolling frustrating for some. Lake trout are hitting Spin Dr.'s and flies fished 70 to 125 feet down over 400 feet of water. Vertical jigging has been working for lake trout in 75 to 95 feet of water.

Sodus Bay

Bass fishing has been good early and late in the day with spinnerbaits, topwaters and a variety of plastics working.

View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog