Syracuse.com - Sept. 7-9: Lake Ontario salmon fishing scene remains hot

[HuntingNY-News]

Oneida Lake has been a little bit warm lately and the fishing has been tough.

CNY FISHING FORECAST

LAKE ONTARIO

Lake Ontario salmon fishing scene continues to be hot. Lots of chinook salmon are being caught in 120 feet of water, fishing about 80 feet down using flashers and A-Tom-Mik flies.

SALMON RIVER

River is still very low. Regardless, a few small runs of chinook salmon have been spotted recently making their way up the river. Little salmon activity to report at this time in the river, but fishing in the lake off the mouth of the river has been good for anglers trolling.

OSWEGO RIVER

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

ONEIDA LAKE

The lake’s water is still a little warm and fishing has been tough lately. Walleye fishing continues to be slow 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 a night crawler are 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 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.

CAYUGA LAKE

Little has changed from last week with lake trout hitting spoons, or flasher and flies, fished 80 to 90 feet down over 100 to 150 feet of water. 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 80 to 95 feet of water.

SENECA LAKE

Lake trout continue to hit Spin Doctors and flies, and also 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

Lake trout are being taken down 80 to 90 feet over 100 to 150 feet of water on spoons or flasher and flies. Bass and perch are also being caught. For the bass, try live crayfish or tube jigs, plastic stick worms and drop shot rigs. Pumpkin green and watermelon are good colors for plastics. Best time of fish is early morning or late evening. Try fathead minnows for perch.

OTISCO LAKE

Bass continue to hit 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 are hitting small spoons fished 45 to 65 feet. 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 continues to be good from 10 to 25 feet, with tube jigs, plastic stick worms and drop shot rigs all working. Pumpkin green and watermelon continue to be good colors for plastics. Best time of fish is early morning or late evening.

SODUS BAY

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

WHITNEY POINT RESERVOIR

Anglers continue to catch bluegills by trolling and then anchoring and fishing with small jigs when fish are found. Walleye are being caught 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