Syracuse.com - Aug. 24-26: A few chinook salmon spotted in Salmon River; Lake Ontario remains a hot spot

[HuntingNY-News]

When fishing Oneida Lake for bass, watch for the birds., Smallmouth bass are keying in on the shad schools. When bass chase the shad to the surface, birds will swoop down to eat the shad.

CNY FISHING FORECAST

Bait stores (list and map).

LAKE ONTARIO

Fishing has been good lately. Anglers report catching salmon in 140 feet of water (about 80 to 80 feet down), using flashers and flies. Some spoons have also been effective.

SALMON RIVER

A handful of chinook salmon were seen entering the lower part of the river at mid-week.

OSWEGO RIVER

Water remains low and warm. Sheepshead and rock bass are active throughout the river with crayfish or worms working.

ONEIDA LAKE

The Bassmasters tournament is taking place on the lake through Sunday. Meanwhile, 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. Perch bite has picked up lately for anglers using fathead minnows tipped on a small jig.

CAYUGA LAKE

Water fleas have been less of a problem recently. Lake trout are hitting spoons, or flasher and flies, fished 70 to 80 feet down over 80 to 150 feet of water. It continues 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. Running Dipseys 200 to 300 feet back, 10 colors of lead core, and copper at 400 feet back have been good starting lengths. Vertical jigging continues to work for lake trout in 75 to 95 feet of water.

SENECA LAKE

Water fleas and weed mats have been less of a nuisance recently. Lake trout are hitting Spin Doctors and flies, along with spoons, fished 50 to 80 feet down over 120 feet of water. Vertical jigging with chartreuse plastics has also been working for lake trout in 90 to 110 feet of water.

OWASCO LAKE

Water fleas are still making trolling difficult on the lake. Try using flea flicker line or vertical jigging instead if trolling becomes too frustrating. Lake trout are being taken down 80 to 90 feet over 100-150 feet of of water on spoons or flasher and flies.Anglers continue to catch bass, and some perch. Those using live crayfish are doing well.

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 foot 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 are hitting small spoons fished down about 20 feet. The early morning bite has been best with action slowing down about 7:30 a.m. 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.

SODUS BAY

Bass fishing has been good early and late in the day with spinnerbaits, topwaters and a variety of plastics working. Fishng in the thick weed growth with tube or creature baits is also working.

SANDY POND

Nothing to report this week.

ST. LAWRENCE RIVER

Bass and being caught by anglers fishing deep (around 25-30 feet) using crayfish. Pike are being taken around 40 feet by anglers using pike minnows or suckers.

WHITNEY POINT RESERVOIR

Anglers are catching bluegills by trolling and than anchoring and fishing with small jigs when fish are found. A few walleye are being taken early or late in the day for anglers trolling with worm harness and nightcrawlers along the old river channel.

View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog