Syracuse.com - Sept. 14-16: Let the fun begin. The salmon have started their annual spawning run up the Salmon River

[HuntingNY-News]

There were three significant runs up the river this week. Many of the fish, though, are still in the lower parts of the waterway.

CNY FISHING FORECAST

Bait stores (list and map).

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, along with cutbait and Spin Doctors and flies.

SALMON RIVER

River is still very low. Regardless, there were several substantial run of chinooks this week. Most of the fish, though, are still in the lower half of the river.

OSWEGO RIVER

Water remains low and warm. A few chinook salmon have made it up the river to the dam, said one veteran angler, but it appears they’ve turned around and headed back into the lake because of the warm water temperatures.

ONEIDA LAKE

Things are picking up with the cooler temperatures. The perch bite has picked up lately. Not much to report on the walleye scene, though some anglers report catching them shallow (at about 6 feet) in the weeds using small jigs and spinners.

CAYUGA LAKE

Overall, things have been slow. Anglers fishing 80 to 110 feet down with flasher and flies are catching a few lake trout, as are those vertical jigging in 80 to 100 feet of water. Bass fishing, though, particularly on the northern end, remains a good bet. Try live crayfish or tube jigs, plastic stick worms and drop shot rigs. Pumpkin green and watermelon are good colors for plastics.

SENECA LAKE

Trout and salmon fishing has been slow recently. Bait and fish were being marked, but getting strikes was difficult. Anglers were marking fish 70 to 110 feet down. A few lake trout were hitting Spin Doctors and flies fished 70 to 90 feet down. Yellow perch fishing has picked up recently, with fish being caught on the south end, and by the salt plant.

OWASCO LAKE

Lots of nice bass being caught. Try live crayfish or tube jigs, plastic stick worms and drop shot rigs. Pumpkin green and watermelon are good colors for plastics. Best time to fish is early morning or late evening.

OTISCO LAKE

Anglers are still reeling in bass and panfish. Apart from that, no new fishing activity to report.

SKANEATELES LAKE

Bass fishing continues to be good in water ranging from 10 to 25 feet. Many are being caught on live crabs, along with tube jigs, plastic stick worms and drop shot rigs. Pumpkin green and watermelon continue to be good colors for plastics. Best time of fish is early morning or late evening. Yellow perch and rock bass are biting on the south end with small minnows or jigs working.

SODUS BAY

Bass fishing continues to be good early and late in the day with spinnerbaits, topwaters and a variety of plastics working.

ST. LAWRENCE RIVER

Bass, walleye and crappie bites remain strong.

WHITNEY POINT RESERVOIR

The reservoir’s water temperature is starting to come down and anglers are picking up a few crappies. Fish the edges of the breaks in the river channel. Many fish are hanging along those edges. Anglers are also catching bluegills by trolling and then anchoring and fishing with small jigs when fish are found.

View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog